ITV

Category: DTH

  • Videocon d2h adds JK 24×7 & Gulistan News

    MUMBAI: Videocon d2h, a DTH service, now offers two new News Channels – JK 24×7 News and Gulistan News for its subscribers in Jammu & Kashmir. These channels will be available on promotional Hindi Top-up for flexi pack on channel No 335 and 790, respectively. The 24-hour news channels will deliver the day’s top stories both national and international at any point of time. JK 24×7 is a Hindi news channel while Gulistan News is an Urdu channel.

    Videocon d2h executive chairman Saurabh Dhoot said, “We at Videocon d2h have always kept ahead of what our consumers require. Whether it is innovating in our set top boxes or by continuously adding the best channels or in service, we have always led from the front. Content has been a key driver of our leadership, this calendar year we have already added 71 new channels in regional languages. With JK 24X7 News and Gulistan, our subscribers will have even more choice to stay informed with the latest news.’’

    Videocon d2h CEO Anil Khera added: “As DAS-4 nears an end, we are seeing a significant appeal of state specific and regional language channels. Adding two channels specifically for J & K underlines our commitment to provide holistic family entertainment to the state.”

    Videocon d2h offers a wide range of active services like smart services including Smart English, Smart Games. The other active services include d2h Hollywood HD, d2h music, d2h spice, d2h cinema in both Standard Definition and HD, etc.

  • Pay-TV: India among four countries which contributed $16 bn rev between ’10 & ’16

    MUMBAI: In 138 countries, pay-TV revenues increased by $32 billion (Rs 2063 billion) between 2010 and 2016, to reach $202 billion. However, according to the Global Pay TV Revenue Databook from Digital TV Research, only $1.23 billion was added last year (in 2016).

    Almost 50 per cent of the $32 billion additional revenues came from four countries: the US provided $7 billion, Brazil $3 billion, China $4 billion, and India $2 billion, Advanced Television reported. Revenues, however, declined in nine countries, primarily owing to subscribers converting from standalone TV to bundles (which are less lucrative for TV). Between 2010 and 2016, revenues of pay-TV more than doubled in 59 countries.

    Digital TV Research principal analyst Simon Murray said that, although no decline was recorded, European pay-TV revenue growth had slowed down considerably. Despite its pay-TV revenues being higher in 2016 than in 2010, North America had peaked in 2015, Murray added.

    The Asia Pacific region positively added $10.21 billion between 2010 and 2016 – increasing by 42 per cent to $34.38 billion. Latin America hiked by 78 per cent to $18.44 billion. Sub-Saharan Africa more than doubled its total revenues to $4.20 billion.

    In all 49.5 per cent global pay-TV revenues in 2016 came from the US; for the first time falling below the halfway median. The 2016 total — 54.5 per cent in 2010 — is down. The US is followed by far by China, the UK, Japan, and Canada. Two-thirds of global pay-TV revenues in 2016 was generated by these five nations.

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  • Malaysia’s Astro ‘doesn’t know’ about talks with Reliance Digital TV

    NEW DELHI: Malaysian and ASEAN content and consumer company Astro Malaysia Holdings Bhd has scotched rumours about due diligence being done to buy financially-beleaguered Indian DTH operator Reliance Digital TV saying it “does not know anything” about the talks.

    “I read about it in the newspaper,” Astro CEO Datuk Rohana Rozhan was quoted as saying by website The Edge Markets in a report datelined Kuala Lumpur. The pay TV service provider’s executive further told reporters that “as a matter of principle, we don’t comment on rumours.”

    According to the website report, pressed with questions on whether Astro was denying that it was in talks with Reliance Digital TV, Rohana was quoted as saying, “I don’t know anything about it and I am the CEO of this company.”

    Malaysia’s The Star few days earlier had carried a wire agency report of Bernama that Astro was performing a due diligence to buy into Reliance Digital TV, a business venture under Reliance Communications controlled by Anil Ambani. A Reliance spokesman had declined to comment when contacted by Bernama wire agency that sourced the news story to a report in Times of India.

    The Bernama report had gone to add that with just 2 per cent subscribers in the Indian DTH market, Reliance Digital TV faces stiff competition from bigger players and a sale deal could help RCom cut its debt. Astro has a 20 per cent stake in south Indian DTH operator Sun Direct.

    Last year the Anil Ambani-controlled Reliance Communications had entered into a definitive agreement with the Zee group companies to sell its TV broadcast comprising few channels and radio FM businesses subject to regulatory approvals. Buyer Zee presently is in the process of integrating with the group the Reliance businesses.

