DTH

The Last Mile Channel Carriage

Published

25 years ago

April 21, 2001

Satellite channels have driven growth in C&S households from only four channels in the early 1990s to around 100 today. And going by present indications, with a C&S growth rate of around 17 per cent per annum cable penetration is expected to reach 67 million households by 2005.

Improving socioeconomic conditions, rapidly falling TV prices, increasing relevance of TV in household entertainment, are some of the drivers to increase penetration.

In declared terms the industry has been growing at the rate of 10 to 12 per cent and the size of the industry today in revenue terms is Rs 38 billion. Of this subscription revenue makes up RS 36 billion, local advertising revenue RS 1.25 billion and Internet over cable RS 60 million.

There are some key issues which govern an industry still in its nascent stage of development. These are: mushrooming growth of mom-and-pop operations, lack of addressability in the traditional cable business, subscriber base for pay channels becoming a point of negotiation.

The battleground in broadcasting business today has shifted from the skies to the ground. Effective distribution and efficient addressability is paramount to the success of a channel.

And in this scenario – HE WHO DISTRIBUTES WELL IS KING.

And it is the cable operator who is the critical cog in this equation. For it is he who decides on:
a)channels to be shown to subscribers;
b)frequency at which the channel is transmitted;
c)in case of pay channels, he decides how he gets reimbursed from the subscriber and at times the broadcaster faces a huge under-reporting of actual subscribers with disclosure ratios as low as 10-20 per cent.

As for broadcasters, their primary targets are producing, acquiring quality content, maximising advertising revenue through higher reach and viewership.

And for this, the relationship with the cable operator is the single most important factor in deciding the success of any channel.

Because a channel’s carriage ultimately depends on availability to both the cable operator and consumer as well as viewability at the subscriber end.

When discussing viewability, the type of television set also has to be considered. TVs receive signals on three major frequency bands. The Prime Band which is available to all TVs including B&W TVs; the tunable S-band viewable on all CTV’s and the non-tunable S -band or Hyper band viewable on new colour TVs.

Statistics culled from surveys in 48 cities show that of an estimated 8.62 million subscribers, only 3.81 million can receive the hyper band signal which automatically excludes 4.81 subscribers from a broadcaster’s list if he is transmitting on the Hyper band.

This means that efficiency of distribution is more important and critical than width of distribution. With the majority of TV sets lying within the 300MHz band (ie 36 channels) it is obvious that everyone is jostling for this space. Effective distribution therefore implies not only the ability to better place but also maintain the space for the channels.

This can easily be understood if we look at what sort of viewability was achieved by three channels covered in the survey. Of the 8.62 million subscribers in 48 cities, 1.53 million subscribers couldn’t view Star Plus; 2.49 million couldn’t see SAB TV and a whopping 6.15 million subscribers had no access to Aaj Tak.

Efficiency of Distribution:
In terms of channel carriage, the criticality of distribution cannot be underestimated. With the majority of the TV sets lying within the 300MHz band (i.e. 36 channels) it is obvious that everyone is jostling for this space.

Effective Distribution is not only about being able to get a better place for your channel but also maintaining the space for those channels.

This means that efficiency of distribution is more important and critical than width of distribution.

Cable v/s DTH:

DTH will penetrate 3 million homes in a span of three years. Revenues in this period would be approximately RS 18 billion.

However, investments required would include Rs100 million up-front as an entry fee and a 10 per cent share of subsequent revenues with the government. A bank guarantee of RS 400 million for a 10-year license.

Cost to the consumer – Capital expenditure of RS 10,000 to RS 15,000 towards set top box and dish antennae. Subscription fee of RS 500 to 600 per month.

Cable on the other hand, is well entrenched in India and poised for a leap into another plane. The sheer cost efficiency added to the fact that it is already present in 35 million homes across the country cannot be wished away. And upgradation of the current network can itself provide other value added services.

Cable is clearly a more economically accessible system and therefore, likely to remain predominant at least in the foreseeable future.

In conclusion: Efficient and effective channel carriage and monitoring capability with LAST MILE INFLUENCABILITY is the real key to higher TRP’s and by extension higher advertising revenues.

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DTH

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

Published

4 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

1 month 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.