MVPD stands for Multichannel Video Programming Distributor — the industry term for a traditional pay-TV company that bundles and delivers many channels to subscribers. Cable operators (Comcast, Charter) and satellite providers (DirecTV, Dish) are MVPDs. They were the gatekeepers of TV distribution before streaming.
MVPD, vMVPD, and the cord-cutting shift
A vMVPD (virtual MVPD) recreates the bundled-channel, live-TV experience over the internet — YouTube TV, Sling, Hulu + Live TV. It's the bridge between the MVPD world and pure [[ott]] streaming. The macro story is cord-cutting: viewers leaving MVPD subscriptions for [[ctv]] and [[fast-tv]], which pulls advertising budgets from MVPD-controlled linear inventory toward addressable, digitally-bought streaming.
Why the term matters for app marketers: you'll encounter MVPD in any discussion of why CTV advertising is growing. The shift of audiences and dollars from MVPD linear TV to addressable streaming is exactly what makes [[ctv]] a viable, targetable UA channel. Understanding the incumbent clarifies the opportunity in the disruptor.