DTH

DTH adds 14 lakh active subscribers in Q2-17 as per TRAI data

Published

9 years ago

January 4, 2017

BENGALURU: The DTH industry in India has added about 14 lakh (1.4 million) active subscribers in the quarter ended 30 September 2016 (Q2-17, current quarter) as compared to the immediate trailing quarter (Q1-17). The number of active DTH subscribers in the country increased to 6.19 crore (61.9 million) as compared to 6.05 crore (60.5 million) in Q1-7. TRAI had reported 4.05 crore (40.5 million) active subscribers for the corresponding year ago quarter Q2-16. . It may be noted that TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority Regulator has been reportingthe net active subscriber base included temporarily suspended subscribers that have been inactive for not more than 120 dayssince Q3-16 (quarter ended 31 December 2015).

The growth seems to have slowed in Q2-17 down despite the extended sunset date for DAS IV nearing. In the previous quarter, the industry had added 19.7 lakh (1.97 million), 25.5 lakh (2.55 million) in the quarter ended 31 March 2016 (Q4-16). Further, the industry has witnessed a faster growth of inactive subscribers as compared to active subscribers in Q2-17. Total number of registered subscribers grew 2.9 percent in the current quarter, while active subscribers grew by just 2.3 percent. In Q1-17 TRAI had reported 9.153 crore or 91.53 million registered subscribers, which grew to 9.416 crore or 94.16 million or a growth of 26.3 lakh (2.63 million) registered subscribers. As mentioned above active subscribers grew by just 14 lakh or 1.4 million in the same period.

Of the six private players in the Indian DTH ecosystem, three are publically listed and their numbers are available in the public domain – They are in alphabetical order: Airtel Digital TV Services or Airtel DTH which is a small segment/division of Indian telecom major Bharti Airtel Limited; Dish TV, the largest DTH player in the country in terms of number of subscribers; and Videocon d2h. These three have about two thirds of market share of the DTH universe in India. Of the other three players, Tata Sky is a major player and should have a market share about equal to Airtel DTH or Videocon d2h (about 20 percent). The other players – Reliance DTH and Sun Direct have a combined market share between 13 to 15 percent in terms of subscribers. It may be noted that at present probably the largest DTH player in India is the government’s FreeDish, but since it is a free service, no subscriber data is available even with PrasarBharati.

Please refer to Fig A below for DTH subscriber growth.

public://F1_0.jpg

For Q2-17, the growth of the three major players was even slower than the industry – their combined subscriber base grew just 1.9 percent quarter-over-quarter (q-o-q) by just 7.45 lakh (0.625 million) to 400.25 lakh (40.025 million) from 392.8 lakh (39.28 million) in the immediate trailing quarter.

Fig B below indicates the approximate market share in terms of subscribers of the six private DTH players in the country.

public://F2_0.jpg

Let us see how they performed during the current quarter (Q2-17)

Airtel Digital TV Services or Airtel DTH

Airtel DTH reported 21.9 percent year-over-year (y-o-y) increase in operating revenues to RsRs 854.5 crore in Q2-17 as compared to Rs 706.8 crore in Q2-16. The segment’s operating profit (EBIT) more than quadrupled y-o-y to Rs 69.8 crore from Rs 17 crore, but declined 42.7 percent q-o-q from Rs 121.9 crore.

Airtel’s DTH segment added 18.29 lakh subscribers between Q2-16 and Q2-17, or a 17.3 percent y-o-y increase. The company says that this is the highest growth in percentage terms over seventeen quarters. It had 124.05 lakh subscribers as on 30 September 2016. Q-o-q, the segment witnessed a 2.1 percent growth (2.56 lakh adds) in subscribers from 121.49 lakh in Q1-17.

ARPU in Q2-17 increased to Rs 232 from Rs 224 in the corresponding year ago quarter, but declined marginally (by Re 1) from Rs 233 in the immediate trailing quarter.

Dish TV

Three segments contribute to Dish TV’s numbers – DTH; Infra Support Services; and ‘Others’.

Dish TV’s DTH segment revenue in Q2-17 declined 14.2 percent to Rs 509.55 crore from Rs 594.16 crore in Q2-16. The segment reported 15.5 percent lower operating profit in the current quarter at Rs 86.43 crore as compared to Rs 102.24 crore in the corresponding year ago quarter.

The company reported addition of 2.59 lakh net subscribers for Q2-17. It closed the quarter with 151 lakh subscribers. Average revenue per user (ARPU) for Q2-17 was Rs 162 in the current quarter versus Rs 161 in the corresponding year ago quarter. It may be noted that as of this fiscal, Dish TV has been reporting ARPU number net of service tax and hence comparison with the other players is inappropriate.

Dish TV reported 11.9 percent higher y-o-y subscription revenue of Rs 728.8 crore for Q2-17, as compared to Rs 651.4 crore. Operating revenue in the current quarter increased 9.6 percent y-o-y to Rs 779.6 crore from Rs 711.2 crore in the corresponding quarter of the previous year.

Dish TV reported PAT of Rs. 70.1 crore in Q2-17, down 19.4 percent as compared to Rs 87 crore in Q2-16. EBIDTA in the current quarter increased 3.6 percent to Rs 264.2 crore from Rs 255 crore in Q2-16.

Videocon d2h

Videocon d2h reported 12.5 percent y-o-y growth in total revenue from operations for Q2-17 at Rs 776.16 crore as compared to Rs 690.08 crore and a 1.7 percent q-o-q growth from Rs 763.25 crore.

Videocon d2h reported PAT of Rs 6.32 crore (0.8 percent margin) Q2-17, current. For the corresponding year ago quarter (Q2-17), the company had reported a loss of Rs 24.59 crore while for the immediate trailing quarter (Q1-17) the company had reported profit of Rs 2.66 crore (0.3 percent margin).

The DTH major also reported 15.5 percent year-over-year (y-o-y) growth in net subscriber numbers at 125.2 lakh for Q2-17 as compared to 108.4 lakh and a 1.9 percent quarter-over-quarter (q-o-q) growth from122.9 lakh. Monthly Average revenue per user (ARPU) in the current quarter increased to Rs 209 from Rs 201 in Q2-16 but declined by Rs 2 from Rs 211 in the immediate trailing quarter.

Related Topics:Airtel Digital TV Services DAS Dish TV DTH PrasarBharati Reliance DTH Sun Direct Trai Videocon d2h

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

Published

1 week 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

3 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.