Payments Without Borders
Year on year we hear that the global pay-TV market is growing and that the number of pay-TV subscribers is continuing to rise. According to ABI Research, the global pay-TV market last year grew by 5% and is said to have passed 924.4 million subscribers. Gartner also states that global pay-TV revenues are set to reach $375bn by 2019. So with the pay-TV market proliferating, more and more subscribers paying for content, and pay-TV services expanding across geographic borders, it is more important that ever for todays pay-TV operators and VOD providers to support subscriber management on a global scale.
Todays subscriber management systems must be able to support payments without borders. Why? Because there are three fundamental requirements for any pay-TV service and those are signing up customers, confirming the ability to pay and then taking payment. But going global means taking payments in 186 international currencies, from 4 major global credit cards and dozens of e-wallets, as well as supporting local payment methods. There are even mobile-banking systems taking off in Africa and Asia for operators to get to grips with.
If operators fail to properly address payment processing, growth will be dramatically affected and even those with the most innovative TV service will suffer. So how do operators overcome these challenges and ensure they can process payments across borders?
In terms of the fundamentals, payment services need to be flexible and cope with a variety of payment dynamics. This could be anything from immediate payment processing for pay-per-view sporting events (like the Mayweather vs. Pacquiao fight which saw people all around the world paying to watch the match), through to supporting a monthly recurring subscription model for a Netflix-like service. Payment processing capabilities also need to be adaptable and support a variety of devices, from smartphones through to tablets, PCs and connected TVs.
But its the stark difference in taking payments around the world that gets difficult. Credit cards may be seen as the defacto payment method, but according to World Bank, astonishingly only 7% of the population in developing economies owns a credit card and even then ownership in more affluent European nations only hovers at around 50%. In many parts of Asia, using vouchers for over the counter cash payments for telephone services is incredibly popular and if a pay-TV operator wanted to offer this payment option, they would need to interface with several highly bespoke Point of Sale (PoS) terminal service providers across the region in order to make this happen. (And that doesnt even take in to account reconciling charges against currency fluctuations and local value added and consumption taxes).
There are also a number of issues to overcome surrounding payment validation and processing for a wider geographic and demographic audience. For example, a pay-TV service broadcasting from the ASTRA 1M satellite casts a footprint over Europe and North Africa covering roughly 42 countries and 26 currencies from Morocco in the south, to Norway in the north. While the Nordic market has high credit card adoption, almost universal broadband and a mature e-commerce mind-set, Morocco is a vibrant economy with rapidly growing pay-TV ARPU and a popular smartphone based banking systems. In this example, if a pay-TV service only accepted Visa and MasterCard credit card payments in Euros, they would be excluding a wide segment of its potential audiences- and would lose out on potential revenue.
Internationally there are hundreds of payment methods and it is up to the subscriber management system to support them. In order to operate across borders, pay-TV operators and VOD providers need a system that can support flexible payments that include micropayments, debit card payments, bank transfers, PayPal, mobile transfers, retail vouchers and a variety of other local options.
At Paywizard we are helping pay-TV operators and VOD providers around the world deliver subscriber management and simple and user-friendly payments. Paywizard currently offers a comprehensive range of payment solutions, supporting 300 payment methods in 100 currencies worldwide. These include pre and post pay models, credit and debit card processing, direct debits, and local payment options such as Ideal card. In recent years, we have also added mobile phone operator integration, cash economy options powered via vouchers, and white-label and branded e-Wallets such as PayPal.
Having recently been to NAB in Las Vegas, TV Connect in London and BroadcastAsia in Singapore, we are seeing that payments without borders really is becoming a must-have for pay-TV operators and VOD providers around the world. As companies extend their services and go global, they need subscriber management and payment capabilities to support them. If these companies fail to deliver on what is seen as a simple task of enabling subscribers to pay to watch a film, TV show or football match, then the reality is that these subscribers will take their money to a TV service that can.
Jonathan Guthrie, CEO.
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
19/08/2026
As the cost of IP nears price parity with traditional SDI, Reynolds argues that ...
19/08/2026
A private 5G bubble was chosen instead of traditional broadcast RF for the race ...
19/08/2026
(L-R) Rafael Manuel and Isabel Sicat attend the Filipi ana premiere during the 2026 Sundance Film Festival at The Ray Theatre on January 23, 2026, in Park Cit...
19/08/2026
Studio owners invited to have their say on rates cuts
The Music Producers Guild (MPG) are inviting UK-based studios to take part in an in-depth survey that ...
19/08/2026
Vintage-inspired desktop interface revealed
Harrison's latest hardware offering sees them head into the world of audio interfaces, delivering a 10-in/12...
19/08/2026
Granular effect remains locked to scale and tempo
Described as your dream granular effect , Minimal Audio's latest creation is capable of turning any s...
