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Tag: Jagdish Kumar

  • FY-2015: Hathway revenue up 15.7%; cable subscription revenue up 44%

    FY-2015: Hathway revenue up 15.7%; cable subscription revenue up 44%

    BENGALURU: Indian multi system operator (MSO) Hathway Cable and Datacom Limited reported 15.7 per cent growth in consolidated Total Income from Operations (TIO) in FY-2015 (year ended 31 March, 2015, current year) to Rs 1830.60 from Rs 1583.25 crore in FY-2014.

     

    The company has reported 44 per cent growth in consolidated cable subscription revenue in FY-2015 at Rs 840.3 crore. Standalone TIO grew four per cent to Rs 1023.5 crore in the current year. Standalone cable subscription revenue increased 32 per cent to Rs 441.7 crore in FY-2015.

     

    Note: 100,00,000 = 100 lakh = 10 million = 1 crore

     

    Hathway’s consolidated subscription and broadband revenue grew 47 per cent to Rs 247.5 crore, while standalone subscription and broadband revenue increased 37 per cent to Rs 196 crore in FY-2015. Consolidated placement revenue grew nine per cent to Rs 626.9 crore, while standalone placement revenue remained flat at Rs 319 crore in FY-2015. The company’s consolidated and standalone revenues declined by 50 per cent to Rs 82.4 crore and by 40 per cent to Rs 44 crore respectively in FY-2015.

     

    The company has seeded 4.3 lakh set-top-boxes (STBs) in FY-2015, taking its total digital subscribers to 85 lakh.

     

    Let us look at the other numbers posted by Hathway:

     

    FY-2015 consolidated and standalone numbers

     

    Hathway’s consolidated Total Expenditure (TE) in FY-2015 increased 21 per cent to Rs 1903.38 crore (103.9 per cent of TIO) from Rs 1572.75 crore in FY-2015. Standalone TE increased 11.2 per cent to Rs 1110.43 crore (108.6 per cent of TIO) in FY-2015 as compared to the Rs 998.84 crore (101.9 per cent of TIO) in FY-2015.

     

    Hathway’s consolidated Pay Channel cost increased 22 per cent to Rs 813.13 crore (44.4 per cent of TIO) in FY-2015 from Rs 666.41 crore (54.1 per cent of TIO) in FY-2016. Standalone Pay Channel cost in FY-2015 increased 17.8 per cent to Rs 383.99 crore (37.5 per cent of TIO) as compared to the Rs 325.88 crore (33.2 per cent of TIO) in FY-2014.

     

    The company reported 16 per cent drop in consolidated EBIDTA to Rs 259.9 crore and a 27 per cent drop in EBIDTA to Rs 139.4 crore in FY-2015 as compared to the previous year.

     

    Consolidated loss in FY-2015 increased to Rs 180.45 crore as compared to the Rs 111.11 crore in FY-2014, while standalone loss in FY-2015 increased to Rs 175.22 crore from Rs 125.25 crore in FY-2014.

     

    Consolidated average revenue per user (ARPU) in Phase I cities is Rs 100, while in Phase II cities it was Rs 67. Broadband ARPU increased to Rs 540, with Docsis 3 ARPU reaching Rs 750.

     

    Q4-2015 standalone numbers

     

    Hathway’s standalone TIO in Q4-2015 declined 18.3 per cent to Rs 270.03 crore as compared to the Rs 292.72 crore in the corresponding year ago quarter but increased 12.9 per cent as compared to the Rs 239.15 crore in the immediate trailing quarter.

     

    Standalone TE in Q4-2015 at Rs 307.66 crore (113.9 per cent of TIO) was 1.9 per cent lower than the Rs 313.53 crore (107.1 per cent of TIO) in Q4-2014 but 12.1 per cent more than the Rs 274.39 crore (114.7 per cent of TIO) in Q3-2015.

     

    Standalone Pay Channel cost in Q4-201t at Rs 107.34 crore (39.8 per cent of TIO) was seven per cent lower than the Rs 115.41 crore (39.4 per cent of TIO) in Q4-2014 but 14.1 per cent more than the Rs 94.04 crore (39.3 per cent of TIO) in Q3-2015.

