DTH

Rampant cord cutting on cable continues: Chrome Data Study

Published

3 years ago

September 23, 2022

Mumbai: The new findings from Chrome Data Analytics and Media’s July Subscriber Establishment Survey (SES) reported a significant drop in cable and satellite (C&S) homes, where the subscriber base has dropped from 201.2 million to 165.1 million households since 2019.

This is based on a pan India ground survey that was done between January and July 2022; the sample included one out of every 175 households and included over 219 million TV households across the nation.

Chrome DM surveys regularly, and it plays an important role in shaping our understanding of the changing TV landscape.

Speaking on these findings, Chrome DM CEO and founder Pankaj Krishna said, “The reason for the decline is that the medium is changing. In television, in terms of content, it will keep booming, but the modes of consumption are changing so it is affecting Cable and Satellite (C&S) homes.”

He further added, “This is the great race to entertainment, and OTT looks to be the reigning champion. I believe this trend will continue till ‘streaming’ is cemented as the new alternative in this turn of transition.”

Pankaj believes with 5G coming in, we will witness a lot of disruption as well on how people consume content. “So the reason for the decline in cable and satellite homes is that the homes are wired through a cable and satellite connection but the overall consumption is increasing through the broadband internet (Connected TV) consumption. TV shows are increasing as well,” he added.

Pay DTH and digital cable

According to the Chrome Data Analytics and Media July report, pay DTH has a market share of nearly 38 per cent and digital cable is close to over 37 per cent.

Digital cable experienced a significant decline of 18.5 per cent, whilst Pay DTH experienced a more restrained decline of 5.1 percent in the same findings. Pay DTH continues to have a significant presence in southern markets, where Andhra Pradesh reigned supreme with considerable share growth of 11.9 per cent.

In terms of its total subscriber base, Tamizhaga Cable TV Communication (TCCL) was the leading gainer by a sizable margin of 33.2 per cent.

Covid Impact

The report stated that it would be an understatement to say that Covid-19 disturbed the market economy. The pandemic ushered in a new period of hesitation and unpredictability when any fleeting sense of assurance was purchased on the cheap.

The markets fell, and the major players warned that the economy was on the verge of a devastating downturn.

According to the report, the commercial sector was completely destroyed by the Covid-19 outbreak, and the cable and satellite industries were just one of the numerous victims.

Before the first economic downturn, the profits appeared to be guaranteed, but after Covid, it served as a foreshadowing of what was to come. The numbers foretold the end of this once-dominant sector.

The pandemic caused changes in social and cultural dynamics, which quickly followed as the economy began to slow down in the backdrop. The lockdowns forced a lot of migratory workers to return to their small rural villages, which caused a huge flood of subscribers to leave urban marketplaces, the report mentioned.

The report found that to combat rising inflation and the economic slump, many people unsubscribed to curtail domestic expenditure, which includes keeping a TV set and paying for cable subscriptions.

Freedish

Freedish was the only one to experience a positive increase of 5.4 per cent while continuing to ascend north in rural areas.

The other transmissions were impacted by the pandemic’s dwindling market share, but Freedish managed to hold onto its lead while the others did not.

Again, this was largely the result of it being provided for free and having a substantial market share in rural India, which was untouched by the migrant issue. Odisha continued to be a top gainer, with its rural market growing by only about 16.8 per cent throughout this time.

OTT impact

Similar to this, urban residents were losing interest in cable TV and rapidly shifting their viewing preferences online. Many people have joined the growing number of cord-cutters and are now satisfying their watching needs online. Thus, the cord-cutting epidemic has ushered in a streaming-era digital revolution.

The report stated that cable and satellite subscriptions have consistently decreased as viewers’ interest in traditional linear TV has declined, but a further rise in streaming usage is increasing.

According to the survey, many cord-cutters still find this to be an appealing alternative because they don’t want to pay extra for the cable or digital subscriptions that are usually included with standard TV equipment.

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DTH

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

Published

1 day 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

1 week 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

2 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.