ITV

Tag: Dish TV India Limited

  • Watcho exclusively premieres the thriller series ‘Oh My Wife!’

    Watcho exclusively premieres the thriller series ‘Oh My Wife!’

    Mumbai: Watcho Exclusives, the OTT platform from Dish TV India Limited, is set to wrap up 2023 on a high note with the launch of yet another entertaining original series – ‘ Oh My Wife!’ produced by Shaurya Singh, ‘Oh My Wife!’ is a suspense thriller series, which is written and directed by Shaurya Singh. The series features an ensemble cast including Mudasir Bhatt, Lokesh Batta, Sneha Singh Sisodia, and Deepanshi N Shakya in pivotal roles.

    The story follows Vivek, a skilled forensic expert, as he navigates through personal turmoil while tackling a high-profile murder case. Balancing professional challenges and personal demons, Vivek faces a twist when suspicions arise about his wife. As he investigates potential suspects, Vivek becomes uncertain about his wife’s intentions, leading him on a suspenseful journey to uncover the truth. The series keeps viewers on the edge of their seats, posing the ultimate question: Is Vivek’s wife hiding something sinister, or is the killer someone else entirely? The gripping narrative unfolds with each episode, leaving audiences guessing until the very end.

    Throughout the year, Watcho Exclusives has streamed with a captivating array of original series, including Luck Shots, Aarambh, GillHarry, Explosive, The Morning Show, Manghadant, Avaidh, and Jaunpur, among others. Launched in 2019, the OTT platform has established itself as a go-to destination for entertaining content. Now, with the release of ‘Oh My Wife!’, it is elevating the entertainment quotient further.

    Actor Mudasir Bhatt, who plays the titular role of Vivek, opened up about his experience and said, “Playing a forensic expert in ‘Oh My Wife!’ has been quite a journey. I got into the nitty-gritty of forensic science, read books, and binged a bunch of content to get the hang of it. When I first read the script, I was hooked on the story. I couldn’t wait to find out who the killer was and what secrets Sujata was hiding. Sure, I had my moments of doubt and nerves about pulling it off, but the script and the character’s depth grabbed me, and I knew I had to take on the challenge. Moreover, Watcho Exclusives’ commitment to unique storytelling and compelling narratives got me excited. It’s been a wild ride, and I can’t wait for everyone to check it out!”

    Actress Sneha Singh Sisodia, who plays Vivek’s wife – Sujata in the series, shared,”To step into Sujata’s shoes, I dug deep into her secrets, fears, and the tricky act of pretending. The gripping story and the chance to explore a character with hidden layers pulled me to this Watcho Exclusives series. As an actress, I connect with the mystery and vulnerability she has. It’s a role that keeps me alert. While I may not have her secrets, I understand the depth she adds to the story. I hope the audience enjoys the suspense in ‘Oh My Wife!’ as much as I loved bringing this character to life.”

    Join Vivek in solving this intriguing mystery and uncover the truth by tuning in to ‘Oh My Wife!’ available exclusively on Watcho. Don’t miss out on the suspense and drama – it’s a journey you won’t want to skip!

    Watch ‘Oh My Wife!’ on Watcho, accessible across multiple devices including Fire TV Stick, Dish SMRT Hub, D2h Magic, Android, and iOS smartphones, or online at www.WATCHO.com

  • Dish TV adds 42K subscribers in Q2 2020

    Dish TV adds 42K subscribers in Q2 2020

    BENGALURU: India DTH major Dish TV India Ltd (Dish TV) reported 42,000 net subscriber additions for the quarter ended 30 September 2019 (Q2 2020, quarter or period under review), During the six-month period ended 30 September 2020 (H1 2020), the company says that it added 251,000 net subscribers. The company reported  subscription revenue of Rs 79.2 crore for the quarter under review.

    With programming cost becoming a pass-through item in the New Tariff Regime, subscription and operating revenues for the quarter are not comparable with the corresponding period last year.

    Dish TV’s operating revenue in Q2 2020 declined 44 percent to Rs 893.18 crore from Rs 1,594.29 crore. The company reported a net loss of Rs 96.37 crore for Q2 2020 as compared to a profit of Rs 19.73 crore in the corresponding year ago quarter. EBITDA for Q2 2020 was Rs 540.46 crore, which was 3.7 percent lower than the Rs 540.62 crore in Q2 2019.

