The rise of cord-cutting: why consumers are cancelling subscriptions to traditional pay-TV services

Premium
Topic

Pay TV

The rise of cord-cutting: why consumers are cancelling subscriptions to traditional pay-TV services
This insight is locked

Access this insight with a Premium plan. Contact our sales team to get started.


Or

Report details

The rise of cord-cutting: why consumers are cancelling subscriptions to traditional pay-TV services
Pages
2
Released
AUGUST 2023

Price

£750

EX. VAT

This report is one of more than 140 published annually as part of the GSMA Intelligence data and research subscription, which is designed for organisations that require regular access to our insights. Contact our sales team for details.

Contact us

Pay-TV data from GSMA Intelligence shows that half the 36 major countries it tracks worldwide saw a fall in the number of traditional pay-TV connections between 2020 and 2022, with the US leading. In most of the 18 countries that saw a decline, cord-cutting (consumers cancelling their subscription to traditional pay-TV services) is on the rise, reflected in a higher volume of cancellations in 2022 than in 2021.

GSMA Intelligence leveraged its global consumer survey across eight major countries – China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, South Korea, the UK and US – to examine the factors driving this cord-cutting trend. The results shine light on the implications for providers of traditional pay-TV services.

Authors

How to access this report

Annual subscription: Subscribe to our research modules for comprehensive access to more than 200 reports per year.

Enquire about subscription

Contact our research team

Get in touch with us to find out more about our research topics and analysis.

Contact our research team

Media

To cite our research, please see our citation policy in our Terms of Use, or contact our Media team for more information.

Learn more

Related research

Industry Checkpoint: pay TV, Q1 2026

Premium
Topic
Pay TV

This edition of the Industry Checkpoint series focuses on pay TV, including traditional pay TV and OTT video services, highlighting how the market has changed in the last six months and its implications. The report considers four major developments: M&A activity intensifying throughout the media value chain; Charter turning a corner, providing a glimmer of hope for US cable-TV operators under pressure; a new wave of win–win partnerships emerging in OTT video; and an example of a new business model making inroads in pay-TV distribution.

This insight is locked

Netflix continues to outperform 20 years on, but younger viewers may be tuning out

Premium
Topic
Pay TV

GSMA Intelligence's Chart of the Month is a visual way of telling an important story in the mobile and broader tech ecosystem. From the shape and size of markets to trends in consumer behaviour, we aim to provide food for thought through informative visuals designed to bring colour and clarity to complex issues facing the industry. This edition looks at viewing trends for Netflix and the streaming market.

This insight is locked

The digital consumer in 2026: how consumer behaviour is changing across 5G, AI, eSIM, devices and content

Premium
Topics
Digital consumer services
Devices
5G
Artificial intelligence (AI)
Pay TV
eSIM

Leveraging data from the 2025 survey, conducted between June and August, this report provides relevant insights into how the consumer behaviour is changing across eight topic areas: 5G; devices; eSIM; generative AI; pay TV; gaming; the metaverse and extended reality; and sustainability.

This insight is locked
Full access
Get full access to our research now, get in touch with us to find out more about our research topics and analysis
  • 200 reports a year
  • 50 million data points
  • Over 350 metrics