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Tag: Tata Sky

  • DTH subs in Jharkhand, West Bengal, J&K jump manifold with DAS Phase III

    DTH subs in Jharkhand, West Bengal, J&K jump manifold with DAS Phase III

    MUMBAI: As a result of being the major beneficiaries of cable television digitisation in the country, direct to home (DTH) operators in January have seen an increase of 62 per cent in their subscriber base, with states like Jharkhand, West Bengal and Jammu & Kashmir being the major contributors as per Chrome Data Analytics & Media.

    While Jharkhand’s DTH subscriber base jumped to 54 per cent in January from a meagre one per cent; in West Bengal, where there was almost nil DTH penetration, a jump to 42 per cent has been seen. Jammu & Kashmir, on the other hand, upped its DTH subscriber base from 22 per cent to 61 per cent post the Digital Addressable System (DAS) Phase III deadline of 31 December, 2015.

    Bihar followed next with a 32 per cent jump in DTH subscriber base. The state’s 13 per cent DTH penetration has now has increased to 45 per cent.

    With a 31 per cent jump in subscriber base, Gujarat’s DTH penetration now stands at 34 per cent, while Chhastisgarh registered a hike of 22 per cent and achieved 39 per cent DTH penetration in January.

    Karnataka’s DTH subscriber base saw an increase of 12 per cent with the state achieving 21 per cent DTH penetration. While Goa saw a 11 per cent jump at 21 per cent. 

    With an increase ranging from four – 10 per cent, the DTH penetration percentage in other states stood as follows: Uttar Pradesh – 78 per cent, Haryana – 32 per cent, Rajasthan – 41 per cent, Punjab – 22 per cent and Uttrakhand – 45 per cent as per Chrome Data Analytics & Media.

    As of 30 June, 2015 there were 78.74 million registered DTH subscribers, of which only 39.74 million were active subscriber being served by six private DTH operators. As of October 2015, the market share of these DTH operators was as follows: Dish TV – 27 per cent, Tata Sky – 20 per cent, Airtel Digital – 19 per cent, Videocon d2h – 16 per cent, Sun Direct – 12 per cent and Big TV – six per cent.

    As of 31 December, 2015, while Dish TV’s subscriber base stood at 1.4 crore, Videocon d2h boasted of 1.13 crore subscribers and Airtel Digital TV had 1.11 crore subscribers. The subscriber numbers for Tata Sky, Sun Direct and and Big TV are not known.

    Now with the share of DTH subscribers increasing across the country, it will be interesting to note, which operator has benefited the maximum with DAS Phase III. 

    What’s more, despite the stay by the High Court in five states on the implementation of DAS Phase III due to shortage of set top boxes (STBs), there has been a successful 50 per cent digitisation for phase III across the country according to Chrome.

    It may be recalled that earlier this year, Chrome had claimed that post the Phase III deadline of 31 December, 2015, over 70 per cent digitisation had been achieved when analogue signals were completely switched off in various cities. However, the company has now revised its figures in the wake of analog signals being switched on again in various states, which has been stated as the cause for the steep fall in digitisation percentage in a place like Goa.

    According to the revised data provided by Chrome, three states namely Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Punjab have achieved more than 90 per cent digitisation as of January 2016.

    Below is the percentage of digitisation achieved by Indian states in descending order:

    Andhra Pradesh – 94 per cent

    Kerala – 93.5 per cent

    Punjab – 90 per cent

    Uttar Pradesh – 89.2 per cent

    Bihar – 68.4 per cent

    Haryana – 66.7 per cent

    Goa – 64.9 per cent

    Rajasthan – 64.2 per cent

    Jammu & Kashmir – 61.2 per cent

    West Bengal – 60 per cent

    Jharkhand – 59.5 per cent

    Chhattisgarh – 56.2 per cent

    Uttarakhand – 53.4 per cent

    Karnataka – 51.8 per cent

    Gujarat – 51.6 per cent

  • DTH subs in Jharkhand, West Bengal, J&K jump manifold with DAS Phase III

    DTH subs in Jharkhand, West Bengal, J&K jump manifold with DAS Phase III

    MUMBAI: As a result of being the major beneficiaries of cable television digitisation in the country, direct to home (DTH) operators in January have seen an increase of 62 per cent in their subscriber base, with states like Jharkhand, West Bengal and Jammu & Kashmir being the major contributors as per Chrome Data Analytics & Media.