    Company Speak

    The company claims in a media release, that the seasonally weak second quarter came bundled with other external challenges this time. Slowing subscriber additions due to a not so robust macro-economic environment, price undercutting by peers, along with heavy rains and flooding in many parts of the country made subscriber acquisitions and retention a challenging task. Dish TV India however chose to be resilient making the best

    of every opportunity coming its way.

    “Setting aside the price undercutting resorted to by some peers in parts of the country, Dish TV India maintained a fine balance between subscriber acquisition and the cost of such acquisition. The company intentionally avoided adding extremely value conscious subscribers,” said Dish TV group CEO Anil Dua.

    Dish TV CMD Jawahar Goel said, “It is evident that even in the New Regime, there has been a propensity to push low rated channels into bouquets with the objective of increasing the viewership of high rated channels. If the Regulation gets implemented in entirety, there would be better pricing that would ensure wider consumption of channels. Content would be subject to subscriber’s filtration and as a distributor we would only be procuring popular content that sells.”

    Let us look at the other numbers reported by Dish TV

    Total Income for Q2 2020 declined 44.3 percent y-o-y to Rs 896.77 crore from Rs 1,609.96 crore. Total Expenditure for the period under review declined 44.3 percent y-o-y to Rs 879.67 crore from Rs 1,580.35 crore.

    Operating expenses in Q2 2020 declined 77.6 percent y-o-y to Rs 193.48 crore from Rs 864.77 crore. Employee benefits expenses in Q2 2020 declined 29.7 percent y-o-y to Rs 44.03 crore from Rs 62.62 crore. Other expenses in Q2 2020 increased 8.7 percent y-o-y to Rs 134.65 crore from Rs 123.83 crore.

  • Videocon d2h adds comedy VAS service from Shemaroo

    Videocon d2h adds comedy VAS service from Shemaroo

    MUMBAI: To add a pinch of fun, Dish TV has added a new value-added service on its Videocon d2h platform. Comedy Active service is being offered in partnership with Comedywalas, a division of Shemaroo Entertainment.

    Comedy Active service is being offered to the subscribers with a free preview of two months after which they can continue to enjoy at a nominal subscription price of Rs 35 + GST.

    “We are thrilled to extend Comedy Active service on our Videocon d2h platform after having received a positive response from our viewers on Dish TV Platform. With this announcement, Comedy Active service is now available to our entire subscriber base of 29 million. We have always focused on enhancing our product portfolio and value-added services to bring uninterrupted 24×7 entertainment to our viewers. Our partnership with Shemaroo to launch Comedy Active Service on Videocon d2h platform reiterates our commitment to providing unique content and best TV viewing experience for our viewers,” Dish TV India group CEO Anil Dua said.

    Along with original content created especially for this service, Comedy Active will also offer most popular comedy shows of all times like Tu Tu Main Main, Chamatkar, and Ye Jo Hai Zindagi.

    “We are very excited to launch Comedy Active service with Dish TV on its Videocon d2h platform. Comedy shows on television are a way for audiences to de-stress from the otherwise hectic life. Comedywalas is an initiative by Shemaroo to bring together high-quality comedy content by curating and creating, rib-tickling programmes. We also use our exceptional programming expertise and associate with stalwarts in comedy to produce some original comic gems. We are sure that this right mix of classic and new comedy shows will be loved by the audience,” Shemaroo Entertainment CEO Hiren Gada said.

    “We have always focused on delivering the best value proposition to our customers along with novel entertainment initiatives. The launch of Comedy Active service on our Videocon d2h platform reiterates our commitment to bring handpicked quality content for our viewers of all age groups. Taking ahead our existing partnership with Shemaroo, we are sure this new offering will add to the fun and laughter amongst our viewers across the country,” Videocon d2h marketing head Sugato Banerji said.

    Also Read :

    Dish TV sharpens focus on Tamil Nadu

    Dish TV announces fresh Videocon d2h Nasdaq delisting date

  • Profit returns to Videocon d2h, court approves Dish TV merger scheme

    BENGALURU: After three consecutive profitable quarters in fiscal 2017 (year ended 31 March 2017, FY-17), Indian direct to home Saurabh Dhoot led major Videocon d2h Limited had reported a net loss of Rs 87 million for the last quarter of last fiscal (Q4-17). The company has returned back to the black for the quarter ended 30 June 2017 (Q1-18, current) with a profit after tax (PAT) of Rs 12 million. After the Essel group’s DTH company Dish TV India Limited, Videocon d2h is one of the few television signal carriage companies in India that have started reported profits after taxes.

