ITV

Tag: Dish TV

  • Zeel provisions for outstanding Siti Networks dues

    Zeel provisions for outstanding Siti Networks dues

    KOLKATA: The outstandings of Siti Networks and Dish TV has been one of the major concerns for Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (Zeel). While the DTH platform Dish TV is making payments on the line of the revised plan for recovering dues, Siti Networks has failed to play old subscription overdues.

    During the Q2 earnings call of ZeeL, MD & CEO Punit Goenka said that the company has collected the receivables related to revenues in the first half of FY 21 from the cable network. But it has failed to pay subscription overdue in accordance with payment plan agreed earlier due to various challenges including Covid2019, the pressure to prioritise lender’s payments, Goenka added.

    As Siti Networks has made payment for all content delivered during April-September, this cash and carry model will be continued going forward. But as it has failed to pay old outstandings, ZeeL has taken a provision of Rs 81.2 crore towards subscription receivable which was overdue. Goenka emphasised that the company has not written off any debt and it would make all endeavours to recover the dues.

    “Further on account of accelerated payment grievance by some of the lenders due to delay in restructuring by Siti Networks and their failure to negotiate extended repayment plans, the company has provided for extra liability of Rs 97 crore as of 30 September 2020. The provisions have been taken as a provisional  measure and company will take necessary efforts s to recover this due,” Goenka commented.

    On the other hand, Dish TV has been able to cope up with the new payment plan as its financial position has improved. The DTH operator is paying its monthly billing along with clearing a part of its arrears. Currently, Dish TV’s outstanding stands at Rs 4. 98 bn compared to Rs 5.84 bn at end of FY 20. Moreover, Goenka stated the company expects that Dish TV will accelerate payments leading to reduced arrears.

  • Active DTH subscribers reach 70.26 million, Tata Sky solidifies its lead

    Active DTH subscribers reach 70.26 million, Tata Sky solidifies its lead

    KOLKATA: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) today released ‘The Indian Telecom Services Performance Indicators’ data for the January- March’20 quarter. Sustaining its growth pace for three quarters in a row, Tata Sky has solidified its lead yet again in the DTH and Pay TV category clocking in a market share of 32.33 per cent and a growth of 2.1 per cent in the quarter ending March’20. 

    According to the report, the Indian DTH service has displayed phenomenal growth since its launch in 2003. The total number of active subscribers with pay DTH operators (Tata Sky, Airtel, Dish TV, Sun Direct) in India in the quarter ending March 20 is 70.26 million. This is in addition to the Tata subscribers of DTH Free Dish (free DTH services of Doordarshan).

    Read more coverage on India’s DTH sector:

    A Tata Sky spokesperson commented on the report, “The TRAI report shows that Tata Sky has been consistently gaining market share and subscribers at a pace that is faster than any other platform. We believe this can be attributed to our customer centric outlook. The overall increase in DTH subscribers is also a great sign for the M&E sector.”

    Among other players, Tata sky’s close competitor Dish TV-D2H’s combine market share fell from 31.23 per cent in the quarter ending September 2019 to 29.49 per cent in March 2020. Airtel Digital TV and Sun Direct has seen slight growth in the same period.

  • Dish TV to push 50% STB manufacturing in India

    Dish TV to push 50% STB manufacturing in India

    KOLKATA: Dish TV India Ltd announced the manufacturing of its set-top boxes in India. Demonstrating its commitment to the government’s ‘Make in India’ vision, Dish TV India has shifted the production of its set-top boxes to India, adopting a ‘vocal for local’ strategy. The first consignment of made in India set-top boxes is ready and being shipped to the market. The company offers DTH services across the country and operates Dish TV, D2H, and Zing brands in this segment, besides its rapidly growing OTT service brand Watcho.

    Being the pioneer and technology leader in the DTH segment, Dish TV India plans to shift almost 50 per cent of its production to India by the Q1 of 2021 while simultaneously benefitting its business and customers. The process will further intensify in the coming months, as the company is planning to also start the manufacturing of the major components of the set-top box and its accessories in India, further boosting its commitment to ‘vocal for local’. Dish TV India plans to make the STB cabinet in India soon, has already started procuring the power adaptor from Indian manufacturers, and is in the advanced stage of talks with remote control manufacturers to produce the remote controls also in India.

    Elaborating Dish TV India’s ‘Make in India’ plan, Dish TV India chairman and managing director Jawahar Goel said, “We are thrilled to join the government of India’s ‘Make in India’ initiative and localize the manufacturing of set-top boxes and other key accessories in India only. This announcement reiterates our pioneering position within the DTH industry as we aim to further expand our business operations and develop products that match the intrinsic needs of our customers.  With the vision of ‘Make in India we reiterate our commitment to producing quality products and are confident that we can achieve several industry firsts. We thank the Government of India for all their support and favorable policies.”

