ITV

Category: DTH

  • TRAI report shows healthy growth in DTH subscriber base in Q1 FY21

    TRAI report shows healthy growth in DTH subscriber base in Q1 FY21

    KOLKATA: Witnessing two consecutive quarters of growth, India’s DTH subscriber base grew by 3.2 lakh during the April-June quarter, as per the Indian Telecom Services Performance Indicators April-June 2020 by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). The sector saw better, albeit marginal growth compared to the January-March quarter.

    Currently, pay DTH subscriber stands at 70.58 million, compared to 70.26 million in the previous quarter.At the end of 2019, pay DTH subscriber base was 69.98 million.

    Tata Sky has retained its leadership position in the segment clocking in a market share of 32.09 per cent . During last four quarters, the DTH operator has gained 7.5 lakh subscribers in line with the growth of the DTH sector. Among other players, the leader is followed by Dish TV India (28.67 per cent), Bharti Telemedia (23.83 per cent), Sun Direct (15.41 per cent)

    “We remain the No. 1 DTH and No.1 Pay TV platform having increased the lead over our nearest competitor. It is heartening to see the overall DTH sector maintain its resilience even in this quarter,” a Tata Sky spokesperson commented.

    While the TRAI report indicates healthy growth of the DTH sector in FY21, a recent Crisil report also said DTH operators have added a significant number of subscribers and could register a 4-6 per cent revenue growth this fiscal. In the last financial year, DTH sector had declined by 2 million.

    A total number of 909 private satellite TV channels have been permitted by the ministry of information and broadcasting (MIB) for uplinking only or downlinking only or both uplinking and downlinking, as on 30 June 2020. There are 332 pay channels, which include 235 SD (standard definition) pay TV channels and 97 HD (high definition) pay TV channels.

    Currently, there are 1666 MSOs registered with MIB. Moreover, there are 12 MSOs and one HITS operator who have subscriber base greater than one million.

    The latest TRAI report has also stated that the total number of internet subscribers increased from 743.19 million at the end of the last quarter of FY20 to 749.07 million at the end of the first quarter of FY21, registering a quarterly growth rate of 0.79 per cent. In addition to that, wired Internet subscribers increased from 22.42 million at the end of Mar-20 to 23.06 million at the end of Jun-20 with quarterly growth rate of 2.86 per cent.

  • Dish TV posts weak Q2 results

    Dish TV posts weak Q2 results

    New Delhi: Dish TV India has reported second-quarter fiscal 2021 unaudited consolidated subscription revenues of Rs.7,65.7 crore and operating revenues of Rs. 8,46.4 crore.

    The subscription revenue has seen a dip of 3.3 per cent year-on-year. In 2019, the subscription revenue stood at Rs 792 crore for the same period.

    Operating revenue is also down by 5.2 per cent Y-o-Y. The operating revenue for the same quarter in 2019 stood at Rs 893.2 crore.

    EBITDA for the quarter stood at Rs. 525.3 crore up 0.9 per cent Y-o-Y. EBITDA margin was at 62.1 per cent, up 380 bps Y-o-Y.

    Profit after tax was Rs. 64.5 crore as against a loss of Rs. 96.4 crore last year.

    Total expenses during the quarter were down 13.9 per cent Y-o-Y despite the loss from discard of consumer premises equipment (CPE), with trade partners, due to regional floods. The loss on account of write off of such CPE was to the tune of Rs. 99 million, as against Rs. 30 million in the previous year.

    Dish TV reported strong second-quarter numbers despite the challenges of the ongoing pandemic and a generally weak quarter. Working on all fronts, the company continued to build on its strengths while exploring and developing new technologies and processes to strengthen areas requiring improvement. As one of the steps towards retaining existing subscribers the company, in a bid to enhance subscriber engagement with the platform, upgraded its home-grown OTT platform ‘Watcho.