    The company has informed the bourses through a press release that it has received a nod from the Mumbai bench of the National Company Law Tribunal ( for the scheme of arrangement among Videocon d2h (transferor company), Dish TV  India and their respective shareholders and creditors for the amalgamation with Dish TV. The appointed date for the amalgamation is 1 October 2017.

    Commenting on the company outlook, Videocon d2h executive chairman Saurabh Dhoot said, “In the past few weeks, the management has been working on an integration plan. The merged entity plans to adopt and implement the best practices of both companies. We believe this merger provides exciting opportunities through the customer service model, convergence of technologies, expanded breadth of content offerings including expansion of exclusive content, advertising income growth potential as well as synergies from a combined subscriber base of more than 28 million. The merged entity would be one of the largest pay TV platforms in the world in terms of subscriber base, according to the company estimates. I am very excited for this new journey of a business that commands strong business fundamentals and growth opportunities supported by our strong balance sheet and growing free cash flows.”

    Speaking on the business outlook, Videocon d2h CEO Anil Khera said “I am pleased to share that Goods and Service Tax (GST) came into effect starting July 1, 2017. GST will simplify the taxation regime and improve the ease of doing business. GST would also drive the unorganized segment, such as local cable operators, towards taxation.

    I am happy to share that the monsoons this year have been in line with long term average. This is likely to strengthen the macro-economic sentiment and imply good consumption from rural India. This is positive for the DTH industry and the upbeat rural sentiment due to the good monsoon could lead to a strong outlook for the festive quarter.”  

    The company reported a 1.2 percent increase in revenue from operations for the current quarter at Rs 7,726 million as compared to Rs 7,633 million in Q1-17. Subscription and activation revenue increased 1.7 percent in Q1-18 to Rs 7,091 million from Rs 6,970 million in Q1-17. Adjusted EBIDTA was slightly lower in Q1-18 at Rs 2,485 million as compared to Rs 2,519 million in the corresponding year ago quarter. However, adjusted EBIDTA less capex in the current quarter increased substantially to Rs 1,246 million from Rs 887 million in Q1-17. Content costs in Q1-18 have increased to 42 percent of revenue as compared to 38.7 percent in Q1-17.

    The company added 0.13 million net subscribers in Q1-18, far lower than the 0.43 million added in Q1-17 and lower than the 0.14 million subscribers added in the immediate trailing quarter. Quarter-over-quarter average revenue per user (ARPU) was Rs 198 in Q1-18 as compared to Rs 211 in Q1-17 and Rs 196 in Q4-17. Monthly subscriber churn in Q1-8 was higher at 1.27 percent as compared to 0.49 percent and 0.87 percent in Q1-17 and Q4-17 respectively. Subscriber acquisition costs in the form of hardware subsidies were INR 1,865 per subscriber during the first quarter of Fiscal 2018.

    ALSO READ :

    Dish TV–D2H merger gets NCLT approval

    Madras HC to hear Star India’s rejoinder in TRAI challenge today

    Videocon d2h reports maiden annual net profit

  • Q2-17: Dish TV adds 2.59 lakh subscribers

    Q2-17: Dish TV adds 2.59 lakh subscribers

    BENGALURU: Indian direct to home (DTH) company Dish TV India Limited (Dish TV) has reported growth across important financial and operational parameters including operating revenues (TIO) , EBIDTA and subscription numbers. The company reported addition of 2.59 lakh net subscribers for the quarter ended 30 September 2016 (Q2-17, current). 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..

    Dish TV reported 11.9 per cent 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 per cent y-o-y to Rs 779.6 crore from Rs 711.2 crore in the corresponding quarter of the previous year. (Refer Note 2.1 and 2.2 below)

    Segment Revenue

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

    DTH segment revenue in Q2-17 declined 14.2 per cent to Rs 509.55 crore from Rs 594.16 crore in Q2-16. The segment reported 15.5 per cent 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.

    Infra Support services segment reported 13.7 higher y-o-y revenue of Rs 280.65 crore in Q2-17 vis-à-vis Rs 246.91 crore in Q2-16. The segment’s operating profit declined 39.3 per cent in the current quarter to Rs 12.30 crore from Rs 20.26 crore in the corresponding year ago quarter.

    ‘Others’ segment revenue increased 3.5 per cent in Q2-17 to Rs 5.59 crore from Rs 5.40 crore in Q2-16. The segment’s operating profit grew 5.3 per cent in the current quarter to Rs 2.80 crore from Rs 2.6 6 crore in Q2-16.

