More Hints of Cord Cutting Surface in Pay-TV Results

Growth in the pay-television market was anemic in the third quarter, fueling the debate about whether subscribers are starting to cut the cord.

At least 90% of U.S. homes pay for some form of subscription TV, from cable, satellite or phone companies, according to Nielsen. In recent years cable operators have lost mostly video subscribers to satellite and phone company rivals while the broader market has grown slightly. But in the past year or so, the market has seen slight shrinkage in several quarters. That has sparked concerns that consumers might be disconnecting their pay-TV services in favor of cheaper options, like online video. Some also blame weak housing growth for the broader softness in the video business. But Dish's chief executive, Joe Clayton, indicated that the high price of pay television could be an issue. The cable industry is offsetting some of the video losses with growth in broadband.