    ’ The upgrade introduced a popular feature that allows subscribers to create and upload videos. ‘Watcho,’ hosts a variety of indigenous web series and is believed to be an important connect between the DTH platform and its subscribers. The newly introduced feature provides a stage for creators to produce content in multiple formats – short to very short videos and short films, thus giving them exposure while helping ‘Watcho’ gain momentum in the user-generated content ecosystem. With social distancing norms keeping majority of the people indoors for most of the quarter, the company considered it critical to continue to work on further streamlining the touchless and digital recharge and buying experience.

    While home delivery of set-top boxes picked up speed, the sales and service teams spent significant time upskilling themselves and the on-ground network to integrate the new normal into their regular business practices.

    On the cost front, work on enhancing operational efficiencies and cost optimization carried on. In a significant departure from years of practice the company decided to procure set-top-boxes and other key accessories from India, going forward.

    The first consignment of ‘Made in India’ set-top-boxes was deployed during the quarter and India made power adaptors and remote controls are next on the list. The company initially plans to procure almost 50 per cent of its requirement of STBs from India.

    Dish TV India CMD Jawahar Goel said, “We are excited to be a part of the Government of India’s, ‘Make in India’ initiative and are geared up to localize the manufacturing of set-top-boxes and other key accessories. With the vision of ‘Make in India,’ we reiterate our commitment to quality products that would exceed the rapidly evolving needs of customers. We thank the Government for their support and favourable policies that would help grow the sector.”

    In the absence of fresh television content from pay entertainment broadcasters, subscribers remained picky in channel selection.

    Dish TV India group CEO Anil Dua said, “We continue to be cautious yet agile, listening to market and customer voices. As we tread through these never seen before times, we remain committed to leveraging our strengths and overcoming our shortcomings to keep Dish TV India strong, relevant and profitable. Our performance during the quarter was in line with our larger strategic decisions such as, disciplined acquisition and sensible capital investment. Lower overall revenues were more than offset by our expense management measures.”

    Dish TV and d2h continued to strengthen their regional content portfolio during the quarter. Both platforms added six new HD channels for their respective subscribers down south, making them amongst the strongest content platforms in those markets. Other regional markets like Bengal and Orissa too witnessed fresh content being added to their list of channels.

    In Bengal, Dish TV India partnered with ‘Hoichoi,’ a leading Bengali on-demand platform. The ‘Hoichoi’ app was also added in the App Zone of the Companies Android based connected devices, Dish SMRT Hub and d2h Stream. The company looks forward to enhance the content offering on its hybrid STB through more such partnerships aimed at catering to the entertainment appetite of its native language subscribers.

    Dish TV India, in an industry-first initiative, announced the launch of ‘Korean Drama Active’ service. Observing a surge in consumption of content of Korean origin online, the company in its endeavour to meet subscriber viewing preferences launched the Korean Active service at a nominal subscription price of Rs. 47 plus taxes per month. The service enriches subscribers’ DTH experience by giving them access to more than 300 hours of premium Korean content dubbed in Hindi language. 

  • Tata Sky Binge expands its content library, partners with SonyLIV

    Tata Sky Binge expands its content library, partners with SonyLIV

    KOLKATA: Tata Sky’s OTT aggregator service, Tata Sky Binge, is partnering with SonyLIV to delight customers this festive season. The partnership will add 1000+ hours of exciting content to Tata Sky Binge including TV shows, movies and SonyLIV Originals like Scam 1992 – The Harshad Mehta story, JL50, Avrodh – The Siege Within, Your Honor, Undekhi and movies like Kadakh, Ram Singh Charlie among others. It will also offer a wide selection of movies and TV shows from its bouquet of Sony Pictures Networks channels and live sports.

    Tata Sky chief commercial and content officer Pallavi Puri said, “We have always believed in giving a wealth of choice to our subscribers in terms of new content offerings. Banking on shared synergies, we are confident that SonyLIV’s library of outstanding content will ensure that our subscribers continue to discover the most entertaining and engaging content on the Tata Sky Binge platform.”

    Sony Entertainment Television, digital business and StudioNEXT business head Danish Khan said, “From the time of relaunch, we have been witnessing huge surge in content consumption on the large screens and connected devices and our partnership with Tata Sky Binge will further bolster our leadership in the large screen households. We have a robust content library that has a lot to offer for Binge users to choose from. This collaboration will allow us to boost our engagement at a time when users are glued to their screens for captivating stories.”