    A look at the other numbers reported by Dish TV

    Dish TV reported PAT of Rs. 70.1 crore in Q2-17, down 19.4 per cent as compared to Rs 87 crore in Q2-16.

    EBIDTA in the current quarter increased 3.6 per cent to Rs 264.2 crore from Rs 255 crore in Q2-16.

    Expense in the current quarter increased 12.9 per cent y-o-y to Rs 51.51 crore from Rs 456.2 crore. Employee Benefits Expense increased 23.1 per cent y-o-y to Rs 36.4 crore from Rs 29.58 crore. Other operating expenses in the current quarter declined 30.8 per cent to Rs 70.14 crore from Rs 101.30 crore in Q2-16..

    Licensing fees in the current quarter increased 1.3 per cent to Rs 54.52 crore from Rs 53.81 crore in Q2-17. Programming/Content and other costs in Q2-17 increased 17.4 per cent to Rs 238.92 crore from Rs 203.54 crore in Q2-16.

    Dish TV managing director Jawahar Goel said, “Torrential rains in many parts of the country often force consumers to defer buying a new DTH connection while the existing ones may delay recharging if the going gets too tough. Both sales and recharge however normalize subsequently if the festival season hits early. Targeting phase 3 & 4 markets, our subscriber additions during the quarter remained in-line with expectations.”

    Expressing his views on the regulatory developments, Goel, said, “While the draft Regulations have been formulated with an intention of subscriber welfare, there are certain omissions, optimistic presumptions as well as unanswered questions that would hopefully be addressed once the final orders see the light of the day. We appreciate the spirit of transparency and non-discrimination that have been the guiding force behind these draft orders and hope that DTH would soon get the level playing field that it has been seeking. Restrictions placed on carriage fees should go a long way in correcting the industry macro environment.”

    “We continue to remain positive about other regulatory interventions including the proposed new license regime for the DTH sector and the impending nationwide roll-out of Goods and Services Tax (GST). The centre proposing 12 per cent and 18 per cent as the standard rates for majority of the taxable goods is a welcome step,” he added.

    Discussing the results, Goel said, “Healthy subscriber additions led to a 11.9% y-o-y growth in subscription revenues. EBITDA margin was 33.9 per cent. Net Profit for the quarter was Rs. 701 million (Rs 70.1 crore) and positive Free Cash Flow was Rs. 791 million (Rs 79.1 crore).”

    Notes:The unit of currency in this report is the Indian rupee – Rs (also conventionally represented by INR). The Indian numbering system or the Vedic numbering system has been used to denote money values. The basic conversion to the international norm would be:
    (a) 100,00,000 = 100 lakh = 10,000,000 = 10 million = 1 crore.
    (b) 10,000 lakh = 100 crore = 1 arab = 1 billion.

  • Q2-17: Dish TV adds 2.59 lakh subscribers

    Q2-17: Dish TV adds 2.59 lakh subscribers

    BENGALURU: Indian direct to home (DTH) company Dish TV India Limited (Dish TV) has reported growth across important financial and operational parameters including operating revenues (TIO) , EBIDTA and subscription numbers. The company reported addition of 2.59 lakh net subscribers for the quarter ended 30 September 2016 (Q2-17, current). 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..

    Dish TV reported 11.9 per cent 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 per cent y-o-y to Rs 779.6 crore from Rs 711.2 crore in the corresponding quarter of the previous year. (Refer Note 2.1 and 2.2 below)

    Segment Revenue

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

    DTH segment revenue in Q2-17 declined 14.2 per cent to Rs 509.55 crore from Rs 594.16 crore in Q2-16. The segment reported 15.5 per cent 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.

    Infra Support services segment reported 13.7 higher y-o-y revenue of Rs 280.65 crore in Q2-17 vis-à-vis Rs 246.91 crore in Q2-16. The segment’s operating profit declined 39.3 per cent in the current quarter to Rs 12.30 crore from Rs 20.26 crore in the corresponding year ago quarter.

    ‘Others’ segment revenue increased 3.5 per cent in Q2-17 to Rs 5.59 crore from Rs 5.40 crore in Q2-16. The segment’s operating profit grew 5.3 per cent in the current quarter to Rs 2.80 crore from Rs 2.6 6 crore in Q2-16.

    A look at the other numbers reported by Dish TV

    Dish TV reported PAT of Rs. 70.1 crore in Q2-17, down 19.4 per cent as compared to Rs 87 crore in Q2-16.

    EBIDTA in the current quarter increased 3.6 per cent to Rs 264.2 crore from Rs 255 crore in Q2-16.