    While Jharkhand’s DTH subscriber base jumped to 54 per cent in January from a meagre one per cent; in West Bengal, where there was almost nil DTH penetration, a jump to 42 per cent has been seen. Jammu & Kashmir, on the other hand, upped its DTH subscriber base from 22 per cent to 61 per cent post the Digital Addressable System (DAS) Phase III deadline of 31 December, 2015.

    Bihar followed next with a 32 per cent jump in DTH subscriber base. The state’s 13 per cent DTH penetration has now has increased to 45 per cent.

    With a 31 per cent jump in subscriber base, Gujarat’s DTH penetration now stands at 34 per cent, while Chhastisgarh registered a hike of 22 per cent and achieved 39 per cent DTH penetration in January.

    Karnataka’s DTH subscriber base saw an increase of 12 per cent with the state achieving 21 per cent DTH penetration. While Goa saw a 11 per cent jump at 21 per cent. 

    With an increase ranging from four – 10 per cent, the DTH penetration percentage in other states stood as follows: Uttar Pradesh – 78 per cent, Haryana – 32 per cent, Rajasthan – 41 per cent, Punjab – 22 per cent and Uttrakhand – 45 per cent as per Chrome Data Analytics & Media.

    As of 30 June, 2015 there were 78.74 million registered DTH subscribers, of which only 39.74 million were active subscriber being served by six private DTH operators. As of October 2015, the market share of these DTH operators was as follows: Dish TV – 27 per cent, Tata Sky – 20 per cent, Airtel Digital – 19 per cent, Videocon d2h – 16 per cent, Sun Direct – 12 per cent and Big TV – six per cent.

    As of 31 December, 2015, while Dish TV’s subscriber base stood at 1.4 crore, Videocon d2h boasted of 1.13 crore subscribers and Airtel Digital TV had 1.11 crore subscribers. The subscriber numbers for Tata Sky, Sun Direct and and Big TV are not known.

    Now with the share of DTH subscribers increasing across the country, it will be interesting to note, which operator has benefited the maximum with DAS Phase III. 

    What’s more, despite the stay by the High Court in five states on the implementation of DAS Phase III due to shortage of set top boxes (STBs), there has been a successful 50 per cent digitisation for phase III across the country according to Chrome.

    It may be recalled that earlier this year, Chrome had claimed that post the Phase III deadline of 31 December, 2015, over 70 per cent digitisation had been achieved when analogue signals were completely switched off in various cities. However, the company has now revised its figures in the wake of analog signals being switched on again in various states, which has been stated as the cause for the steep fall in digitisation percentage in a place like Goa.

    According to the revised data provided by Chrome, three states namely Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Punjab have achieved more than 90 per cent digitisation as of January 2016.

    Below is the percentage of digitisation achieved by Indian states in descending order:

    Andhra Pradesh – 94 per cent

    Kerala – 93.5 per cent

    Punjab – 90 per cent

    Uttar Pradesh – 89.2 per cent

    Bihar – 68.4 per cent

    Haryana – 66.7 per cent

    Goa – 64.9 per cent

    Rajasthan – 64.2 per cent

    Jammu & Kashmir – 61.2 per cent

    West Bengal – 60 per cent

    Jharkhand – 59.5 per cent

    Chhattisgarh – 56.2 per cent

    Uttarakhand – 53.4 per cent

    Karnataka – 51.8 per cent

    Gujarat – 51.6 per cent

  • Gemporia targets revenue of Rs 60-100 crore; to launch on Tata Sky

    Gemporia targets revenue of Rs 60-100 crore; to launch on Tata Sky

    MUMBAI: Digitisation of cable television in India has opened up the space for many a niche channels. And taking advantage of this are brands and companies operating in diverse fields. One such company is Gemporia – jewellers from the United Kingdom, which forayed into India with the launch of a television channel back in September 2015. The channel, which is already available on direct to home (DTH) platforms like Dish TV and Videocon d2h, is all set to launch on Tata Sky in the next fortnight.

