DTH

“Our subscriber acquisitions are returning to normalcy” – Airtel DTH’s Sunil Taldar

Published

6 years ago

July 24, 2020

MUMBAI: Having their heads buried in a transformative ecosystem, major DTH players have constantly been expanding their offerings and Airtel’s DTH arm is not an exception. The world is busy discussing traditional TV versus OTT but DTH players like Airtel Digital TV are embracing the opportunities coming from streaming services, according to Bharti Airtel DTH CEO Sunil Taldar.

In an interview with Media Partners Asia executive director and co-founder Vivek Couto during APOS 2020, Taldar spoke in the session "Innovation and growth in India's Video Market" alongside Tata Sky CEO Harit Nagpal. He addressed queries about existing opportunities, changing consumer preferences during pandemic as well as the future of his own platform. He also sounded highly optimistic about creating a universe of hybrid set-top boxes along with the growth opportunity to expand the existing DTH consumer base.

Edited excerpts:

You run very large consumer business. How has the pandemic affected consumer behaviour, generally and specifically and what are the growth trends across your business? And what does the future look like now for the DTH industry?

First and foremost, we are an essential service and we became a little more essential during the crisis period. And we did see a change in behaviour which led to a significant increase in the consumption of news. In the absence of fresh programming and live sports, we have seen a large number of customers turning to OTT, and we have seen demand increasing for the hybrid set-top box. So that's one shift that we've seen in the industry.

Another thing that I would like to highlight here is true for the entire industry. We have done a lot of work to digitally service or fulfil the needs of our customers with zero or minimal physical contact. And I'm making sure that there are no safety or security concerns both for our customers as well as for our field staff. Within the business, there has been a massive focus on serving those who serve our customers and how do we enable our field staff on the ground. This entire work that has happened in the last three months will offer a significant competitive advantage to the DTH industry.

Our acquisitions are coming back to normal. I think we are acquiring more customers today as we speak. And DTH being present in only 70 million out of 300 million homes in the country, there is a massive land grab opportunity and massive headroom for growth. And I see the long-term future of this industry to be vast.

You have been innovative for many years. So what else are you introducing to address competition? And to appeal to wider consumer needs and requirements?

If you look at it from a consumer route, we live in a connected world and one of the challenges of the connected world is actually proliferation of services, which forces our customers to maintain multiple relationships, which is tedious. So, there is some work that we have done, which is a first of its kind in India, such as offering a converged proposition to our consumers and allowing them to buy services like mobile, broadband, landline and DTH together. Moreover, when we say DTH it also includes aggregated content. So, it actually takes care of one of the biggest pain points for the consumer i.e., one bill, one payment, one app and one call centre to get services or address your complaints. It's a process improvement of offering a converge competition.

The other is there's an opportunity in the market for the entire DTH industry, which is the content creator industry to work closely with us. India is one of the most under-screened countries in the world. We have a 100 per cent control over content, distribution and security. We have the ability to deliver content to our customers on a pay-per-view right now and we have access to 70 million homes in the country, we have a trusted relationship here with 70 million customers. Now today, if we were to launch Hollywood or Indian movies on this platform, that's a massive business opportunity. In this crisis period that we're living in, I don't see theatres opening soon, anytime. Neither do I anticipate consumers walking into theatres in the near future. But even if that was to happen, given the screen density in the country, it's a very large opportunity that the industry will explore.

What is the opportunity of hybrid boxes?

The future belongs to hybrid boxes. If we increase or drive the penetration of the hybrid boxes and an ecosystem develops around that there are opportunities whether it is video conferencing, gaming, e-commerce, etc. So, these are all opportunities which are there.

What is the best way to monetise the connected box ecosystem? Is it through advertising or subscription? What is the revenue model?

The connected box gives us good access to viewership data because it's a two-way system. Today, the entire industry operates on extrapolated data at a very small sample size of customers. Now, here we have a great quantity of data. In my view, there could be two streams for monetisation that can be watched. One is we can use this data to improve the quality of content and increase stickiness for linear programming and building large subscription business. And this is an interest for broadcasters and operators, provided both of us work together to improve the quality of content and therefore stickiness and therefore subscription. Or the other area is, advertising might be an opportunity but how do we improve the efficacy of spends for advertisers.

DTH platforms have around 70 million subscribers and that's going to continue to grow. But first of all, do you ever see within the next five years any of the OTT platforms, the top three or four, having that kind of reach directly through a huge universe? And is that a friend or a foe?

Live TV is here to stay because nothing can replace live programming like news, live sports, etc. And we have embraced OTT rather than fighting OTT. If the OTT universe grows, whether one player or all, to be even 50 million tomorrow, it's actually good for us because one great consumer insight is everybody wants to enjoy that content on the large screen. It will offer help to our efforts to drive the hybrid universe. So we tend to benefit both ways, to benefit from the OTT business and also from live content. I don't think we are here to fight that.