    Expense in the current quarter increased 12.9 per cent y-o-y to Rs 51.51 crore from Rs 456.2 crore. Employee Benefits Expense increased 23.1 per cent y-o-y to Rs 36.4 crore from Rs 29.58 crore. Other operating expenses in the current quarter declined 30.8 per cent to Rs 70.14 crore from Rs 101.30 crore in Q2-16..

    Licensing fees in the current quarter increased 1.3 per cent to Rs 54.52 crore from Rs 53.81 crore in Q2-17. Programming/Content and other costs in Q2-17 increased 17.4 per cent to Rs 238.92 crore from Rs 203.54 crore in Q2-16.

    Dish TV managing director Jawahar Goel said, “Torrential rains in many parts of the country often force consumers to defer buying a new DTH connection while the existing ones may delay recharging if the going gets too tough. Both sales and recharge however normalize subsequently if the festival season hits early. Targeting phase 3 & 4 markets, our subscriber additions during the quarter remained in-line with expectations.”

    Expressing his views on the regulatory developments, Goel, said, “While the draft Regulations have been formulated with an intention of subscriber welfare, there are certain omissions, optimistic presumptions as well as unanswered questions that would hopefully be addressed once the final orders see the light of the day. We appreciate the spirit of transparency and non-discrimination that have been the guiding force behind these draft orders and hope that DTH would soon get the level playing field that it has been seeking. Restrictions placed on carriage fees should go a long way in correcting the industry macro environment.”

    “We continue to remain positive about other regulatory interventions including the proposed new license regime for the DTH sector and the impending nationwide roll-out of Goods and Services Tax (GST). The centre proposing 12 per cent and 18 per cent as the standard rates for majority of the taxable goods is a welcome step,” he added.

    Discussing the results, Goel said, “Healthy subscriber additions led to a 11.9% y-o-y growth in subscription revenues. EBITDA margin was 33.9 per cent. Net Profit for the quarter was Rs. 701 million (Rs 70.1 crore) and positive Free Cash Flow was Rs. 791 million (Rs 79.1 crore).”

    Notes:The unit of currency in this report is the Indian rupee – Rs (also conventionally represented by INR). The Indian numbering system or the Vedic numbering system has been used to denote money values. The basic conversion to the international norm would be:
    (a) 100,00,000 = 100 lakh = 10,000,000 = 10 million = 1 crore.
    (b) 10,000 lakh = 100 crore = 1 arab = 1 billion.

  • FY-16: Dish TV adds 15 lakh subscribers, subscription revenue Rs 2,827 crore

    FY-16: Dish TV adds 15 lakh subscribers, subscription revenue Rs 2,827 crore

    BENGALURU: This is the second consecutive year that direct to home (DTH) company Dish TV India Limited (Dish TV) has reported growth across important financial and operational parameters including operating revenues (TIO), profit after tax (PAT) and subscription numbers. Last fiscal and quarter (year and quarter ended 31 March, 2015, FY-15 and Q4-15), Essel Group’s DTH operator Dish TV Limited turned the corner with a consolidated profit after tax (PAT) of Rs 3.14 crore and Rs 34.94 crore (margin 4.8 per cent) respectively. The company has followed this up with improved numbers for the subsequent two quarters of FY-16, and rendered a fait accompli of sorts in the final quarter with the largest ever subscription numbers add in a quarter in Q4-16, as if to reiterate – Profits are here to stay!.

    Dish TV says that so far it is the only company in the Indian DTH sector to have achieved net profitability. 

    Dish TV reported subscription revenue of Rs 2,827.5 crore in the fiscal ended 31 March 2016 (FY-16, current year). Operating revenue in the current year increased to Rs 3,059.9 crore from Rs 2,687.9 crore in the previous year.

    Dish TV reported PAT of Rs. 692.4 crore in FY-16, including deferred tax expense of Rs. 436 crore.

    During FY-16, Dish TV says that it has achieved the full year guidance of 15 lakh subscribers. In Q4-16 (quarter ended 31 March 2016, current quarter) Dish TV added 5.08 lakh subscribers. The company also reported higher Rs 174 in Q4-16 as compared to Rs 172 in Q3-16.

    Note: The unit of currency in this report is the Indian rupee – Rs (also conventionally represented by INR). The Indian numbering system or the Vedic numbering system has been used to denote money values. The basic conversion to the international norm would be:
    (a) 100,00,000 = 100 lakh = 10,000,000 = 10 million = 1 crore.
    (b) 10,000 lakh = 100 crore = 1 arab = 1 billion.