    Astro Malaysia Holdings Berhad is a Kuala Lumpur-based content and consumer company that is recommitting towards being a technology-driven organisation in the digital, TV, radio and e-commerce space.With a customer base of 5.8 million or approximately 71 per cent penetration of total households in Malaysia, Astro serves 21 million individuals by offering a wide range of media and entertainment products spanning across television, radio, digital media and home shopping.

    Astro’s value proposition includes 188 TV channels broadcast via DTH satellite TV, IPTV and OTT platforms, of which 60 are Astro-branded and 72 are in HD. Astro also offer a non-subscription freemium service called NJOI, which offers 28 channels, of which two are in HD and 19 radio stations.

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  • Intelsat & Dalkom partner to expand broadband & DTH in Africa & Middle East

    MUMBAI: Intelsat S.A., an operator of the world’s first Globalized Network and leader in integrated satellite communications, recently announced that Dalkom Somalia signed an agreement for satellite services that will expand its broadband enterprise and direct-to-home (DTH) services in East and Central Africa and the Middle East.

    Intelsat network combines the world’s largest satellite backbone with terrestrial infrastructure, managed services and an open, interoperable architecture to enable customers to drive revenue and reach through a new generation of network services. Dalkom Somalia has grown into one of today’s fastest-growing telecom companies offering next-generation solutions for broadband, connectivity, cloud computing, managed services, satellite services and internet services for businesses, wholesale and consumers segments.

    “Dalkom has offered satellite services in the past, but the versatility of the Intelsat 17 satellite convinced them that moving to Intelsat was the best option for meeting its expansion goals”

    Under a multi-year agreement, Dalkom, a privately owned operator based in Somalia, will incorporate Ku-band satellite services provided by Intelsat 17 to extend services currently delivered by its fiber network. This includes expanding broadband enterprise networks into countries such as South Sudan and Democratic Republic of the Congo, as well as the Middle East. Dalkom will also add DTH services to its portfolio in Somalia. Intelsat 17, located at 66° East, is part of Intelsat’s video neighborhood in the Indian Ocean region.

    “We have a strong terrestrial fiber network, but our opportunities to expand into new regions and capitalize on new opportunities were limited,” said Mohamed Jama, CEO of Dalkom. “By adding Intelsat’s satellite expertise to our network, we can expand our enterprise services into regions where terrestrial technology cannot provide services. Intelsat 17 will also allow us to capitalize on Intelsat’s media distribution knowledge to introduce DTH services for customers. This makes Dalkom the first company to offer these bundled services in Somalia, offering our customers a one stop shop for communication solutions.”

    “Dalkom has offered satellite services in the past, but the versatility of the Intelsat 17 satellite convinced them that moving to Intelsat was the best option for meeting its expansion goals,” said Brian Jakins, Intelsat’s Vice President, Africa. “The ability to deliver broadband enterprise and DTH services via the same platform provides easy access to new markets and customers without worrying about network reach and reliability. This allows Dalkom to focus on growing its business. Our satellite platform will also complement its fiber services by serving as an instantly available back-up to protect against any service interruptions.”

  • Dish Media Network upgrades DTH with Spacecom deal

    MUMBAI: Spacecom, an operator of the AMOS satellite fleet, recently announced that Nepal’s Dish Media Network has furthered its long-term association with AMOS-4. Located at the 65°E prime orbital position, AMOS-4 provides Dishhome with substantial satellite capacity enabling the DTH provider to expand its SD and HD channel services.

    Founded in 2009, Dish Media Network Pvt. Ltd. is the only DTH operator with distribution covering all of Nepal. One of Nepal’s fastest-growing operators in the broadcast and transmission services industry for digital television channels, Dishhome’s capacity on AMOS-4 is contracted for the satellite’s lifetime.

    Dish Media Network CEO Sudeep Acharya commented, “This agreement will keep our growth trajectory moving forward and upwards. Our deep association with Spacecom’s AMOS-4 enables us to build out and expand our brand, further our strategic goals and strengthen our operations throughout Nepal.”

    According to David Pollack, president & CEO of Spacecom, “This agreement with Dish Media Network adds strength to our position in Asia. AMOS-4’s power and focus on Asia makes it a prime choice for providing a range of satellite services in the region, as well as in East Africa.”

    AMOS-4 has eight Ku-band transponders of 108 MHz and four high-power Ka-band transponders of 216MHz, each with steerable beams. The Ku and Ka transponders create a powerful platform, enabling a wide range of connectivity options to reach throughout the region’s vast geography. Offering extensive broadcast and broadband reach for satellite services including DTH, video distribution, VSAT communications and broadband Internet, the satellite’s geographic position meets broadcast and broadband needs within the Asian, African and Middle Eastern markets.