What are you seeing as changes in the Indian consumer ecosystem and mindset through these last few months? And some of them I'm sure are good changes and are they lasting changes? Will they have any impact on your business and products in the long-term?

It's very difficult to say the changes that we have seen whether they are going to last forever. For example, work from home is a significant change that we have seen. Will this behaviour last forever or people will go back to working from offices once things ease out? But some of the opportunities are not related to this. It's a function of what has happened and a function of what platform do we create. As we said, pay-per-view, even if it is the launch of movies through a platform, it is a real opportunity for both today and tomorrow. If you ask me about the education segment, is that an opportunity today? Would that be an opportunity tomorrow in the connected world? That’s yes. We're actually managing connected devices, video conferencing, etc., and all these are real opportunities. And these can have a significant contribution to our top line as well as for our bottom line. What is required is for us to try penetration with an ecosystem, have the imagination and conviction right and the ability to convert.

Some of the changes that we have seen, whether it is OTT adoption, a customer seeking education online, an opportunity for video conferencing or minimising physical contact, there are efficiencies right where we build models to where people upgrade from their existing box to a new box through absolutely zero contact.

These opportunities are going to remain for a long period of time and fundamentally alter the way we conduct this. What we need to do is work towards the rest of the constituents of this entire ecosystem, be it broadcasters or technology providers or partners. And I think if that happens, it will fundamentally change the trajectory of the DTH industry.

Related Topics:Airtel Digital TV APOS 2020 DTH MPA

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DTH

Dish TV Q3 revenues fall 20 per cent, Ebitda turns negative

Published

3 weeks ago

February 7, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

NOIDA: When the remote stops working, you don’t throw it away, you change the batteries. Dish TV is trying something similar. Faced with falling subscription revenues and a fast-shrinking DTH universe, India’s once-dominant satellite broadcaster is flipping channels, betting on smart TVs, OTT aggregation and a hybrid future even as the numbers flash red.

For the quarter ended 31 December, 2025, Dish TV India reported operating revenues of Rs 2,991 million, down 19.8 per cent year-on-year from Rs 3,730 million. Subscription revenues, still the backbone of the business, fell sharply by 32.2 per cent to Rs 2,245 million, reflecting industry-wide cord-cutting and persistent churn. The pain shows up clearly below the line.

Ebitda swung to a loss of Rs 415 million, compared with a profit of Rs 1,227 million a year earlier. Total expenditure climbed 36.1 per cent to Rs 3,406 million, pushing costs to nearly 114 per cent of operating revenues. The quarter closed with a loss before tax of Rs 2,762 million, weighed down further by exceptional items of Rs 700 million. Yet the company insists this is not a business stuck buffering, but one deliberately loading a new format.

Dish TV is repositioning itself from a pure DTH operator into what it calls a connected-home entertainment platform, stitching together live television, OTT apps and smart devices. The centrepiece of that strategy is the nationwide rollout of VZY smart TVs, offering a unified DTH-plus-OTT experience.

Amazon Prime Video has now been integrated across Dish TV’s ecosystem, including Watcho and VZY. Watcho, the company’s in-house OTT super app, has crossed millions of downloads and paid subscribers, aggregating more than 25 content apps.

Fliqs, its creator-driven content platform, is being pitched as a home for premium regional and international programming. Brand visibility has also been boosted through splashy partnerships with Bigg Boss Hindi and Bigg Boss Kannada: high-decibel bets in a crowded attention economy.

“Indian home entertainment is undergoing a structural shift,” said CEO and executive director Manoj Dobhal arguing that Dish TV’s hybrid model improves convenience while keeping customers within a single ecosystem. The revenue mix shows early signs of diversification, even if it is not yet compensating for falling subscriptions.

Marketing and promotional fees rose 27.3 per cent to Rs 399 million, while advertisement income, still small, nearly doubled to Rs 48 million. Other operating income surged 267.6 per cent to Rs 298 million, softening the overall revenue decline.

On costs, the company is tightening the screws. It has renegotiated transponder contracts, rationalised call-centre and general expenses, and improved asset discipline by boosting set-top box recovery beyond 30 days, reducing swap frequency and replacement capex.

New customer activations are being driven through a no-subsidy Rs 999 set-top box, a move management says materially improves unit economics and cash flow. Still, risks remain stubbornly in view. Churn continues to shadow the business, and scaling Watcho while balancing content spend will demand execution discipline.

Cost cuts, the company admits, must not erode service quality: a delicate act in a market where customer loyalty is already thin. For now, Dish TV’s numbers tell a story of strain.

DTH

Tata Play deepens Odia push with ad-free ‘Odia Manoranjan’ platform

Published

4 weeks ago

January 29, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

MUMBAI: Tata Play is doubling down on regional loyalty. India’s leading DTH player has launched Tata Play Odia Manoranjan, a new value-added service that corrals Odia entertainment into a single, ad-free destination, available on television and the Tata Play mobile app.

