Retransmission Revenue to Top $3.6 Billion through 2017

Although broadcast television station owners' share of retransmission dollars is under siege, SNL Kagan expects that total national retrans revenues will continue to rise thanks to the steady upward pressure on the monthly fees paid by multichannel operators to TV stations. That is despite an outlook for slower potential future growth of multichannel subs due to such things as over-the-top substitution. SNL Kagan’s study projects that total industry retrans fees could increase from $1.14 billion in 2010 to $3.61 billion by 2017, with average per-sub fees for cable MSOs potentially more than doubling over time from their 2010 levels through 2017.