Pay television
Pay television or pay-TV refers to subscription-based television services, usually provided by both analogue and digital cable and satellite, but also increasingly by digital terrestrial methods.
Pay-per-view ambiguities
Pay-per-view (PPV) services are similar to subscription-based pay TV services in that you must pay to have the broadcast decrypted for viewing, but usually only entail a one-off payment for a single or time-limited viewing.
Free-to-view ambiguties
"Free" variants are free-to-air (FTA) and free-to-view (FTV), however FTV services are normally encrypted and decryption cards either come as part of an initial subscription to a pay TV bouquet or can be purchased for a one-off cost.
Selective access of free content
- FTA and FTV systems may still have selective access. ABC Asia-Pacific is one example. This channel's content is free-to-air but NRL games are encrypted.
Overview of buissness models of global Pay TV systems
Subscription per channel or network
Subscription channel or network bundeling
Bundling of other services
See also
- Premium television - previously known as "pay television" in North America
- Pirate decryption