    What’s more, the channel is eyeing revenue between Rs 60 – 100 crore by the end of 2016. With the ethos of ‘Janiye aur Kharide’ (Know and Buy), the channel has a marketing budget of over Rs 25 crore, which it will strategically dish out with time. “The end goal is to be the largest selling jeweller in terms units and to reach that goal we will need to have an interactive marketing campaign. We are moving ahead towards that, the medium will depend on the marketing strategy, but we will innovate across platforms,” said Gemporia India co-founder Manuj Goyal.

    With the proliferation of the e-commerce space, there are a number of online stores selling jewellery in India. However, the online retailing of original jewels is yet to pick pace. Keeping the scenario in mind, Gemporia has taken TV route and has over 14 hours of live programming.

    The channel’s distribution and operation cost is predicted to be over Rs 50 crore. Goyal informs that the channel’s initial target is to be available on DTH platforms and then gradually move having a presence on cable.

    Gemporia has over eight per cent market share when it comes jewellery in the UK. “Majority of the jewellery shopping happens online across the globe. And I believe the same can happen in India too,” says Goyal.

    The venture has a target set to reach 100 million television audiences. Set up in Jaipur, Gemporia has 160 employees, of which 30 are equipped with GIA certificate.

    “All our products are hallmarked and we don’t sell imitation jewellery. We are the first dedicated jewellery channel with live programming. We stand by the purity of our jewellery and hence give our consumers the option of returning the jewellery within 30 days with full refund. Since we cannot offer consumers the touch and feel of our products, we create 360 degree videos of the product that consumers will eventually invest in,” informs Goyal.

    In a bid to stay ahead of online jewellery marketplaces, Gemporia decided to take the TV route. “Next to touch and feel is video and that’s where we have an advantage. Additionally, in most online stores, the products displaced are not ready and hence the delivery time is way more than us. Ours is a dedicated jewellery company and the product displayed is available for consumers to buy. The moment they buy a piece of jewellery, we can ship it and hence the logistics are way faster than the existing online stores,” says Goyal.

    A home shopping channel media expert says on condition of anonymity, “The jewellery space can pick up as it has the potential. But the product pricing has to be lower than traditional physical stores. All across the globe, the products that sells on home shopping channels are unique and priced lower than those in brick and mortar stores. Putting common products up will go no where. Gemporia’s biggest challenge and competition will be from the channels selling imitation jewellery. The first year will be challenging and will define the fate.”   

    Besides TV, Gemporia also has an online presence. Through the website, an on-screen anchor addresses consumers’ questions. Additionally, Gemporia also has a mobile app to sort out size issues. The Gemporia Ring Sizer app enables consumers to asses the ring size by just putting it up on the mobile screen. “We send ring sizer with our every order to sort out the size issue,” informs Goyal.

    With innovation, novel offerings and customer service being the key factors for success for a venture, it now remains to be seen how this one of a kind television channel orchestrates its voyage in the cluttered and unpredictable Indian market.

  • Gemporia targets revenue of Rs 60-100 crore; to launch on Tata Sky

    Gemporia targets revenue of Rs 60-100 crore; to launch on Tata Sky

    MUMBAI: Digitisation of cable television in India has opened up the space for many a niche channels. And taking advantage of this are brands and companies operating in diverse fields. One such company is Gemporia – jewellers from the United Kingdom, which forayed into India with the launch of a television channel back in September 2015. The channel, which is already available on direct to home (DTH) platforms like Dish TV and Videocon d2h, is all set to launch on Tata Sky in the next fortnight.