    Operating revenue for Q4-16 increased 9.5 percent year-over-year (y-o-y) to Rs 799.3 crore from Rs 729.9 crore and increased 3.6 percent quarter-over-quarter from Rs 771.5 crore in Q3-16.

    EBIDTA in the current year increased 39.8 percent to Rs 1,024.9 crore from Rs 733.1 crore in FY-15. EBIDTA in Q4-16 at Rs 260.8 crore increased 18.1 percent y-o-y from Rs 220.9 crore in Q4-15 but declined 1.7 percent q-o-q from Rs 265.4 crore in Q3-16.

    Dish TV managing director Jawahar Goel said, “Fiscal 2016 was yet another year that saw global economic uncertainty take centre-stage all throughout. Notwithstanding that, the Indian economy registered good economic growth as the government focused on development through reforms. With the macro economy showing early signs of pick-up and the Met department predicting an ‘above normal’ monsoon, fiscal 2017 has already started on an optimistic note. So far as the DTH industry is concerned a strong agrarian economy, further supported by government initiatives like 100% village electrification,  and prospering urban areas, with 24×7 power supply, shall certainly ensure growth for the industry going forward.”

    Talking about subscriber additions during the quarter, Goel, said, “We had a well-defined plan in place to target these markets. Our campaign ‘Set-Top-Box Matlab Dish TV’ had the desired impact while the specially designed sports packs ensured that sports fans didn’t go elsewhere during the cricket season. Higher investments behind the brand not only ensured higher brand scores but a stronger brand recall as well. To further strengthen our connect with the customer, we upgraded our existing service infrastructure and enhanced distribution in areas that were not up to the mark. Thus covering newer territories.”

    Talking about the fourth quarter results, Goel said, “Healthy subscriber additions and a higher ARPU improved the subscription revenues by 12.6 percent over the corresponding quarter last fiscal. EBITDA of Rs. 260.8 crore recorded an 18.1 percent jump over the corresponding quarter. Net Profit for the quarter was Rs. 482.8 crore as against Rs. 34.9 crore in the fourth quarter last fiscal. The resultant free cash flow was Rs. 104.7 crore. Churn for the quarter remained steady at 0.7 percent per month.”

    The company also added 8 new channels to its platform during the month of April 2016 taking its total offering size to more than 525 channels and  services. To further enhance the digital TV experience for subscribers and build an affordable and fast deployment model for itself, Dish TV
    selected Wyplay’s Frog as the Middleware for its next generation Set-Top-Boxes. Wyplay is an HTML5 browser based system and incorporates all features required for traditional linear broadcast TV consumption, on-demand content and applications distributed over the internet.

    Talking about these developments, Goel said, “We had our share of ups and downs during the year, but I am glad that we came out as winners at the end of it all. The fast paced dynamism of technological, regulatory and industrial developments kept us productively occupied and brought the best out of us.  We are in tune with the environmental shift around us and are motivated to be ahead of the curve as complex changes take place.”

     

     

  • FY-16: Dish TV adds 15 lakh subscribers, subscription revenue Rs 2,827 crore

    FY-16: Dish TV adds 15 lakh subscribers, subscription revenue Rs 2,827 crore

    BENGALURU: This is the second consecutive year that direct to home (DTH) company Dish TV India Limited (Dish TV) has reported growth across important financial and operational parameters including operating revenues (TIO), profit after tax (PAT) and subscription numbers. Last fiscal and quarter (year and quarter ended 31 March, 2015, FY-15 and Q4-15), Essel Group’s DTH operator Dish TV Limited turned the corner with a consolidated profit after tax (PAT) of Rs 3.14 crore and Rs 34.94 crore (margin 4.8 per cent) respectively. The company has followed this up with improved numbers for the subsequent two quarters of FY-16, and rendered a fait accompli of sorts in the final quarter with the largest ever subscription numbers add in a quarter in Q4-16, as if to reiterate – Profits are here to stay!.

    Dish TV says that so far it is the only company in the Indian DTH sector to have achieved net profitability. 

    Dish TV reported subscription revenue of Rs 2,827.5 crore in the fiscal ended 31 March 2016 (FY-16, current year). Operating revenue in the current year increased to Rs 3,059.9 crore from Rs 2,687.9 crore in the previous year.

    Dish TV reported PAT of Rs. 692.4 crore in FY-16, including deferred tax expense of Rs. 436 crore.

