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In 2017, there were two primarysatellite television providers of subscription based service available toUnited States consumers:DirecTV andDish Network, which have 21 and 10 million subscribers respectively.[1][2] A 2021Pew Research Center survey found that the percentage of American adults that reported having acable or satellite television subscription fell from 76% in 2015 to 56% in 2021,[3] while a 2025 Pew Research Center survey found that only 36% of American adults reported having a cable or satellite television subscription.[4]
In December 1975,RCA createdSatcom 1, the first satellite built especially for use by the then three national television networks (CBS,NBC, andABC). Later that same year,HBO leased a transponder on Satcom 1 and began transmission of television programs via satellite to cable systems. Owners of cable systems paid $10,000 to install 3-meter dishes to receive TV signals inC band.In 1976Taylor Howard built an amateur system, which consisted of a converted military surplus radar dish and a satellite receiver designed and built by Howard, for home satellite reception. Taylor's system could be used for receiving TV programs both from American and Sovietcommunication satellites. In 1977Pat Robertson launched the first satellite-delivered basic cable service called theCBN Cable Network. In 1979, the Satellite Home Viewers Act allowed homeowners in the United States to both own and operate their own home satellite system, consisting of C-band equipment from a multitude of manufacturers who were making parts for systems such as Taylor Howard's, and began a large controversy of which channels could be received by whom.
USSB was a direct-to-home service founded in 1981. In the early 1990s, they partnered withHughes and continued operation until purchased in 1998 by DirecTV.
In November 1990,Primestar launched as the first North American direct-broadcast satellite service. Hughes's DirecTV, the first national high-powered upper Ku-band satellite TV system, went online in 1994. The DirecTV system became the new delivery vehicle for USSB. In 1996,EchoStar's Dish Network went online in the United States and has gone on to similar success as DirecTV's primary competitor. TheAlphaStar service launched in 1996 and went into bankruptcy in 1997. Primestar sold its assets to Hughes in 1999. Dominion Video Satellite Inc'sSky Angel also went online in the United States in 1996 with its satellite TV service geared towards "faith and family" until they sold the license toEchoStar Communications Corporation in 2008 and switched to an IPTV platform.
In 2004,Cablevision'sVoom service went online, specifically catering to the emerging market ofHDTV owners and aficionados, but folded in April 2005. The service's "exclusive" high-definition channels were migrated to theDish Network system. Commercial satellite TV services are the primary competition to cable television service, although the two types of service have significantly different regulatory requirements (for example, cable television haspublic access requirements, and the two types of distribution have different regulations regarding carriage of local stations).
The majority ofethnic-language broadcasts in North America are carried on Ku band free-to-air. The largest concentration of free-to-air programming is onGalaxy 19 at 97° W.Pittsburgh International Telecommunications andGlobeCast World TV offers a mix of free and pay-TV ethnic channels in the internationally standard DVB-S and S2 formats, as do others.Home2US Communications Inc. also offers several ethnic channels on SES 1 at 101° W, as well as other free and pay-TV channels. Many religious broadcasters reach theDTH and distribution markets with unencrypted DVB-S television and radio channels on Galaxy 19. These channels are available as part of theGlorystar Satellite Service. Several U.S.-English language network affiliates (representingCBS,NBC,ABC,PBS,FOX,the CW (formerlythe WB andUPN),ION Network andMyNetworkTV) are available as free-to-air broadcasts, as are the three U.S.-Spanish language networks (Univisión,Unimás andTelemundo). The number of free-to-air specialty channels is otherwise rather limited. Specific FTA offerings tend to appear and disappear rather often and typically with little or no notice, although sites such as LyngSat do track the changing availability of both free and pay channels worldwide.[5]
On October 7, 2009,NAB TV Board chairPaul Karpowicz planned to testify before theSenateCommunications Subcommittee that broadcasters would be willing to allow subscribers of distant signals to continue to do so even if thedigital transition resulted in those subscribers receiving stations that they could not before. The NAB did oppose offering new distant signals if a digital signal was available. TheSatellite TV Modernization Act had to be passed by the end of 2009. TheHouse bill also allowed Dish Network to offer distant signals.[6] On November 5,Senate Judiciary Committee chairmanPatrick Leahy said he hoped for a "short-time agreement" on the bill passed out of committee September 24. If the Senate approves, the House will have to approve the bill, and if the two versions cannot be reconciled, the license to import signals that expires at the end of the year could be extended.[7] The House version included an agreement withEchostar that, where possible, all 210 markets could receive signals, and Echostar could once again deliver distant signals.
On November 19, 2009, theSenate Commerce Committee approved a version of the bill, without an amendment requiring local signals in all markets in three years, though a study would be conducted on why 30 markets still had a problem. Before Senate approval, the two versions of the bill would have to be reconciled; the Judiciary Committee had a short market fix, while the Commerce committee bill requiredPBS inHD sooner.[8]
On December 3, 2009, the House approved theSatellite Home Viewer Reauthorization Act. It included both theHouse Commerce Committee andHouse Judiciary Committee versions and renewed the ability to use distant signals for five years, allowed Dish Network to offer distant signals again, and required 28 markets to receive signals not available locally. The bill also dealt with somecopyright issues and required Dish Network to offer HD non-commercial signals by 2011 instead of 2013.[9]
One potential problem:[clarify] determining who cannot receive a signal is still based on analog rather than digital TV.[10]
On February 11, 2010, Senate Majority LeaderHarry Reid said the satellite reauthorization was part of a jobs bill[clarification needed].Rick Boucher, House chairman forcommunications and the Internet, believed the bill would pass. The deadline is March, since it has been extended 60 days.[11] Sen.Jim Bunning blocked the legislation in the Senate on Feb. 25, even though it passed the House.[12] On March 1, 2010, TheSatellite Television Extension and Localism Act of 2010, scheduled to expire in 2014, became part of a jobs bill with help from Sen.Patrick Leahy.[13]