Powered by Sidharth TV, one of Odisha’s most popular Odia-language GECs, the platform serves up a hefty catalogue: over 180 movies, 100+ Jatras, around 20 television shows and a library of more than 12,000 songs spanning devotional, folk, film and non-film genres. From vintage favourites to contemporary titles, the mix is pitched squarely at Odia-speaking households, with particular pull in tier-3 and tier-4 markets.

Subscribers get 24×7, full-screen SD viewing without ad breaks on channel number 1755, with live TV and VOD access across screens. The price point is deliberately sharp: Rs 2 a day.

Pallavi Puri, chief commercial and content officer at Tata Play, framed the move as a bet on language and culture. “India’s strongest viewing loyalties are rooted in language and lived culture. Tata Play Odia Manoranjan brings together the many expressions of Odia entertainment—from films and Jatras to devotional programming and music—into one clearly defined destination. With this launch, Tata Play further elevates its regional content offering by giving Odia audiences a single, definitive home for their stories and traditions.”

For Sidharth TV Network, the partnership is about reach without compromise. Sitaram Agrawalla, owner and chairman, said: “For decades, Odia families have trusted our entertainment platforms for stories that feel like home, and for moments that bring us together. Tata Play Odia Manoranjan builds on this trust by placing a diverse range of Odia films, theatre, devotional music and shows into a single, accessible space. This collaboration isn’t just about wider distribution—it’s about honouring the preferences of Odia viewers with a seamless, ad-free viewing experience that reflects their language, culture and the way they choose to engage with content.”

The new service slots into Tata Play’s expanding portfolio of entertainment and infotainment platform services across genres including entertainment, kids, learning, regional and devotion, catering to all age groups.

In short: one language, one screen, zero ads—and a clear signal that regional is where the real viewing power lies.

DTH

Binge strikes play as Tata Play adds Times Play to its OTT universe

Published

3 months ago

December 2, 2025

indiantelevision.com Team

MUMBAI: If streaming had galaxies, Tata Play Binge just opened a wormhole. In its latest move to become India’s most sprawling entertainment universe, the platform has now folded Times Play, Times Network’s digital-first OTT service, into its all-in-one subscription bouquet bringing Hollywood hits, snackable shorts, live news, lifestyle, entertainment, Pickleball and 11 live TV channels under a single roof.

The new addition means subscribers no longer need to hop between apps in Olympic-level finger gymnastics, Binge now pulls Times Network’s entire digital catalogue into one screen, one login, one bill. And in the era of attention overload, that’s practically a public service.

Times Play brings with it a distinctive blend of premium Hollywood cinema, web series, short-format videos, and Times Network’s formidable news muscle. Viewers can flip seamlessly between Romedy Now, Movies Now, MNX, MN+, Zoom, Times Now, Times Now Navbharat, ET Now, ET Now Swadesh, and even Pickleball Now, mirroring the growing Indian appetite for niche sporting entertainment.

On the long-form front, hits like Reunion, India’s Story, True Story of Angeline Jolie, Orphan First Kill, The November Man, Barely Lethal, Southpaw, The Hurt Locker, Transporter Refueled, and The Holiday sit alongside Times Network factual and current-affairs staples including Frankly Speaking, Sawaal Public Ka, and News Ki Paathshaala.

Describing the partnership, Tata Play chief commercial and content officer Pallavi Puri, said the aim remained unchanged to make content discovery effortless and reduce the modern curse of app overload. She noted that integrating Times Play enriches Binge’s already deep catalogue with a broader mix of premium films, originals and news programming “without juggling multiple apps or subscriptions”.

Times Network echoed the sentiment, calling the collaboration a natural extension of its mission to deliver credible entertainment and journalism at scale. It emphasised Tata Play’s reach, reliability and reputation as a key driver in bringing Times Play’s digital catalogue to diverse Indian households.

With the addition of Times Play, Tata Play Binge now boasts 30 plus OTT platforms on a single interface, a list that includes Prime Video, JioHotstar, Zee5, Apple TV+, Lionsgate, SunNXT, Discovery+, BBC Player, Aha, Fancode, ShemarooMe, Hungama, ManoramaMax, Nammaflix, Tarang Plus, Travel XP, Animax, Fuse+, ShortsTV, Curiosity Stream, and DistroTV, among others.

Notably, Netflix remains available as part of combo packs for DTH subscribers, while Amazon Prime Video can be unlocked as an add-on for Binge users with a Tata Play DTH connection. And for large-screen loyalists, all 30 plus apps can be streamed via LG, Samsung and Android Smart TVs, the Tata Play Binge+ set-top box, Amazon FireTV Stick – Tata Play edition, or through TataPlayBinge.com.

The expansion comes on the heels of recent integrations, including WAVES by Prasar Bharati and BBC Player, reinforcing Tata Play Binge’s ambition to remain India’s most diverse, most unified, and most fuss-free entertainment destination.

With Times Play now in the mix, Binge isn’t just aggregating content, it’s quietly aggregating the future of how India watches.