    During FY-16, Dish TV says that it has achieved the full year guidance of 15 lakh subscribers. In Q4-16 (quarter ended 31 March 2016, current quarter) Dish TV added 5.08 lakh subscribers. The company also reported higher Rs 174 in Q4-16 as compared to Rs 172 in Q3-16.

    Note: The unit of currency in this report is the Indian rupee – Rs (also conventionally represented by INR). The Indian numbering system or the Vedic numbering system has been used to denote money values. The basic conversion to the international norm would be:
    (a) 100,00,000 = 100 lakh = 10,000,000 = 10 million = 1 crore.
    (b) 10,000 lakh = 100 crore = 1 arab = 1 billion.

    Operating revenue for Q4-16 increased 9.5 percent year-over-year (y-o-y) to Rs 799.3 crore from Rs 729.9 crore and increased 3.6 percent quarter-over-quarter from Rs 771.5 crore in Q3-16.

    EBIDTA in the current year increased 39.8 percent to Rs 1,024.9 crore from Rs 733.1 crore in FY-15. EBIDTA in Q4-16 at Rs 260.8 crore increased 18.1 percent y-o-y from Rs 220.9 crore in Q4-15 but declined 1.7 percent q-o-q from Rs 265.4 crore in Q3-16.

    Dish TV managing director Jawahar Goel said, “Fiscal 2016 was yet another year that saw global economic uncertainty take centre-stage all throughout. Notwithstanding that, the Indian economy registered good economic growth as the government focused on development through reforms. With the macro economy showing early signs of pick-up and the Met department predicting an ‘above normal’ monsoon, fiscal 2017 has already started on an optimistic note. So far as the DTH industry is concerned a strong agrarian economy, further supported by government initiatives like 100% village electrification,  and prospering urban areas, with 24×7 power supply, shall certainly ensure growth for the industry going forward.”

    Talking about subscriber additions during the quarter, Goel, said, “We had a well-defined plan in place to target these markets. Our campaign ‘Set-Top-Box Matlab Dish TV’ had the desired impact while the specially designed sports packs ensured that sports fans didn’t go elsewhere during the cricket season. Higher investments behind the brand not only ensured higher brand scores but a stronger brand recall as well. To further strengthen our connect with the customer, we upgraded our existing service infrastructure and enhanced distribution in areas that were not up to the mark. Thus covering newer territories.”

    Talking about the fourth quarter results, Goel said, “Healthy subscriber additions and a higher ARPU improved the subscription revenues by 12.6 percent over the corresponding quarter last fiscal. EBITDA of Rs. 260.8 crore recorded an 18.1 percent jump over the corresponding quarter. Net Profit for the quarter was Rs. 482.8 crore as against Rs. 34.9 crore in the fourth quarter last fiscal. The resultant free cash flow was Rs. 104.7 crore. Churn for the quarter remained steady at 0.7 percent per month.”

    The company also added 8 new channels to its platform during the month of April 2016 taking its total offering size to more than 525 channels and  services. To further enhance the digital TV experience for subscribers and build an affordable and fast deployment model for itself, Dish TV
    selected Wyplay’s Frog as the Middleware for its next generation Set-Top-Boxes. Wyplay is an HTML5 browser based system and incorporates all features required for traditional linear broadcast TV consumption, on-demand content and applications distributed over the internet.

    Talking about these developments, Goel said, “We had our share of ups and downs during the year, but I am glad that we came out as winners at the end of it all. The fast paced dynamism of technological, regulatory and industrial developments kept us productively occupied and brought the best out of us.  We are in tune with the environmental shift around us and are motivated to be ahead of the curve as complex changes take place.”

     

     

  • Dish TV records 11.2% revenue growth for Q1-2014; higher Arpu’s, lower losses

    Dish TV records 11.2% revenue growth for Q1-2014; higher Arpu’s, lower losses

    BENGALURU: India’s largest DTH services provider Dish TV India Limited (Dish TV) reported first quarter fiscal 2014 standalone operating revenues of Rs 578.4 crore, recording 11.2 per cent growth over the Rs 519.95 crore operating revenues it clocked during Q1-2013. Also, its Q1-2014 standalone revenues were higher by 4.1 per cent than the Rs 555.4 crore the company reported for Q4-2013.

     

    Let’s take a look at the other figures for Q1-2014

     

    EBITDA of Rs 121.7 crore was lower by around 22 per cent for Q1-2014 as against EBITDA of Rs 156.6 crore the DTH provider reported for Q1-2013. EBITDA margin for Q1-2014 stood at 21 per cent. It had reported a 29.9 per cent margin for Q1-2013. However, Dish TV’s net loss was down to Rs 30.4 crore as compared to Rs 32.3 crore in the corresponding quarter last fiscal (Q1-2013) and Rs 43.6 crore in the previous quarter (Q4-2013).