    By shifting the production to India, the company looks at scaling manufacturing in the country and ways to enable industry revival. This will further assist them to streamline the supply chain, operations, and management. 

    Sharing the optimism, Dish TV India executive director and group CEO Anil Dua added, “Making our own STBs and accessories in India could not have come at a better time. Customer needs are evolving rapidly. As we refresh our STB range with a new set of connected devices and hybrid options, working with local design, development and production are definitely going to be a competitive edge for our business.”

    Innovation is at the heart of the Dish TV operations; the company is credited with many firsts in the industry. Launched the first DTH service in the country, Live TV for moving vehicle- DishOnwheels, High- Definition services, Unlimited recording facility in STB, Live TV in luxury trains, Online TV for DTH viewers- DishOnline, Sub-brand for the regional markets- Zing, Home Video System- DishFlix to name a few. More recently, Dish TV India is also the first to launch a voice-enabled (Alexa powered) Smart and Magic range of technologically advanced products and the first DTH company to launch its own OTT platform, Watcho.

  • Watcho revamps its user-generated content offering; launches Watcho Swag

    Watcho revamps its user-generated content offering; launches Watcho Swag

    KOLKATA: Dish TV India’s OTT platform, Watcho, the home-grown online video streaming app has gained immense popularity in the country through its fresh short format content and its overall bouquet of offerings. Watcho has been enthralling the viewers with exclusive or original shows, linear TV and user-generated content. And now the platform has taken a step ahead by revamping its user-generated content offering and has relaunched it as Watcho Swag.

    Watcho is one of the industry’s firsts to have identified the huge talent pool of creators in India. It provides a unique platform for creators to produce quality content in multiple formats – short to very short videos and short films. Watcho Swag helps these creators to grow their fan base and get gratifications. Earlier on, the brand had collaborated with top-level higher educational institutes to provide a creative platform to young students. It helped these budding filmmakers get exposure to not only a large audience but also gave momentum to Watcho in the user-generated content ecosystem.

    The newly revamped offering now positions Watcho Swag as a complete TalentHub for these budding creators. Watcho Swag runs weekly contests across genres like singing, dancing, gardening, acting, reading, cooking, etc. In addition, the best-selected entry can also get a chance to feature in Watcho Originals.  

    Commenting on the new service, Dish TV India Ltd executive director and group CEO Anil Dua said, “We are delighted to launch 'Watcho Swag' as we continue to upgrade the offerings of Watcho to increase customer engagement and meet their demands. With a mission to uncover hidden young talent, Watcho Swag allows the users to create and showcase content on this unique platform which offers them exposure to our large existing base. Watcho Swag will not only promote creative minds who post their content on Watcho Swag but also gratify them with rewards and bigger opportunities.”   

  • DishTV and D2H expand regional HD content portfolio, add 6 new HD channels

    DishTV and D2H expand regional HD content portfolio, add 6 new HD channels

    KOLKATA: Expanding its portfolio of regional language channels, Dish TV India Limited, India’s leading DTH Company, has announced the addition of six new HD channels to its DishTV and D2H platforms. With this, the company aims to provide unparalleled entertainment to the customers in the southern region in their preferred language and enhance the high-definition television viewing experience of users across regions. 

    The range of newly launched high definition channels includes ZEE Tamil HD, ZEE Telugu HD, ZEE Cinemalu HD, ZEE Keralam HD, ZEE Kannada HD, and &PRIVE HD for users of both DishTV and D2H. With the addition of these channels, the company aims to strengthen its HD content for its core regional consumers in the south market.  

    Commenting on the new HD channel additions, Corporate Head – Marketing, D2H, Dish TV India Limited corporate head- marketing Sugato Banerji said, “We are witnessing a burgeoning trend for high definition TV’s in the living rooms, as an ideal choice of consumers. This trend is now percolating down the population strata and across linguistic zones, especially in the Southern region. Hence, we are delighted to bring these six new HD channels on both our platforms, five of which are especially for our south subscribers.”

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  • DishTV strengthens its presence in Kerala Market

    DishTV strengthens its presence in Kerala Market

    KOLKATA: Dish TV India Limited, India’s leading DTH Company is set to add cheer to the festive season with a slew of attractive offers and packages as it joins the Onam celebrations in Kerala. Keeping in line with its commitment to provide best in class entertainment choices to its new and existing customer, DishTV has introduced new channels, packs, and acquisition offers along with exciting recharge offers at attractive prices to its customers.      