    Tata Sky Binge is a streaming platform that aggregates the best of premium OTT and catch-up TV content under a single interface and single subscription. Accessed via the Amazon Fire TV Stick- Tata Sky Edition or the Tata Sky Binge+ Android powered Smart Set-top box, it offers a host of entertainment options from India’s nine premium OTT apps including Disney+ Hotstar Premium, ZEE5, SunNxt, Hungama Play, Eros Now, ShemarooMe, Voot Select, Voot Kids and now SonyLIV. It also offers three months of Amazon Prime Video at no extra cost.

    Tata Sky subscribers can access the library of premium OTT apps on Tata Sky Binge via the Amazon Fire TV Stick – Tata Sky Edition for just Rs 299 per month. New Tata Sky customers can avail a Tata Sky Binge+ connection at Rs 2,999 and existing users can upgrade or get a secondary connection at an offer price of Rs 2,499. This includes six months subscription to the Tata Sky Binge platform. Tata Sky Binge customers on the FireTV stick or the Binge+ Box also get access to the last seven days of missed shows (based on linear entitlement).

  • DTH operators go big on hybrid boxes this festive season

    DTH operators go big on hybrid boxes this festive season

    KOLKATA: Leading direct-to-home (DTH) operators are endorsing their hybrid set-top boxes during the festive season. While it’s nothing new for them to piggyback on festivals to attract new subscribers, but this time rather than promoting discounted packages or value-added services, the operators are trying to bring in new perspectives about their products in users’ mind.

    Take Airtel India for instance. In its Ab Jo Dekho Bada Dekho campaign, the DTH service provider is running a TVC to promote its Xstream box. The video captures two young consumers discussing “entertainment ke bade duniya” (the larger world of entertainment). The core message of the video is that it is now easy to switch back and forth easily between linear TV and online premium content using Airtel’s new box. 

    The Sunil Mittal-led company launched its converged platform last year. With a robust wired broadband base, the company has been upbeat about its bundled offering.

    “Homes business segment witnessed revenue growth of 7.3 per cent YoY. We added over 129,000 customers during the quarter to reach a total base of 2.58 million. We re-calibrated our offering and launched Xstream bundles with content and unlimited internet to accelerate penetration. The company signed on many more LCO partnerships in non-wired cities, extending the model to 48 cities,” Airtel stated in its Q2 earnings release.

    The market leader in the DTH segment, Tata Sky, has also launched a TV campaign for Tata Sky Binge+. The latest ad highlights how the box meets different consumer needs across age groups. Moreover, it has also taken the influencer marketing route on its social media platforms featuring stars like Sayani Gupta and Rasika Dugal.

    However, the cost could be a barrier for these boxes in winning over the masses. In this regard, Tata Sky recently fine-tuned the pricing of its smart set top box Tata Sky Binge+, making it available at a competitive price of Rs 2,999 for new subscribers and Rs 2,499 for existing subscribers opting for an upgrade or a secondary multi-TV connection. On the other hand, Airtel Xstream Basic is available at Rs 2499.

    At the beginning of the Covid2019 crisis, the overall pay-TV ecosystem lost subscribers – be they cable operators or DTH players. Even in the first quarter of 2020, DTH subscribers grew marginally by 2.8 lakh. While on one hand, the leading players claimed that their new connection addition rate is back to pre-Covid period, the traditional players have to offer various propositions for consumer retention, especially given the massive OTT uptake during the last six months. Tata Sky, Airtel launching new campaigns for hybrid set top boxes could be a bid to retain their existing customer base in the face of the OTT challenge and also bolster their new subscriber count.

    “Hybrid boxes are the future for these players. Youth is moving to digital very fast. In terms of payment mechanism also, it is more expensive for a consumer to pay separately on TV, then for data and OTT platforms; effectively it turns out to be an expense of almost Rs 20,000 per year. The advantage of hybrid boxes is they give all at a very affordable price and conveniently. If you have a mechanism for bundling all those together, it’s a win-win for consumers, DTH players, and OTT platforms and beneficial for the entire ecosystem,” said Elara Capital VP – research analyst (Media) Karan Taurani.

