Worldwide pay-TV subscriber households grow by 8% in 2012; consumer remain 'ready and willing to pay for television'.

Worldwide pay-TV subscriber households incresed by 8% in 2012, according to the latest tracking from the Multimedia Research Group (MRG), helped in part by pay-TV growth in emerging markets such as Africa.

In 2012 pay-TV growth was the fastest in the Asia-Pacific region. The total number of pay-TV subscribers worldwide is now 800 million households.

"Even with the ongoing debate about the value of pay-TV services versus the cost of pay-TV services, one thing remains clear: Consumers around the world love to watch TV, and they remain both ready and willing to pay for it," says MRG.

"Despite the threats of “cord cutting” or alternative TV distribution technologies, we expect pay-TV service providers will, for the foreseeable future, continue to be the leading players in the delivery of TV services to the home."

"Looking out over the next few years, we expect to see sustained growth in demand for pay-TV services. In fact, by 2017, we are projecting worldwide pay-TV subscriber households to pass the 1 billion mark."