    Catering to the need of customers, the new packages offered by DishTV have been devised keeping in mind the diverse choice of content across various segments. As part of the offer, two new special packs have been launched, basis the language preferred by the customers. The new recharge packs include Joy Malayalam Tamil HD; comprising all popular Malayalam channels with Popular Tamil channels and also include three discovery channels; Animal Planet HD, Discovery HD and TLC HD and Premiere Jumbo HD; comprising all Malayalam with popular English movies, news, sports, infotainment channels.     

    Commenting on the festive offers, Marketing, Dish TV and Watcho corporate head-marketing Sukhpreet Singh said, “We would like to thank the people of Kerala for their continuous support throughout the year and Onam is an opportune time for us to show our gratitude. We intend to make this festive season special for everyone by providing many exciting offers and packages for our DishTV customers. We recognize the ever-evolving aspirations of Keralites and are happy to offer services focused on delivering maximum choice and entertainment benefit to our customers. Kerala is an important market for Dish TV India and we are confident that Onam special offers and packages will bring new customers and growth in this market.”     

    In addition to this, the company has introduced offers based on the need for multi-lingual content consumption for new as well as existing subscribers and has strengthened its content portfolio in Kerala by adding channels like Zee Keralam HD, & Prive HD and many more south region channels. It also added Kite Victers, an educational channel for students, devoted to broadcasting high-quality education programs and infotainment content in Malayalam. To further encourage existing subscribers, special long term schemes have been announced, wherein subscribers can avail one month extra on payment of six months.    

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  • Dish TV reports higher op profit for FY 2020 and Q4 2020

    Dish TV reports higher op profit for FY 2020 and Q4 2020

    BENGALURU: Indian DTH major Dish TV India Ltd (Dish TV) reported 30.9 percent year-over-year (y-o-y) growth in consolidated operating profit (EBITDA) for the quarter ended 31 March 2020 (Q4-2020, quarter under review) as compared to the corresponding year ago quarter. Consolidated EBITDA for the year ended 31 March 2020 (FY 2020) was 3 percent higher than the previous year (FY 2019).

    Dish TV reported operating revenue of Rs 3,556.34 crore for the year under review. For FY 2019, Dish TV had reported operating revenue of Rs 6,166.13 crore and programming and other costs of Rs 2,278.83 crore. Hence Dish TV’s adjusted operating revenue (operating revenue minus programming costs) works out to Rs 3,887,30 crore. With programming cost becoming a pass-through item in the new tariff regime, subscription and operating revenues for the quarter and fiscal are not comparable with the corresponding period last year says the company in its FY 2020 and Q4 2020 earnings release. For FY 2020 and FY 2019, consolidated operating EBITDA numbers were Rs 2,105.97 crore (59.2 percent of operating revenue) and Rs 2,044.27 crore (33.2 percent of operating revenue and 52.6 percent of adjusted operating revenue) respectively.

    Dish TV reported operating revenue of Rs 869.06 crore for Q4 2020 and Rs 1,398.75 crore for Q4 2019.  Dish TV ‘s consolidated EBIDTA for Q4 2020 and Q4 2019 was Rs 543.22 crore (62.5 percent of operating revenue) and Rs 414.97 crore (29.7 percent of operating revenue) respectively.

    Profit before tax and exceptional items for FY 2020 was Rs 128.15 crore and for FY 2019 profit before tax and exceptional items was Rs 26.85 crore. For Q4 2020 PBT without exceptional items was Rs 55.53 crore, while Dish TV had reported a loss before tax and exceptional items of Rs 82.34 crore for Q4 2019.

    The company has reported exceptional items for FY 2020 in the standalone financial results which included (a). Impairment of goodwill: R. 1,91,5.50 crore (FY 2019 – Rs 1,543 crore) and (b). Impairment of loans/advances to Dish TV Lanka Pvt Ltd (a subsidiary Company): Rs 3.66 crore (net) (FY 2019 – Rs 141.99 crore). Dish TV says that the goodwill acquired pursuant to merger of the company with the erstwhile Videocon d2H Ltd is periodically tested for impairment to ensure that it is carried at no more than its recoverable amount.

    Due to these exceptional items, Dish TV reported a loss of Rs 1.654.84 crore for FY 2020 and a loss of Rs 1,163.41 crore for FY 2019. Losses due to exceptional items in Q4 2020 and Q4 2019 were Rs 1,456.25 crore and Rs 1,361.30 crore respectively.

