Wall Street Predicts Cord Cutting Will Explode This Quarter Analysts estimate that the pay TV sector lost a record 762,000 pay-TV subscribers last quarter -- roughly five times more than the total number of lost subscribers during the same quarter last year. And if you thought the first quarter was bad, the second quarter -- already traditionally among the worst thanks to college kids leaving school -- the second quarter is poised to be significantly worse. How much worse? Some Wall Street analysts predict that pay TV providers could lose more than 1 million total subscribers in just three months.

new research note by UBS analyst John Hodulik argues that with a rise in streaming video alternatives, things are only going to get more difficult from there for the legacy pay TV sector. "That (a 1 million 2Q decline) would be the worst result on record and equate to a 2.5% annual decline," Hodulik notes. "We estimate this will put the industry on pace for a 3.3% decline in 2017 and 4.0% in 2018," the analyst added. The firm released a chart (above left) detailing just what this decline will look like. While this is occurring, the firm estimates that the total number of subscribers to streaming video alternatives will grow to roughly 4 million by the end of this year, around 7 million by the end of 2018, and to around 15 million by the end of 2020. Of course the legacy cable industry isn't helpless to stop this shift. There's a very simply way to ensure consumers don't flee to a growing array of streaming alternatives: compete more seriously on channel flexibility and price. Of course the legacy cable industry isn't helpless to stop this shift. There's a very simply way to ensure consumers don't flee to a growing array of streaming alternatives: compete more seriously on channel flexibility and price.







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