19/08/2026
First polyphonic SWAM instrument incoming
Audio Modeling's latest physical-modelling orchestral instrument is just around the corner, and is now availab...
19/08/2026
World Cup Games Generate 84 Billion Minutes Across FOX, Fox Sports 1 and NBCU...
19/08/2026
July brought typical peak-holiday drops in viewership, driven primarily by viewers stepping away from screens and a visible decline in reach across both traditi...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Henry joins BCE as the company accelerates its commercial strategy and expands its international presence across the media, broadcast and technology markets. He...
19/08/2026
iWedia, a leading provider of software solutions for connected TV devices, today announced a major milestone in Android platform optimization with the successfu...
19/08/2026
NTP Technology announces that ST 2110-30 audio-over-IP connectivity with AES67 and RAVENNA capabilities is now available for the brand's world-class audio i...
19/08/2026
Net Insight has been selected to provide its Nimbra platform by the service provider Big Blue Marble, formerly ORS Group, as the core media transport solution f...
19/08/2026
LiveU has supported Coventry City FC and several other top-flight UK football clubs through one of their most demanding live production challenges of the year, ...
19/08/2026
Nature Seekers Documentary Shot with Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K LF
Brie Clayton August 18, 2026
0 Comments
Filming endangered turtles required camera...
19/08/2026
Neyrinck Brings D-Control Consoles Back to Life on Apple Silicon with D-Control ...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Riedel Communications today announced that Edith Cowan University (ECU) in Perth, Australia, implemented a comprehensive communications infrastructure that brin...
19/08/2026
QuickLink, a leading provider of award-winning video production and remote guest contribution solutions, will spotlight a major leap forward in remote guest con...
19/08/2026
Integrated platform melds media asset management, playout automation and newsroom workflows
EMAM, PlayBox Neo and SNEWS have officially launched Nuvex, a conne...
19/08/2026
Screen Australia releases the Private Investment Toolkit to strengthen screen in...
19/08/2026
Do Aussies truly value local content? Unpacking Screen Currency 2026 with Deirdr...
19/08/2026
There's an early Christmas gift for Bookish fans, as UKTV confirms the re-commission of the hit U&alibi drama, created by and starring Mark Gatiss. Viewers ...
19/08/2026
Wednesday 19 August 2026
Sky gives sports fans the chance to watch multiple liv...
19/08/2026
On Saturday September 5 Katie Taylor will step into the ring for the fight of her life against Flora Pili in front of 80,000 fans in Croke Park. A legendary fig...
18/08/2026
SportStream 2026, a free three-day virtual event, will take place September 15-17. One registration provides access to all three days of live programming and on...
18/08/2026
BeckTV will introduce BeckFlow to the European market at IBC2026, demonstrated on the Providius stand (10.F53).
BeckFlow is a web-based schematic documentation...
18/08/2026
Boland Communications will introduce a SMPTE ST 2110 input option for its 4K monitors at IBC2026, along with a new 55-inch super-narrow bezel display for video ...
18/08/2026
Dolby Laboratories and the Seattle Seahawks have announced a partnership integrating Dolby OptiView into the Seahawks' live streaming coverage, making the S...
18/08/2026
For BMG Executive Producer of Sports Production, Graham Taylor, producing live s...
18/08/2026
TMRW Sports has appointed Rufus Hack as President of Golf, a newly created role in which he will lead the company's golf businesses including TGL presented ...
18/08/2026
SMT will provide race technology for FOX Sports' coverage of the Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C. on August 23, when the NTT INDYCAR SERIES races ...
18/08/2026
The live, YouTube-native roundtables combine fan voices, credentialed reporters,...
18/08/2026
Behind The Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, includ...
18/08/2026
The industry legend sounds off on replacing the Heat's iconic Medusa score...
18/08/2026
William F. Rasmussen, the sports fan-turned broadcaster and entrepreneur whose out-of-the-box idea of a 24-hour cable sports network, ESPN, changed forever the ...
18/08/2026
DAZN Group has completed its acquisition of ViewLift, a provider of streaming and digital solutions for sports content owners. The acquisition was first announc...
18/08/2026
The American Association of Professional Baseball (AAPB) has added SI TV, Sports Illustrated's 24/7 streaming channel, as a broadcast partner for the remain...
18/08/2026
The Esports Foundation has announced that the inaugural Esports Nations Cup (ENC), originally scheduled for November 2026 in Riyadh, will be postponed to Novemb...
18/08/2026
Diversified has announced a new Global Managed Services Practice, consolidating the company's managed services capabilities into one organization. Rob Mello...
18/08/2026
Appear has completed a proof of concept with Thoroughbred Racing Productions (TRP), demonstrating multi-camera remote live production over bonded 5G cellular an...
Payments Without Borders