    Let us look at the other numbers reported by Dish TV for FY 2020 and Q4 2020

    For FY 2020, total expenditure was Rs 3,441.80 crore. The major expenses in FY 2020 were operating expenses of Rs 787.30 crore; employee benefits expense of Rs 193.11 crore; finance costs of Rs 565.22 crore and other expenses of Rs 466.51 crore.

    For Q4 2020, total expenditure was Rs 816.49 crore. The major expenses in Q4 2020 were operating expenses of Rs 172.10 crore; employee benefits expense of Rs 58.13 crore; Finance costs of Rs 143.30 crore and other expenses of Rs 95.32 crore.

    Though y-o-y, finance costs in Q4 2020 were down 2.9 percent as compared to Rs 147.62 crore in Q4 2019, they were up 4.7 percent higher quarter-on-quarter (q-o-q) as compared to Rs 136.91 crore in the immediate trailing quarter Q3 2020. Dish TV said in its earnings release for FY 2020 and Q4 2020 that it has paid balance of the overdue loan amount of Rs. 250 crore during the quarter. The company paid Rs. 445.90 crore in total during the quarter thus reducing its overall debt to Rs. 1817.50 crore at the end of fiscal 2020 as compared to Rs. 2769.50 crore at the close of fiscal 2019.

    Company Speak

    Dish TV group CEO Anil Dua said, “Though our revenues were positively impacted

    by the higher number of win backs and recharges during the initial days of the lockdown, we could not be complacent during such trying times and went all out to scan every cost-centre for greater operational efficiencies. Our all-time high EBITDA and EBITDA margin recorded during the quarter was a result of operational resilience demonstrated by the business.”

  • Dish TV India partners with HoichoI, introduces Bengali viewing content on both its platforms

    Dish TV India partners with HoichoI, introduces Bengali viewing content on both its platforms

    KOLKATA: Expanding its content library to enthrall its customers, Dish TV India Limited, India’s leading DTH Company has announced its partnership with Hoichoi, a leading Bengali on-demand video and music-streaming platform that streams content worldwide. With this strategic association with Hoichoi, Dish TV India has further strengthened its portfolio by adding one more app in the app zone on its Android-based connected devices, namely Dish SMRT Hub and D2H stream for its DishTV and D2H users respectively. Users will now be able to stream an exciting slate of popular and exclusive Bengali language content, Hoichoi Originals, TV shows, Music Videos and Movies. DishTV and D2H already offer the most popular apps including its streaming app ‘Watcho’.
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    The new addition on Dish SMRT Hub and D2H stream, hoichoi, boasts deep diverse catalogue with over 2000+ hours of viewing content, which includes popular Original Series like Hello Seasons 1 & 2, Byomkesh all five seasons, Shobdo Jobdo, Montu Pilot, Rahasya Romancha Series 2, Bonyo Premer Golpo, the recently streamed Tansener Tanpura among others; Classics of Satyajit Ray, Uttam Kumar-Suchitra Sen, Ritwik Ghatak; Blockbuster Films like Gumnaami, Dwitiyo Purush, Konttho, National Award-winning films like Kedara, Nagarkirtan and many more. Delivering best in class content across genres, the application will cater to the different content expectations of the customers and will keep them enthralled.

    Speaking about the association, Dish TV India Limited executive director and group CEO Anil Dua said, “At a time when everyone is spending more time with their television sets, we want to ensure that people get to enjoy a whole range of entertainment shows and movies together with their families. Catering to the growing audience appetite for entertainment in their native language, we are delighted to collaborate with Hoichoi to offer premium viewing content for our Bengali customers on both our DishTV and D2H platforms. We will continue to enhance the content offering on our hybrid set up box through more such partnerships.”

    On this partnership, Hoichoi co-founder Vishnu Mohta commented, “In such unprecedented times, we should do our bit to encourage our audiences to stay at home. With the increased demand of watching content, be it movies or series, this promising partnership with Dish TV India will help us cater and reach out to a larger audience base. Our consumers will now be able to view their content of choice from the vast library of Hoichoi, on both the popular DishTV and D2H platforms.”

    In addition to Hoichoi, the Android box offers a host of features including built-in Google Assistant, Chromecast, Google Play and access to all popular featured OTT platforms like YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, Zee5, Watcho, Voot, ALTBalaji and many more. Coupled with the ease of using voice commands via Google Assistant, the Android-based set-top box is compatible with any television set. ‘Dish SMRT Hub’ and ‘D2H stream’ are internet-enabled Android-based HD Set Top Box, available at Rs 3,999 for new subscribers and Rs 2,499 for existing subscribers.