    Although it is just the beginning for this segment, with several existing challenges, Taurani also added that there will be a high rate of conversion in future from pure play TV to these boxes. Moreover, the additional trigger will be smart TV growth, which is also going up significantly in recent times.

    Currently, the DTH industry has an active subscriber base of 72.44 million paying customers as of 31 March. Tata Sky, with a market share of 32.33 per cent, was leading the segment while Airtel Digital TV had 23.65 per cent of the pie.

    (Indiantelevision.com reached out to them for more clarity but they declined to respond.)

  • Tata Sky introduces a new age feature Smart Guide

    Tata Sky introduces a new age feature Smart Guide

    KOLKATA : Reinforcing its commitment towards building customer centric innovations, Tata Sky, India’s leading content distribution and Pay TV platform has introduced ‘Smart Guide’ –a new-age feature that enables each customer to discover and consume content on television in a smart way. The new feature has been activated on all HD and SD set top boxes paving the way for an enhanced and bespoke TV viewing experience.

    These recommendations can be easily accessed through the newly revamped guide that appears on the television screen with the press of the guide button on the Tata Sky remote. The channel guide screen offers thumbnail views of the most watched channels, genres and platform services by the subscribers, under the banners – ‘Your Top Channels’, ‘Trending Channels’, ‘Favourite Genre’ etc. based on a subscriber’s viewing history and the time spent viewing a particular channel or genre. The feature not only gives quick access to the most viewed channels but also recommends more channels based on the genres you like to watch. In case of multi-connection homes, recommendations will be different for the primary and secondary set-top box in line with individual preferences.

    Read more news on Tata Sky 

    Commenting on the upgrade,  Tata Sky chief commercial and content officer Pallavi Puri  said, “While digital platforms have developed the ability to personalise experiences, on broadcast television this hasn’t been offered so far in a significant way.  With the latest software upgrade, our HD and SD set-top boxes now offer smarter recommendations based on a subscriber’s content consumption patterns leading to an enhanced TV viewing experience.”

    As part of the update, the linear search feature has been further enhanced to enable subscribers to search for channels via channel name, offering a hassle-free way of switching to their favourite channel. Linear search can be directly activated from the banner, guide grid and full screen video by only pressing the ‘0’ button on the remote, thereby offering subscribers a faster and smarter option to discover their preferred content. 

    The software update has been successfully completed on more than 15 million set top boxes.

  • Tata Sky Binge+ becomes available at lower price

    Tata Sky Binge+ becomes available at lower price

    KOLKATA: Keeping customer interests at the forefront, Tata Sky has further fine-tuned the pricing of its android TV-powered smart set top box, Tata Sky Binge+. Converging the strengths of DTH and the world of OTT content together on the television screens, this new age device will now be available at a competitive price of Rs 2,999 for new subscribers and Rs 2,499 for existing subscribers opting for an upgrade or a secondary Multi TV connection.

    Tata Sky Binge+ set top box comes with six-months access at no extra cost to premium content from eight OTT apps as part of the Tata Sky Binge subscription including Disney+ Hotstar Premium, ZEE5, VOOT Select, VOOT Kids, SunNxt, Hungama Play, Eros Now and ShemarooMe. Additionally, three-months of Amazon Prime subscription is also provided at no extra cost.

    Speaking on this offer, Tata Sky chief commercial and content officer Pallavi Puri said, “Content consumption is witnessing trends where people want to consume linear TV as well as OTT content on one integrated platform. Tata Sky Binge+ is powered by Android TV, supports Google Assistant-based voice search, offers Google Play Store access, and offers six months subscription to some of the most-viewed premium OTT apps at no extra cost, making it an ideal destination for content viewing. We’ve seen a positive uptake in subscriptions in the past few months. With the festive season around the corner, we have decided to further delight the customer by offering the Tata Sky Binge+ Smart set top box connection and apps bundle at a really exciting price point.” 