     

    Dish TV’s primary expenses include cost of goods and services, personnel cost, administrative cost, advertisement expenses and selling expenses. Expenditure at Rs 456.7 crore was significantly higher by around 25 per cent than the Rs 364.4 crore the company reported for Q1-2013 and 4.9 per cent more than the Rs 435.4 crore it had reported for the previous quarter (Q4-2013).

     

    Dish TV’s advertising expenses for Q1-2014 at Rs 30.7 crore (which were 5.7 per cent of revenues of Q1-2104) were more than double (127.4 per cent higher) the Rs 13.5 crore during Q1-2013, and 84.9 per cent higher than Rs 16.6 crore during Q4-2013. It’s selling and distribution expenses during Q1-2014 at Rs 59.3 crore were also higher by 14.9 per cent than the Rs 51.6 crore during Q1-2013 and 2.9 per cent more than the Rs 57.6 crore in Q4-2103.

     

    Dish TV saw a gain of around two lakh in net number of subscriptions during Q1-2014. It had added 5.04 lakh subscriptions during Q1-2013. Subscription revenues for Q1-2014 were up 15.9 per cent at Rs 528 crore as compared to Rs 455.6 crore during Q1-2013 and higher by 5.6 per cent than the subscription revenues in Q4-2013.

     

    ARPU for the quarter increased 5.1 per cent to Rs 165 resulting in a 15.9 per cent y-o-y increase in subscription revenues. Dish TV reported a free cash flow of Rs 48.4 crore for Q1-2014 as compared with Rs 22 crore in Q4-2014 and Rs 65 crore for FY-2013.

     

    Dish TV chairman Subhash Chandra said, “In an ever changing world, the Indian media industry is keeping pace. Digitisation, which happens to be the most talked about, has still a lot to achieve even in the digitized towns and cities. Though it is comforting to see the evolution towards a transparent distribution environment, the distribution industry needs to act fast to leverage the opportunity to weed out the long standing inefficiencies in the system.”

     

    “Too much focus on box seeding has diluted the addressability part of the digitisation mandate. In such a scenario, Dish TV’s focus on quality additions is a counter-intuitive move which has started delivering encouraging results. The first quarter saw the company deliver strong free cash flows while maintaining healthy customer retention and investing in brand equity,” added Chandra.

     

    Dish TV managing director Jawahar Goel said, “In line with our expectations, pack price hikes and improved subscriber quality in the recent months resulted in a strengthened ARPU. On the expenses front, higher investment in marketing, brand building and seasonal sports driven content along with the impact of a weak rupee on dollar denominated costs, resulted in a sequentially flat EBITDA margin.”

     

    “We remain committed to add quality subscribers who would be value accretive to the business. Our successful initiation of a series of entry level price hikes, even in a not so perfect macro environment, demonstrate our pricing power and resolve to eliminate subsidies in the medium term. At the same time, we continue to expand our distribution network and consider ourselves amongst the best placed to reach out to customers who fit the bill. We are also making strong progress towards lining up additional transponder capacity to beef up our existing, industry leading bandwidth. We intend to leverage the additional capacity for distributing localised content as well as strengthen carriage revenues,” said Goel.

     

    Commenting on the persistent weakness in the rupee and its impact on the financials, Goel said, “A flagging rupee has been an industry wide concern since some time now. To contain further widening of gap between the cost of the consumer premises equipment (CPE) and amount realized from the customer due to rupee depreciation, Dish TV initiated an acquisition price hike of Rs 250 on 4th July. Sensing the need, other players in the DTH industry followed suit within the next few days.”

     

    “We are evaluating possibilities for improvement in hardware economics of CPE sourced from India, given a depreciating rupee. We have also been considering options with our overseas suppliers to commence production at a base in India,” he added.

     

    Talking about Dish TV’s overseas ventures, Goel confirmed, “Work on Dish TV Lanka (Pvt.) Limited, the company’s subsidiary, is progressing as per plan. Since it is going to be a zero subsidy model, it makes us all the more excited about the expansion.”

     

    With a sustained focus on strengthening the balance sheet, Dish TV says that it looks forward to retiring a significant portion of its outstanding debt. The company claims that it is well positioned, through its internal accruals, to repay approximately Rs 750 crore outstanding debt through the current fiscal.