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  • Eros Now Partners with Dish TV India

    Eros Now Partners with Dish TV India

    KOLKATA:Eros Now today announced its partnership with Dish TV, the leading direct-to-home (DTH) offering the best of online entertainment. As part of the association, Dish TV & D2H users can access Eros Now's massive content library including 12,000 plus movie titles, original shows, short-format content Quickie, music through their android set-top boxes – Dish SMRT Hub & D2H Stream, respectively.

    Online content consumption is increasing rapidly as consumers access streaming services from their home. This partnership further deepens Eros Now's reach by providing seamless access to Dish TV India's vast number of consumers in the country. DishTVAND D2H users can avail free access to Eros Now on the first month's subscription after which users can pay as per their subscription plans. The inclusion of Eros Now in DishTV and D2H set-top box, SMRT Stick and SMRT Kit with Alexa services enhances consumers' streaming experience.

    Dish SMRT Hub’ and ‘d2h stream’ are internet-based Android-based HD Set Top Boxes and offer a host of features including built-in Google Assistant, Chromecast, Google Play and access to all popular apps. Coupled with the ease of using voice commands via Google Assistant, these Android-based set-top boxes are compatible with any television set and available for Rs 3,999 for new subscribers and Rs 2,499 for existing subscribers.

    Commenting on the partnership, Eros Now  CEO Ali Hussein said, "Eros Now has a vast movie catalogue that features cult classics to modern, new-age films. The massive content library offers high-quality experience to the consumers who can consume the content from their homes on smart TVs, at their convenience. This transformation of OTT consumption moving from personal, private devices to television sets in the living room, is a growing trend with movies and other long-format content being consumed on large screens. Eros Now's endeavour has always been to present the best of online streaming content and provide seamless access to consumers across markets as well as different mediums. The association with Dish TV's innovative services keeps its vast consumer base glued to the television sets with the inclusion of Eros Now's content that offers premium OTT experience."

    Commenting on the association, Executive Director and Group CEO, Dish TV India Ltd executive director and group CEO Anil Dua said, “In our endeavour to provide the best of both the linear and online entertainment options, we have recently introduced a whole range of connected devices including Android STB’s and streaming sticks. We are happy to partner with Eros Now and this partnership will enable our customers to have access to their vast online content library across both our Dish and D2H platforms. Dish TV India is committed to delivering the best TV viewing experience while offering unique content options to its customers and this partnership is another step in the same direction.”

    In addition to Android STBs, Eros Now is also available on Dish SMRT Stick & SMRT Kit and will be soon available on D2H magic & D2h Magic Voice-Enabled.

  • Dish TV India’s Watcho premiers new series It’s My Pleasure

    Dish TV India’s Watcho premiers new series It’s My Pleasure

    MUMBAI: Finding new ways to add fun and humor to lives, Dish TV India Limited, India’s leading DTH Company premiered a new web series on its OTT platform Watcho titled It’s My Pleasure. Conceptualized by Bhavya Attrey and produced by Filmycurry, the seven-episode drama series is a light-hearted attempt to look at the consequences of the situation when you want to pursue your dream startup. 

    The series revolves around the life of a young man named Raman who works for an MNC and is juggling between his work-life and desires to dive into the ‘start-up’ world with an unconventional business idea of ‘adult toys’ which challenges the convention of ‘acceptable and respectable’ business. Bold comic and thought-provoking at the same time the show features talented star cast like Keshav Sadana, Sadika Sayal, Anushka Sharma, Lavina, Manoj Bakshi, Saif Ansari, the series is a perfect blend of drama and emotions. Directed by Harkirat S Sandhu and written by Reena Kamath, the series showcases the life of a budding entrepreneur and the challenges he faces within family and society for his audacious idea of a startup selling ‘adult toys’.

    Commenting on the launch of new series, Dish TV India Ltd marketing corporate head Sukhpreet Singh said, “At Watcho, we are determined to offer our subscribers fresh and engaging content across genres in multiple categories. We are continuously investing our time and effort to bring out the daily dosage of entertainment in the most delightful way. To further revolutionize the viewing experience and engage with the audience, we have launched new series for our viewers, which deals with a sensitive and bold subject in a tasteful, emotional, funny, and extremely real manner. The characters in this series are hilarious and we can’t wait for our audience to enjoy it.” 

    Focused on short format storytelling suitable for digital consumption, Watcho offers many more original web series like 4 Thieves, Dark Destination, Love Crisis, Ardhasatya, The Senti Mentals, Chhoriyan, Rakhta Chandana and original influencer shows like Look I can Cook, Bikhare Hain Alfaaz to name a few. Watcho content cuts across all genres including but not limited to; Drama, Comedy, Thriller, Romance, Food, Fashion, and Poetry.