     

    Hathway reported higher standalone loss of Rs 58.05 crore in Q4-2015 as compared to the loss of Rs 49.27 crore in Q4-2014 and loss of Rs 39.26 crore in Q3-2015.

  • Hathway’s Jagdish Kumar bags Outstanding CEO of the Year (MSO) award

    Hathway’s Jagdish Kumar bags Outstanding CEO of the Year (MSO) award

    MUMBAI: Hathway Cable and Datacom managing director and CEO Jagdish Kumar was awarded the ‘Most Outstanding CEO of the Year (MSO)’ at the 6th edition of BCS Ratna Awards 2015 organized by Aavishkar media group on 19 March, 2015 at the Kingdom of Dreams in Gurgaon. The awards saw a gathering of eminent personalities from the cable, satellite and broadcasting industry. 

     

    He was recognized for leading Hathway through the critical digitization phase of the cable TV industry by successfully implementing Phase I and II of digitization, building a robust broadband business and pushing the envelope by rolling-out the packaging model, which is the next reality of the digital cable TV industry.

     

    Under his leadership, Hathway has attained leadership position in the digital cable TV market, gearing up for Phase III and IV of digitization and steering the company’s strong business portfolio including HD and broadband towards profitability.  

     

    Hathway was also conferred with the ‘Best MSO of the Year’ and the ‘Most Outstanding MSO Broadband Service Provider’ for its efforts in taking the digitization mandate forward aggressively and offering broadband services with unique features to its customer base, respectively.

     

    On this recognition by the industry, Kumar stated, “This award is for the excellent team at Hathway, which is one of the best in the industry. It’s a privilege and honor for me to lead this dedicated team, which has made Hathway, the leading digital cable and broadband services company in the country.”

     

    Instituted in the year 2010 and organized  annually by Aavishkar Media Group, one of the forerunner groups in the Indian Broadcasting & CATV Industry since  25 years, BCS Ratna  awards is one of India’s Biggest Awards on Broadcasting, Cable TV, DTH, New Technology, Distribution & Digital Media Industry and is judged by an esteemed panel of experts from across the media fraternity.

  • Hathway launches HD personal video recorder

    Hathway launches HD personal video recorder

    MUMBAI:   The cable and broadband service provider, Hathway, has launched a high definition personal video recorder. Hathway is the first national MSO to launch a HD PVR.

     

    The Hathway HD PVR has several features that will enhance the TV viewing experience of Hathway customers:

    •     Dedicated Search button on the remote to search content by keying in search words, like actors name, sporting events etc. A first in the country.

    •     Pause LIVE TV

    •     Rewind LIVE TV

    •     Planned Recording

    –    Schedule recording of your favourite programs

    –    Series recording possible

    –    Record upto two different programs while watching the third.

    •     1080i Resolution HD video out supported

    •     7.1 Dolby Digital Plus supported

    •     500 GB disk storage to record upto 625 hours of content

     

    The HD PVR is being launched at a special introductory price of Rs 7999 with one month complimentary viewing for all SD and HD package channels.  Options with six months and one year packages are also available at attractive prices.

     

    Hathway Cable & Datacom MD and CEO Jagdish Kumar said, “The launch of the HD PVR is yet another milestone for the cable industry. The TV viewing habits of customers are continuously evolving. Given the hectic lifestyle of consumers today our HD PVR gives them total control over their TV viewing experience through features like ‘Search’, ‘Pause and Rewind LIVE TV’ and ‘Record program or Series’. Hathway’s mission is to provide an incomparable world class TV viewing experience to every Indian customer.”

     

    Marketing and business development EVP Kunal Ramteke added, “With the advent of the holiday season the “Record” feature will ensure  customers don’t miss out on their favourite TV programs even when they are off on vacation. The Hathway HD PVR is the first in the country with the powerful Cisco Evo 12 EPG, not deployed by any MSO or DTH player and showcases our commitment to provide cutting edge global features for digital television in India.”

