The number of pay TV subscribers in Eastern Europe will decline by 8 million from 81 million in the peak year of 2018 to 74 million in 2029. However, 2018 included 17 million analog cable subscribers, which will drop to zero by 2027. The number of digital pay TV subscribers will rise by 9 million over this period.

Pay TV subscriber numbers will fall in 20 of the 22 countries covered between 2023 and 2029, with the total down by 2.4 million. There will be 4.6 million fewer analog cable subs. Pay satellite TV will fall by 2.6 million. However, IPTV will gain 2.8 million and digital cable 1.9 million.

Simon Murray, Principal Analyst at Digital TV Research, said: “Tough times continue in Eastern Europe, with poor job prospects forcing many to seek work abroad. This migration married with low birth rates mean that populations will fall or stall in 17 of the 22 countries covered in this report between 2023 and 2029.”