There are currently more than 20 million illegal pay-TV households in Latin America, costing the industry some USD 8 billion in lost revenue a year, according to a study by Argentina-based researcher Business Bureau. The report said piracy accounts for USD 4.78 billion in revenue, while under-reporting of subscriptions accounts for a further USD 3.33 billion.

Bolivia tops the ranking of illegal pay-TV subscriptions with 26 percent of homes using a pirate operator, followed by Nicaragua (23%), Honduras (22%) and the Dominican Republic (21%). Mexico (7%), Chile (6%), Puerto Rico (6%) and Uruguay (5%) posted the lowest rates, said the report, which predicts that 19 million of the expected 95 million pay-TV subscribers in Latin America in 2021 will be signed up to a pirate or under-reported service.