  • Hathway reports 19.6 per cent y-o-y revenue growth, lower loss in Q2-2015

    Hathway reports 19.6 per cent y-o-y revenue growth, lower loss in Q2-2015

    BENGALURU: Indian multi system operator (MSO) Hathway Cable and Datacom Limited (Hathway) reported 5.3 per cent growth in Q2-2015 with total Income from Operations (TIO) of Rs 263.51 crore versus the Rs 250.22 crore in Q1-2015 and 19.6 per cent more than the Rs 220.28 crore in Q2-2014. HY-2015 TIO at Rs 513.73 crore was 11.9 per cent more than the Rs 459.23 crore in HY-2014.

     
    The company reported loss of Rs 39.26 crore in Q2-2015, as compared to the loss of Rs 0.927 crore in the immediate trailing quarter. The current quarter’s loss was lower than the loss of Rs 44.45 crore for Q2-2014. The company’s HY-2015 (year to date) loss increased slightly to Rs 40.19 crore from Rs 39.13 crore in HY-2014.

     
    Note: 100,00,000 = 100 lakh = 10 million = 1 crore

     
    Hathway’s EBIDTA calculated based on the figures submitted by the company in Q2-2015 fell 8.8 per cent to Rs 40.03 crore (15.2 per cent of TIO) from Rs 43.87 crore (17.5 per cent of TIO) in Q1-2015 and was 4.2 per cent more than the Rs 38.41 crore (17.4 per cent of TIO) in Q2-2014. EBIDTA for HY-2015 fell 30.6 per cent to Rs 83.9 crore (16.3 per cent of TIO) from Rs 120.80 crore (26.3 per cent of TIO) in HY-2014.

     
    Let us look at the other figures reported by Hathway:

     
    Total Expenditure (TE) in Q2-2015 at Rs 274.27 crore (104.1 per cent of TIO) was 7.9 per cent more than the Rs 254.1 crore in Q1-2015 and was 17.6 per cent more than the Rs 233.19 crore in Q2-2014. HY-2015 TE at Rs 528.37 crore (102.9 per cent of TIO) was 22.5 per cent more than the Rs 431.29 crore in HY-2014.

     
    A major fraction of TE is the pay channel cost for Hathway. The company’s pay channel cost in Q2-2015 at Rs 96.81 crore (36.7 per cent of TIO) was 12.8 per cent more than the Rs 85.81 crore (34.3 per cent of TIO) in Q1-2015 and 41.7 per cent more than the Rs 68.30 crore (31 per cent of TIO) in Q2-2014. HY-2015 pay channel cost at Rs 182.61 crore (35.6 per cent of TIO) was 44.1 per cent more than the Rs 126.75 crore in HY-2014.

     
    The company reported 6.3 per cent higher depreciation and amortization expense (depreciation) in Q2-2015 at Rs 50.78 crore versus the Rs 47.75 crore in Q1-2015 and was 1.1 per cent lower than the Rs 51.32 crore in Q2-2014. Depreciation in HY-2015 at Rs 98.54 crore was 6.1 per cent more than the Rs 92.86 crore in HY-2014.

     Hathway’s finance cost in Q2-2015 at Rs 30.39 crore (11.5 per cent of TIO) was 4.2 per cent more than the Rs 29.17 crore (11.7 per cent of TIO) and was 28.2 per cent more than the Rs 23.71 crore (10.8 per cent of TIO) in Q2-2014. Finance cost for HY-2015 at Rs 59.56 crore (11.6 per cent of TIO) was 31.4 per cent more than the Rs 445.32 crore (9.9 per cent of TIO) in HY-2014.

     
    Employee Benefit Expense (EBE) in Q2-2015 was Rs 16.03 crore, for Q1-2014 it was 14.55 crore and for Q2-2014 it was Rs 14.58 crore.

     
    Hathway says that it is continuing aggressive plans to digitise its CATV customer base and has further seeded 250,000 boxes in the current quarter taking its digital subscriber base to 84 lakh and has seeded nearly 72 per cent of its subscriber base. It says that it has nearly 700,000 STB’s in stock.

