Business 21 May 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)
Pay TV Subscriptions Plummet in Uganda Amidst Rise of Digital Streaming
Uganda's Pay TV market has experienced a significant decline, with subscriptions dropping from a peak of 1.65 million in 2021 to 1 million by the end of 2024, a nearly 40% decrease. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/business/markets/from-1-65m-to-1m-ucc-data-shows-a-sharp-drop-in-pay-tv-subscriptions-5468840
The landscape of entertainment consumption in Uganda has shifted dramatically, leading to a sharp contraction in the Pay TV market. Data from the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) reveals a steep drop in active Pay TV subscriptions, which fell from a high of 1.65 million in December 2021 to just 1 million by December 2024. This represents a substantial decrease of approximately 39.4% over a three-year period.
The decline is closely linked to the rapid growth of internet accessibility and the increasing adoption of smartphones across the country. As mobile devices became more affordable and data bundles more accessible, Ugandans began migrating their entertainment habits to online platforms.
Services like Netflix, YouTube, TikTok, and Facebook have capitalized on improved internet connectivity, offering on-demand content that appeals to a more flexible viewing culture. Consumers now prefer the convenience of personalized, mobile-first entertainment over rigid television schedules.
While Pay TV showed resilience in 2021, partly due to the return of major sports leagues, the broader trend of internet-driven entertainment proved unstoppable. By December 2023, subscriptions had already fallen to 1.5 million, with the most significant drop occurring in 2024, losing half a million subscribers in a single year.
Concurrently, internet traffic and smartphone usage have soared. By December 2024, 18.2 million smartphones were in use, with quarterly internet traffic reaching 226.5 million gigabytes downloaded. This mirrors a shift in consumer spending, with a larger portion of telecom budgets now allocated to mobile data for streaming, social media, and online communication.
By December 2025, Pay TV subscriptions saw a slight recovery to 1.1 million, still significantly below the 2020 figures. This ongoing transformation underscores the dominance of digital connectivity and on-demand content in shaping Uganda’s media consumption habits.
This information is based on data tracked by the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC).