: a service providing noncommercial television programming (such as recent movies and entertainment specials) by means of a scrambled signal to subscribers who are provided with a decoder

called also pay television

compare pay-cable, subscription tv

Examples of pay-TV in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
It was produced by Spanish pay-TV outfit Movistar Plus+ in collaboration with Portocabo. Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 18 Mar. 2025 All of this investment is ramping up as the TV ratings continue to grow—this despite the ongoing erosion of the nation’s pay-TV base. Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 14 Mar. 2025 Opening day for the White Sox is two weeks away and there is still no carriage agreement for the fledgling Chicago Sports Network to air on Comcast, essentially blacking out a rite of spring for 1 million pay-TV viewers in the city and suburbs. Robert Channick, Chicago Tribune, 13 Mar. 2025 By the end of 2025 there will be less of a need for consumers to have a pay-TV subscription. Brad Adgate, Forbes, 12 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for pay-TV

Word History

First Known Use

1954, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pay-TV was in 1954

Cite this Entry

“Pay-TV.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pay-TV. Accessed 21 Mar. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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