     
    The company says that its content deals with the major broadcasters is in place now and it will use the stability in its content contracts to push for an increase in the ARPU realised from the markets it serves. While ARPU increase took a pause in current quarter, phase 1 ARPU remained close to Rs 90, while it was close to Rs 55 in the phase 2 areas.

    Hathway has informed BSE that the Board of Directors of the Company at its meeting held on 13 November 2014, inter alia, has considered and approved the Subdivision of face value of Equity Shares into Equity Shares of smaller amount than is fixed in the Memorandum of Association; i.e. to subdivide 1(One) equity share of Rs. 10/- each to 5 (Five) equity shares of Rs. 2/- each, subject to approval of shareholders.

     
    Click here to read the full financial report

     

    Click here to read the unaudited financial release

     

  • Hathway appoints Aidem ventures for ad sales

    Hathway appoints Aidem ventures for ad sales

    MUMBAI: One of India’s biggest multi system operators (MSOs), Hathway Cable & Datacom has appointed Aidem Ventures to reach out to the country’s marketing and advertising fraternity.

     

    It has launched high impact advertising solutions’ suite on its digital platform to reach out to a captive audience through its TV channels. Its ad capabilities include:

     

    1.       EPG Banner – appears when and as long as the electronic programme guide is on display

     

    2.       Programme banner – served up for 10 seconds every time the programme ID is displayed; hence appears each time a user lands on a destination channel

     

    3.       Boot and Boom – displayed on the boot up screen each time it is launched

     

    4.       Aston pop-up – displayed at the bottom of the screen when the user is in full screen video

     

    5.       Volume pop-up – appears on the screen each time one increases/decreases the volume

     

    6.       Advertisement on mute – displayed when and as long as the mute popup is displayed on the screen

     

    7.       Synopsis Banner – displayed when and as long as the synopsis banner is shown on the screen

     

    8.       DCA Banner – displayed when the digits to the destination channel are entered on the remote control

     

    9.       Co-branded solutions on their national TV channels viz Hathway Music – a non-stop 24 hours Hindi music channel, CCC Cine channel – a Hindi movie channel and Hathway Life – the best of National Geographic channel’s content managed by NGC broadcast team. These channels are available across all Hathway and Asianet platforms.

     

    10.    Channel partnership solutions on all Hathway channels

     

    Announcing the news, Hathway MD and CEO Jagdish Kumar said, “We are confident that once advertisers experience these ad capabilities, they will be back for more. We plan to roll out more ad products over the coming year, while ensuring that they offer great ROI to advertisers and build a long term partnership.  We are happy to partner Aidem in this journey in creating a market place for Hathway’s ad products and I am confident that they will be able to successfully bridge these partnerships.”

     

    Aidem Ventures director Vikas Khanchandani said, “The Hathway ad solutions suite provides clutter-free and exclusive space on TV. It is already emerging as a powerful media option in the hands of advertisers. It is great to see such a positive response in the market. We are very happy about our association with Hathway.

     

    Hathway has operations across 140 cities and towns with subscriber base for cable TV services of analogue and digital at 11.7 million homes. Hathway has been awarded the best MSO by the Indian Telly Awards for its quality services nine times in a row.

     

    “In spite of the proliferation of various screens, time spent with TV continues to dominate viewing. Advertisers are seeing a huge captive reach and SOV in the Hathway ad platform. They will benefit immensely by the number of organic and inorganic exposures that it delivers,” added Aidem Ventures Hindi entertainment and niche channels business head Nikhil Sheth.

  • Star India on watch as Hathway implements RIO TDSAT order

    Star India on watch as Hathway implements RIO TDSAT order

    MUMBAI: The seven month long battle between multisystem operator (MSO) Hathway Cable and Datacom on one hand and Star India and Taj Television on the other, finally ended last week, with the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) directing Hathway to execute an interconnect agreement based on Star’s Reference Interconnect Offer (RIO). 