  • Transponder charges: Plan afoot to retain DTH services on Indian sats

    NEW DELHI: The Department of Space (DoS) has said that a technical strategy is under formulation to retain direct-to-home services in the indigenous INSAT/GSAT system as well as to migrate DTH services from foreign satellite systems to indigenous system.

    This has been stated by the DoS to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the Parliament, which had, early in 2016, in its fortieth report, complained about loss due to non-revision of transponder charges.

    In its action-taken report (ATR) tabled in the Parliament by the PAC recently, it has also noted that a Committee to look into the subject matter is being constituted, and its recommendation will be addressed by the DoS.

    Referring to non-revision of prices for transponders, the DoS told the PAC that lease agreements with foreign satellites are entered for a short term in order to make a provision for the end user to migrate the services from foreign satellite to the Indian satellite. This approach, the DoS claimed, is in line with the recommendation of the Cabinet approved ‘Norm, guidelines & procedures for implementation of the policy framework for satellite communication in India’.

    The Department said as the foreign operators quote lease charges in dollar terms, differential charges among indigenous capacity and foreign lease is unavoidable due to currency fluctuations and withholding taxes.

    However, it said it will work towards a scenario wherein the best possible solution for DTH services will be arrived at.

    In its original report last year, PAC had noted that DTH transponder lease agreements had a lease period from 5 to 10 years with no provision for revision of prices whereas lease agreement varied from 5% to 33%. The lack of such basic provisions resulted in revenue forgone to the tune of Rs 361.7 million.

    Furthermore, Vetted Comments of Audit Central PAC in its report last year had also wanted the DoS to set up an inquiry to look into the lease agreements with various parties and take stringent action against those responsible for agreeing to terms that were against the interest of the exchequer and apprise the Committee of the action taken within three months.

    However, it noted in the Action Taken Report that the Department did not initiate any action and instead said it had appointed a committee to look into these aspects as the lease agreements with foreign satellites are entered for a short term period and to examine periodic revision clause.

    But, the Committee said the fact remained that DTH transponder lease agreements had a lease period from 5 to 10 years with no provision for revision of prices whereas lease agreements with foreign satellites ranged from one to 6 years with provision for price revision from 5 to 33%. The price revision clause is required to be there in all the transponder lease agreements which extend for more than one year irrespective of the fact that the contract is for a shorter duration or longer duration.

  • Videocon d2h & Reliance Digital finding ways to wriggle out of tough situations

    MUMBAI: DTH companies in India are facing a tough time. While Videocon is making several significant moves to reduce its heavy debt, Reliance Digital TV is reportedly in talks with a Malaysian company to sell the business.

    Videocon is trying to repay its debt by selling some of its businesses such as Kenstar and merge its direct-to-home (DTH) division with Dish TV. But, if the Petrobras project takes off, it will be in a comfortable position, and could look at exiting the project at a later stage, a
    Videocon lender, who would accompany petroleum ministry’s delegation to Brazil, told the Financial Express.

    On the other hand, Astro Malaysia is reportedly doing the due diligence of Anil Ambani’s Reliance Digital TV, the DTH business of the listed Reliance Communications, for working out a suitable valuation, a source told the Times of India. An RCom spokesperson, it was reported, has denied commenting on the story.

    Videocon was recently declared a NPA by Dena Bank. The visit to Brazil was postponed to June; it will be a meeting between the governments of Brazil and India, but the bankers hope to lobby for faster resolution of the project so that Videocon’s cashflows improve.

    Airtel DTH, Dish TV and Videocon d2h have about two-thirds (65 percent) of market share of the DTH universe by private players in India. However, the DTH industry seems to be on a downward slide. Reports submitted by the carriage industry indicate that DTH subscriber additions in the extended period have been low.

    Now, if the transaction between Ambani and Astro goes through, it will be the second deal between the two. Astro shareholder T Ananda Krishnan’s Maxis Communications is a significant shareholder of Aircel, which is about to be combined with RCom’s wireless unit.

  • DishTV launches Disney active service

    MUMBAI: They woke up a little late. Even though summer vacation is coming to a close, DishTV, Asia’s largest DTH service provider, and Disney India have announced the launch of Disney Active. Disney Active is available on Channel No. 966 on Dish TV.

    Disney Active, a fun and engaging service, brings home the magical world of Disney through a host of read-along-e-books and games.