    New pricing has gone live from 18 September across all channels of purchase for new and existing subscribers.

  • Active DTH subscribers reach 70.26 million, Tata Sky solidifies its lead

    Active DTH subscribers reach 70.26 million, Tata Sky solidifies its lead

    KOLKATA: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) today released ‘The Indian Telecom Services Performance Indicators’ data for the January- March’20 quarter. Sustaining its growth pace for three quarters in a row, Tata Sky has solidified its lead yet again in the DTH and Pay TV category clocking in a market share of 32.33 per cent and a growth of 2.1 per cent in the quarter ending March’20. 

    According to the report, the Indian DTH service has displayed phenomenal growth since its launch in 2003. The total number of active subscribers with pay DTH operators (Tata Sky, Airtel, Dish TV, Sun Direct) in India in the quarter ending March 20 is 70.26 million. This is in addition to the Tata subscribers of DTH Free Dish (free DTH services of Doordarshan).

    Read more coverage on India’s DTH sector:

    A Tata Sky spokesperson commented on the report, “The TRAI report shows that Tata Sky has been consistently gaining market share and subscribers at a pace that is faster than any other platform. We believe this can be attributed to our customer centric outlook. The overall increase in DTH subscribers is also a great sign for the M&E sector.”

    Among other players, Tata sky’s close competitor Dish TV-D2H’s combine market share fell from 31.23 per cent in the quarter ending September 2019 to 29.49 per cent in March 2020. Airtel Digital TV and Sun Direct has seen slight growth in the same period.

  • Dish TV to push 50% STB manufacturing in India

    Dish TV to push 50% STB manufacturing in India

    KOLKATA: Dish TV India Ltd announced the manufacturing of its set-top boxes in India. Demonstrating its commitment to the government’s ‘Make in India’ vision, Dish TV India has shifted the production of its set-top boxes to India, adopting a ‘vocal for local’ strategy. The first consignment of made in India set-top boxes is ready and being shipped to the market. The company offers DTH services across the country and operates Dish TV, D2H, and Zing brands in this segment, besides its rapidly growing OTT service brand Watcho.

    Being the pioneer and technology leader in the DTH segment, Dish TV India plans to shift almost 50 per cent of its production to India by the Q1 of 2021 while simultaneously benefitting its business and customers. The process will further intensify in the coming months, as the company is planning to also start the manufacturing of the major components of the set-top box and its accessories in India, further boosting its commitment to ‘vocal for local’. Dish TV India plans to make the STB cabinet in India soon, has already started procuring the power adaptor from Indian manufacturers, and is in the advanced stage of talks with remote control manufacturers to produce the remote controls also in India.

    Elaborating Dish TV India’s ‘Make in India’ plan, Dish TV India chairman and managing director Jawahar Goel said, “We are thrilled to join the government of India’s ‘Make in India’ initiative and localize the manufacturing of set-top boxes and other key accessories in India only. This announcement reiterates our pioneering position within the DTH industry as we aim to further expand our business operations and develop products that match the intrinsic needs of our customers.  With the vision of ‘Make in India we reiterate our commitment to producing quality products and are confident that we can achieve several industry firsts. We thank the Government of India for all their support and favorable policies.”

    By shifting the production to India, the company looks at scaling manufacturing in the country and ways to enable industry revival. This will further assist them to streamline the supply chain, operations, and management. 

    Sharing the optimism, Dish TV India executive director and group CEO Anil Dua added, “Making our own STBs and accessories in India could not have come at a better time. Customer needs are evolving rapidly. As we refresh our STB range with a new set of connected devices and hybrid options, working with local design, development and production are definitely going to be a competitive edge for our business.”

    Innovation is at the heart of the Dish TV operations; the company is credited with many firsts in the industry. Launched the first DTH service in the country, Live TV for moving vehicle- DishOnwheels, High- Definition services, Unlimited recording facility in STB, Live TV in luxury trains, Online TV for DTH viewers- DishOnline, Sub-brand for the regional markets- Zing, Home Video System- DishFlix to name a few. More recently, Dish TV India is also the first to launch a voice-enabled (Alexa powered) Smart and Magic range of technologically advanced products and the first DTH company to launch its own OTT platform, Watcho.