     

    The TDSAT had directed the two to sign the interconnect agreement in its current form and approach the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) in case of any objections with parts of the RIO. “We have signed the RIO in its current form and have sent it to Star,” informs Hathway Cable and Datacom MD and CEO Jagdish Kumar.

     

    But, having said this, Star still seems to have some concerns. “As of today, the Star channels have been dropped on Hathway in Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata and Ahmedabad. So while channels like Star Movies, Star World have been switched off from the Mumbai headend, in Ahmedabad, except Star Plus and Star Movies, all the other channels from the network have been dropped,” says a industry source close to the development.

     

    According to the same source, Hathway, fundamentally has been offering less channels at a higher price to consumers, as compared to the other MSOs or DTH operators in the same market.

     

    “Currently, the MSO has shown a consistent behaviour and pattern of taking on the broadcasters. It has been dropping channels and moving them to a la carte and has been depriving a significant number of consumers of good content,” he further adds.

     

    The network is looking forward to the way the changes will be communicated by the MSO to the customers. “The consumers will have to call the MSO and find out how they can subscribe to the channels as it is no longer available in the packs. And so communication is crucial,” the source informs. 

     

    According to Hathway’s Kumar, with the court ordering the MSO to follow procedures from 1 October, it is doing everything they can to inform their subscribers.  “We are using various means of communication. So while the first thing we are doing is communicating to our local cable operators, we have also put tickers on our channels, informing consumers that Star channels will be available on a la carte, henceforth. This apart, all the MSOs together are coming up with a press release in order to inform the consumers about the change,” says Kumar.

     

    Kumar says, that Hathway will continue to inform its LCOs and subscribers, even after the initial phase.

     

    Hathway will be providing non-sports channels of Star at Rs 10 each, and sports channels for Rs 20 to its consumers.

     

     The MSO believes it can still make a good profit margin at these rates, even though this looks challenging, considering the range of RIO pricing for the Star package is from 52 paisa for Channel V to Rs 17.39 for Star Sports2 and Rs 2.36 for Star World.

     

    “But we didn’t want to confuse our customers with so many price points, and so came up with this plan. So while we expect to make a good margin for Channel V, the margin for Star Plus which is for Rs 9 will be small. But overall, we hope to make a good margin,” ends Kumar. 

  • IDOS 2014: Trust amongst stakeholders holds the key to increasing ARPUs

    IDOS 2014: Trust amongst stakeholders holds the key to increasing ARPUs

    GOA: The broadcasters, multi system operators (MSOs) and the local cable operators (LCOs) need to trust each other to solve most of the issues that affect the cable TV industry. While the dialogue between the trio has begun, there is still lack of trust and this has to change, is what the industry stalwarts expressed at the ongoing India Digital Operators Summit (IDOS) 2014, organised by Indian Television Dot Com and Media Partners Asia.

     

    “The current reality is that the players within the chain have at least started talking to each other, which was missing earlier. So with digitisation, this is one of the most positive moves that has happened,” says IndiaCast CEO Anuj Gandhi. He also emphasises on the need for the MSOs to resolve the jigsaw puzzle with the LCOs to ensure better Average Revenue Per User (ARPU). “The MSOs need to get the LCOs on table and understand their issues,” he says while adding that the last mile needs to be seen as partners in the cycle.

     

    Agreeing with him was Hathway Cable and Datacom MD and CEO Jagdish Kumar, who feels that the last mile needs to get returns on the services he provides. “But that will need collective work. We need to grow the ARPUs from the current Rs 180 to Rs 250-Rs 300,” he says.

     

    For Siti Cable CEO VD Wadhwa, the reason for lack of trust lies in the history of cable television ecosystem. “Historically, the understanding has been that the last mile retains a large part of revenue. Now with digitisation, underdeclaration is not possible and so the LCO is suffering from fear psychosis that he will lose his subscribers,” he says.

     

    The Siti Cable CEO also feels that there is a need for MSOs to give the LCOs access to the SMS so that they can feel a certain ownership towards their customers. “There is a need for a policy which is well documented, transparent and honoured,” he adds.  

