Financial research concept

Security Monitoring Subscriber Count

measures the installed base of customers receiving security monitoring services at a point in time.

By Lee BaileyPublished Sep 26, 2026

Research context

See what supports this page, how current it is, and where comparable or historical context is available.

Research date: Sep 26, 2026Use the dated article and cited sources for the definition, examples, and stated limitations.
Operating-model context: 17 connected conceptsPart of the reviewed Security Monitoring Subscription Economics; issuer definitions remain distinct where disclosed.
Company examples: 1 reviewed companyRelationships reflect supported examples, not a normalized cross-company KPI ranking.

Subscriber scale supports a recurring-revenue model
The count is not the same as contracted monthly revenue
The year-end number is a stock measure
Part of the Security Monitoring Subscription Economics
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Security monitoring subscriber count measures the installed base of customers receiving monitoring services at a specific reporting date.

ADT served approximately 6.1 million security monitoring service subscribers at December 31, 2025.

Subscriber scale supports a recurring-revenue model

Security monitoring requires significant upfront customer-acquisition and installation investment, while the economic return is earned over a longer monitoring relationship.

Subscriber count therefore represents the installed base from which recurring monitoring revenue can be generated.

The count is not the same as contracted monthly revenue

Two subscriber bases of equal size can produce different economics if pricing, product mix, or service packages differ.

ADT's end-of-period RMR was $359 million in 2025 and was approximately flat year over year even as average prices rose, partly because volume declined and the Multifamily business was sold.

That is why end-of-period RMR adds monetization context to subscriber scale.

The year-end number is a stock measure

The 6.1 million figure excludes customers from the divested Multifamily business and does not show gross additions, cancellations, or purchased customer accounts during the year.

Use subscriber count for installed-base scale and attrition, RMR, and acquisition metrics for the flows that change its economics.

Primary source: ADT 2025 Form 10-K.

Part of the Security Monitoring Subscription Economics

Connects monitoring subscriber scale and retention with recurring revenue, subscriber-acquisition investment, company-owned system economics, and the deferred and contracted revenue created by long-duration monitoring relationships.

Browse the full operating model in Company Analysis →

Where this concept fits

Subscriber base, recurring revenue, retention, and paybackCurrent relationship
Subscriber count supplies the installed base, RMR and recognized recurring revenue describe monetization, attrition measures recurring revenue lost, and payback connects the upfront acquisition investment to the revenue stream that recovers it.
End-of-Period RMR Gross Customer Revenue Attrition Monitoring and Related Services Revenue Recurring Monthly Revenue Revenue Payback PeriodMonitoring Subscriber CountCurrent concept
Subscriber acquisition and company-owned system investment
Dealer account purchases and contract additions acquire customer relationships, while subscriber system assets and deferred acquisition costs capitalize different parts of the investment required to create and support monitoring subscribers.
Customer Contract Additions Dealer-Generated Account Purchases Deferred Acquisition Cost Amortization Deferred Subscriber Acquisition Costs Subscriber System Asset Depreciation Subscriber System Asset Expenditures Subscriber System Assets
Installation, deferred fees, and contracted future service revenue
Outright-sale installation revenue is recognized differently from company-owned upfront fees, while deferred subscriber acquisition revenue and remaining performance obligations show how existing customer contracts feed later revenue recognition.
Deferred Subscriber Acquisition Revenue Deferred Acquisition Revenue Amortization Installation Revenue Monitoring Remaining Performance Obligations

See It in Company Research

These companies are examples of how the concept is reported or discussed in public filings. Definitions can differ by issuer; these links open company research rather than a normalized metric comparison.

ADTOpen operating-model research →17 of 17 reviewed concepts in Security Monitoring Subscription EconomicsSubscriber base, recurring revenue, retention, and payback6 of 6 bridge concepts supportedContinue through this bridge:End-of-Period RMR Gross Customer Revenue Attrition Monitoring and Related Services Revenue Recurring Monthly Revenue Revenue Payback Period

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Compare monitored subscriber scale

Compare installed subscriber bases alongside recurring monthly revenue, pricing, retention, and acquisition economics.

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