pay TV

noun

ˈpā-ˈtē-ˈvē How to pronounce pay TV (audio)
: 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
—often hyphenated when used attributively
a pay-TV operator

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.
Our strategy is to combine the strengths of free TV, pay TV and streaming, of advertising, subscription and distribution revenues into one powerful ecosystem with unmatchable reach. — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 11 Aug. 2026 Currently more than 80% of Versant's revenue stems from the pay TV business. — Lillian Rizzo, CNBC, 6 Aug. 2026 While other categories of residuals (including broadcast, cable, foreign TV, home video, pay TV, and more) have been on the decline for many years, streaming had been on the rise over the last decade or so. — Katie Campione, Deadline, 5 Aug. 2026 All Hayu content will be available on demand at no extra charge to Sky Ultimate TV customers, as well as all Sky Q and Sky+ pay TV customers. — John Archer, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026 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

Rhymes for pay TV

See All Rhymes for pay TV

Browse Nearby Words

pay tribute/homage to
pay TV
pay up
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pay TV.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pay%20TV. Accessed 17 Aug. 2026.

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