     

    From the time government announced digitisation of cable TV homes, it is the regulations and the courts that have been driving the business. “Let’s not get the regulator involved in areas where we can resolve the issues. We need to put together a commercial document which is uniform across,” opines Star India president and general counsel Deepak Jacob.

     

    One of the biggest concerns for the stakeholders is increasing the currently low ARPU. “The DTH industry has done well on this front. While we started with Rs 150 in 2008, we have gone up to Rs 200-Rs 220 in phase III and phase IV markets, where the cable industry still has a ARPU of Rs 150,” informs Videocon d2h CEO Anil Khera. He also feels that the cable industry cannot have different rates for different markets.

     

    The DTH industry faces a huge threat from Freedish, which is becoming a great proposition in phase III and phase IV. “I see more threat from Freedish, if the platform gets the general entertainment channels onboard. According to me, all these channels should be made ‘pay’ on Freedish as well,” opines Khera.

     

    While talking of the threats the industry currently faces, Jacob also highlights the threat that comes from state governments playing a role in the content and distribution market. “The Tamil Nadu and Punjab markets are pretty much locked because of the monopoly of the state government in the region. The disease is growing, with more states looking at the same. We should ask the government to implement recommendations to curb this,” he says.

     

    Another point discussed during the session on ‘Unity and the way forward for the next five years’ was if the DTH operators have an opportunity in phase III and phase IV markets with the extension of digitisation dates.  Says Dish TV CEO RC Venkateish, “DTH in phase I and II continued doing what it did when it had started. But phase III and IV is a different kettle of fish and so we at Dish launched Zing. The delay means loss in momentum.”

     

    Hathway is looking beyond cable in the phase III and IV markets. “We are looking at broadband as the margins from here are far higher than cable,” informs Kumar who says that while broadband currently is at 20 per cent, it will increase significantly in the future.

     

    As for increasing ARPUs, Gandhi suggests that there is need to look at the basic packs. “We need to work on making the basic pack light, so that consumers see value in the higher packs,” he says. According to him, the MSOs like the DTH operators should start getting into a multi-year or five year deals with broadcasters, rather than the one year deal that they have currently. “This will help him sort his content cost and also give them more confidence, which they can then pass on to the LCOs,” opines Gandhi.

     

    The MSOs have taken a lot of debt for digitising phase I and phase II. “Now when we approach the investors, we will need to have a roadmap for them to invest,” informs Kumar.

    Can phase III and phase IV be underestimated, answers Jacob, “We shouldn’t underestimate these two phases. The households in phase III spend close to Rs 300-Rs 350 on telecom and VAS services, while phase IV spends some Rs 250 on it. And these households are trying to watch all the content on their phone. So this is the matrix the cable TV industry should follow.”

  • Hathway bags HR Excellence Award

    Hathway bags HR Excellence Award

    MUMBAI: Multi system operator Hathway Cable & Datacom has added another feather to its cap by winning the HR Excellence Award organised by Genius Consultants in association with Times of India.

     

    This was the first time ever that Hathway as an organisation had participated in an HR Award category and its Human Resource VP Sunil Suji bagged the award as “The HR Leader of the Year” in the Large Enterprise category.

     

    Suji commented, “This recognition brings a great sense of achievement along with an added responsibility to excel further. I dedicate this award to my HR team, who has been instrumental for all the achievements in the last year. Along with the team, I look forward to enable movement of the HR function to a business Partner Model by developing Centers of Excellence and an HR strategy aligned to the Business. Various plans towards improving the learning function and compensation strategies are on the cards.”

     

    Hathway MD and CEO Jagdish Kumar said, “My heartfelt congratulations to Sunil for this esteemed achievement.  This is a well-deserved recognition. It should motivate him to achieve greater excellence in making Hathway the most preferred employer. I also appreciate the various HR initiatives taken by him with regards to policies and governances that has made Hathway more organized and distinguished in Cable and Broadband sector.”

     

    About 450 organisations from across the country participated in the event – namely, Mahindra & Mahindra, Exide Industries, L& T Finance, Tikona Digital Networks, Jubilant Food Works, Viom Networks, Berkedia Services, amongst others.