    Disney has a legacy of timeless stories and characters and there is no better way to experience them than on one’s personal television. The audio-visual read-along stories are customised for children aged three and up, and will include Mickey & Friends, Disney Princess, Frozen, The Jungle Book, Disney. Pixar Cars, Toy Story and much more.

    The games feature classic Disney characters like Mickey & Friends, Tinker Bell and more. This service is available for free till 10 June, 2017, for all Dish TV subscribers, after which it will be available at an introductory price of Rs 40 per month.

    DishTV group CEO Anil Dua said, “Value added services has been a focus area, a clear differentiator and an integral part of our offering. We are delighted to announce our specialty offering targeted at the youngest generation. Kids segment is an area which is constantly in focus for us. Launch of Disney Active service is yet another step for us to enhance our value added services portfolio and cater to our subscribers. After having received a positive response to our earlier services, we take immense pleasure in now announcing the launch of Disney Active Service.”

    Disney India VP & head – media networks & interactive Abhishek Maheshwari said, “At Disney, we constantly strive to offer quality content to our consumers on their platform of choice. We are delighted to work with DishTV to launch the Disney Active service comprising games and stories. We do hope children enjoy this compelling content.”

  • DishTV adds two channels, takes total count to 620

    MUMBAI: While continuing the legacy to provide the best entertainment platform to its subscribers, Dish TV, Asia’s largest DTH brand has extended its collection by adding 2 new channels to its portfolio. With accumulation of “Mirror Now and Multiplex”. DishTV takes the total count of its channels and services to more than 620. 

    Being a trusted brand since five years now, DishTV keeps the entertainment quotient higher. With the addition of these channels they gauge to multiple genres namely; Mirror now for news, and Multiplex for Bollywood lovers. Details of the channels as follows:

    public://dish_3.jpg

    Commenting on these additions DishTV India group CEO Anil Dua said, “We at DishTV have been at the forefront in enhancing TV viewing experience and exploring opportunities to bring wholesome entertainment to the audience. With a sharp focus on content, the move aims at connecting strongly to provide the best of entertainment to our subscribers. Addition of these two channels will not only strengthen our presence but will also diversify our offerings.”

    Further, keeping up the idea of providing the best of entertainment in industry DishTV recently added Arnab Goswami’s news channel “Republic TV” on their platform. Also, enhancing the kid’s genre, the largest DTH operator added “Sony YAY” to its platform last month. Both the channels will be available on LCN number 771 and 989 respectively.

  • DTH subscriber growth slows down even further

    BENGALURU: Despite the information and broadcasting (I&B) ministry extending the deadline for phase IV of cable television digitisation by three months to 31 March 2017, owing to the “unsatisfactory progress of installation of set top boxes (STBs) in phase IV areas”, reports submitted by the carriage industry indicate that subscriber additions in the extended period have been low.

    Financial results of companies or entities from the carriage industry whose financial and limited operational data is available in the public domain – Airtel Digital TV (Airtel DTH), Dish TV, and Videocon DTH show poor subscriber adds in the quarter ended 31 March 2017 (fourth quarter, Q4-17). As a matter of fact, subscriber adds in Q4-17 was the lowest that the three Indian major operators reported in a quarter for the financial year ended 31 March 2017 (FY-17). The combined subscribers for all the three players grew 8.33 percent to 41.23 million in FY-17 from 38.06 million in FY-16. It maybe noted that subscriber numbers are generally rounded off by the players in their reports, in some case to an extent of 10,000. In FY-16, the three players had added about 65 percent more subscribers in absolute numbers at 4.93 million as compared to the 3.81 million added in FY-17.

    Please refer to the figure below:

    public://dth-1.jpg

    The DTH industry witnessed a slowdown in subscriber growth even in the previous year.Combined subscriber additions for the annual period ended 31 March 2016 (FY-16) vis-à-vis the previous year (FY-15) grew by 14.8percent of the three pay-direct to home operators in India.  This subscriber growth rate was however a little less than half that these entities had in FY-15 at 24.7 percent as compared to FY-14.

    Let us see where the three pay DTH players considered in this paper stand in the Indian DTH eco-system

    Airtel DTH, Dish TV and Videocon d2h have about two thirds (65 percent) of market share of the DTH universe by private players in India. Of the other three players, according to a TRAI report Tata Sky has a market share of 23 percent, while Sun Direct and Reliance have a market share or 10 percent and 2 percent respectively. It may be noted that at present probably the largest DTH player in India could be the government’s FreeDish, but since it is a free service, no subscriber data is available even with Prasar Bharati. Please refer to the chart below:

    public://dth2_0.jpg