  • Watcho revamps its user-generated content offering; launches Watcho Swag

    Watcho revamps its user-generated content offering; launches Watcho Swag

    KOLKATA: Dish TV India’s OTT platform, Watcho, the home-grown online video streaming app has gained immense popularity in the country through its fresh short format content and its overall bouquet of offerings. Watcho has been enthralling the viewers with exclusive or original shows, linear TV and user-generated content. And now the platform has taken a step ahead by revamping its user-generated content offering and has relaunched it as Watcho Swag.

    Watcho is one of the industry’s firsts to have identified the huge talent pool of creators in India. It provides a unique platform for creators to produce quality content in multiple formats – short to very short videos and short films. Watcho Swag helps these creators to grow their fan base and get gratifications. Earlier on, the brand had collaborated with top-level higher educational institutes to provide a creative platform to young students. It helped these budding filmmakers get exposure to not only a large audience but also gave momentum to Watcho in the user-generated content ecosystem.

    The newly revamped offering now positions Watcho Swag as a complete TalentHub for these budding creators. Watcho Swag runs weekly contests across genres like singing, dancing, gardening, acting, reading, cooking, etc. In addition, the best-selected entry can also get a chance to feature in Watcho Originals.  

    Commenting on the new service, Dish TV India Ltd executive director and group CEO Anil Dua said, “We are delighted to launch 'Watcho Swag' as we continue to upgrade the offerings of Watcho to increase customer engagement and meet their demands. With a mission to uncover hidden young talent, Watcho Swag allows the users to create and showcase content on this unique platform which offers them exposure to our large existing base. Watcho Swag will not only promote creative minds who post their content on Watcho Swag but also gratify them with rewards and bigger opportunities.”   

  • Tata Sky partners with Accedo to develop the user interface of Tata Sky Binge+

    Tata Sky partners with Accedo to develop the user interface of Tata Sky Binge+

    KOLKATA: Accedo has worked with Tata Sky, India’s leading content distribution platform to develop the user interface for its latest offering, Tata Sky Binge+ Smart Set-top Box. The Android TV enabled device provides content from Linear Television and a host of OTT apps onto a television screen.  

    Accedo leveraged its Google-certified Android TV Launcher solution alongside its Accedo One platform to develop and deliver a high-quality video experience for the growing base of Tata Sky subscribers who like to enjoy the best of both worlds conjoined together, toggling through just one remote. To further enhance the user experience, Accedo customized its standard Android TV Launcher application to include 3rd party integrations, bespoke UX/UI features, and DVB satellite channels. 

    Accedo product director & regional head South Asia Abhishek Sood commented, “We’ve seen the OTT Market become increasingly competitive in India, and the number of available video services is constantly growing. Managing multiple platforms can be cumbersome for consumers so we see a real value in offering viewers a single point of access to all third-party apps. Binge+ addresses this pain point and allows users to seamlessly access much of their OTT content in one place.” 

    Tata Sky chief commercial officer and content officer Pallavi Puri added, “With Tata Sky Binge+, the objective was to enable our subscribers to access all of their Live TV, On-demand, and OTT services in one place. Having worked extensively with Accedo in the past, we relied on its technical and practical knowledge to develop a great user experience for our dynamic Android TV-powered set-top box. Accedo’s professional services team worked diligently and delivered the bespoke features required for the platform.” 

    Delivering over 600+ live TV channels and services, an on-demand library, and 3rd party OTT applications via a single sign-on, Binge+, provides users with a premium viewing experience.

    Tata Sky Binge+ hosts many advanced features. It enables viewers to play any show, movie, music, game on their laptop, tablet, or mobile phone and watch-it-directly on their TV with its in-built Chromecast. It also includes Google Assistant that makes discovering content easy with voice search. It is compatible with all types of TVs including 4K, HD LED, LCD, or plasma technology as it supports HDMI output and can also be connected to older TV sets over audio and video cable.