     

    The company’s EVP Jagadesh Babu Botta stated, “I extend my hearty congratulations to Sunil for his exemplary efforts in HR which have led to the receipt of this award. This transformation of the HR functions towards increased partnership with the business, thereby enabling a dynamic work culture. His efforts in developing a vibrant HR team, talent acquisition, learning and employee welfare are highly appreciated.”

     

    Genius HR Excellence Awards was instituted in the year 2011, and the last three years have been very successful wherein blue chip companies across all segments of the industry, have participated on a pan India basis and have won the awards. 

  • Hathway launches ‘Broadband Movies’ for its subscribers across India

    Hathway launches ‘Broadband Movies’ for its subscribers across India

    MUMBAI: Hathway Cable and Datacom is expanding its business. The multi system operator (MSO) has now entered into the movie streaming service. With this, the Hathway broadband customers will be able to watch high quality movies on multiple devices like smart- TVs, PCs, laptops, tablets and mobiles. This subscription service, sourced from Eros Now’s exclusive library, will be available to Hathway broadband customers across the country.

     

    After setting industry benchmark by offering 50 Mbps as the default minimum speed for broadband in Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore and Hyderabad, Hathway is now foraying into value-added services to help the customers fully enjoy the benefits of their high speed Hathway broadband.

     

    “Broadband Movies is our endeavour to provide consumers with meaningful services to make the most of their high speed connection in a completely legal and secure manner,” said Hathway MD Jagdish Kumar.

     

    “50 Mbps speeds are essential for delivering the HD quality videos that are available through the library of Eros Now,” he added.

     

    Hathway chief operating officer broadband Kunal Ramteke said, “On demand video consumption and multiple device access are no longer emerging trends, they are here and a reality. Our strategy is to deliver a holistic broadband experience. We do not just provide the connectivity but also deliver relevant services, which make the most of our 50 Mbps high speed broadband offering.”

     

    The broadband movies service is available for Hathway’s broadband customers across the country.

     

    The service is being launched with a two months free viewing period for any Hathway customer and will be available with a monthly subscription based pricing for unlimited viewing of movies.

     

  • Hathway launches online & TV service, H-tube

    Hathway launches online & TV service, H-tube

    MUMBAI: Hathway has announced an exciting new service christened H-tube which will give TV viewers an opportunity to telecast their videos and watch themselves on TV.

     

    Customers can upload their videos on the H-tube website and thereafter, subject to quality checks, their videos will be telecast on the new service available to Hathway subscribers on their Hathway digital cable TV connection. Customers can upload amateur videos shot on mobile devices or professional videos and everyone has an opportunity to have their content telecast to Hathway’s customers.

     

    “H-tube is a part of our on-going endeavor to connect with our customers in numerous ways. User-generated content for TV is an untapped source, which we would like to access and give a platform for exhibition. We hope this unleashes the latent creativity of our customers.” said Hathway Cable and Datacom MD Jagdish Kumar. “This is a first of its kind service in the world which fully exploits the synergies of the Hathway Broadband and Cable service. We are confident that being watched by a potential viewer base of 50 million TV viewers will add to the appeal of the product”.

     

    Broadband business head Kunal Ramteke added “There is an inherent excitement for any viewer to watch himself on TV. The TV viewing behavior of customers is increasingly being shaped by technology. Our 50 Mbps Fiber Broadband service and our large TV viewership provide the perfect combination for true democratization of TV. H-tube is an exciting platform for budding artists, housewives, students to showcase their talent and our role is to help them discover their inner artiste.”

     

    The H-tube TV channel is available to Hathway TV viewers in Maharasthtra on channel 25 and will soon be extended to Hathway’s cable TV subscribers across the country. Apart from this, there will be different time slots telecasting genres like fashion, recipes, kids, celebrations, short-format episodes, travel, so viewers can share and enjoy viewing the content conveniently.  

     

    In the past, Hathway has launched channels like, Hathway CCC, Hathway movies and Hathway Music

     

    Hathway plans to launch many more channels covering genres like entertainment, music, movies, adventure and lifestyle.