    What’s more, the channel is eyeing revenue between Rs 60 – 100 crore by the end of 2016. With the ethos of ‘Janiye aur Kharide’ (Know and Buy), the channel has a marketing budget of over Rs 25 crore, which it will strategically dish out with time. “The end goal is to be the largest selling jeweller in terms units and to reach that goal we will need to have an interactive marketing campaign. We are moving ahead towards that, the medium will depend on the marketing strategy, but we will innovate across platforms,” said Gemporia India co-founder Manuj Goyal.

    With the proliferation of the e-commerce space, there are a number of online stores selling jewellery in India. However, the online retailing of original jewels is yet to pick pace. Keeping the scenario in mind, Gemporia has taken TV route and has over 14 hours of live programming.

    The channel’s distribution and operation cost is predicted to be over Rs 50 crore. Goyal informs that the channel’s initial target is to be available on DTH platforms and then gradually move having a presence on cable.

    Gemporia has over eight per cent market share when it comes jewellery in the UK. “Majority of the jewellery shopping happens online across the globe. And I believe the same can happen in India too,” says Goyal.

    The venture has a target set to reach 100 million television audiences. Set up in Jaipur, Gemporia has 160 employees, of which 30 are equipped with GIA certificate.

    “All our products are hallmarked and we don’t sell imitation jewellery. We are the first dedicated jewellery channel with live programming. We stand by the purity of our jewellery and hence give our consumers the option of returning the jewellery within 30 days with full refund. Since we cannot offer consumers the touch and feel of our products, we create 360 degree videos of the product that consumers will eventually invest in,” informs Goyal.

    In a bid to stay ahead of online jewellery marketplaces, Gemporia decided to take the TV route. “Next to touch and feel is video and that’s where we have an advantage. Additionally, in most online stores, the products displaced are not ready and hence the delivery time is way more than us. Ours is a dedicated jewellery company and the product displayed is available for consumers to buy. The moment they buy a piece of jewellery, we can ship it and hence the logistics are way faster than the existing online stores,” says Goyal.

    A home shopping channel media expert says on condition of anonymity, “The jewellery space can pick up as it has the potential. But the product pricing has to be lower than traditional physical stores. All across the globe, the products that sells on home shopping channels are unique and priced lower than those in brick and mortar stores. Putting common products up will go no where. Gemporia’s biggest challenge and competition will be from the channels selling imitation jewellery. The first year will be challenging and will define the fate.”   

    Besides TV, Gemporia also has an online presence. Through the website, an on-screen anchor addresses consumers’ questions. Additionally, Gemporia also has a mobile app to sort out size issues. The Gemporia Ring Sizer app enables consumers to asses the ring size by just putting it up on the mobile screen. “We send ring sizer with our every order to sort out the size issue,” informs Goyal.

    With innovation, novel offerings and customer service being the key factors for success for a venture, it now remains to be seen how this one of a kind television channel orchestrates its voyage in the cluttered and unpredictable Indian market.

  • Tata Sky equips STBs with internet browsing apps

    Tata Sky equips STBs with internet browsing apps

    MUMBAI: Direct to home (DTH) companies are stepping up on their game in a bid to offer more specialised technological services to subscribers so as to stay relevant in the fast changing times.

    Soon after Videocon d2h revealed its plans to launch HD smart set-top-boxes (STB), which converts existing LED TVs into a Smart TV as well as allows browsing from social media, VOD and OTT apps, competitor DTH company Tata Sky has made known its plans to bring internet browsing applications on their STBs.

    This new addition will enable Tata Sky subscribers to browse and interact on certain applications through the STB on almost all TV sets without the requirement of a smart TV.

    The service will be available at no additional cost to Tata Sky subscribers and will be launched in the coming months.

    Tata Sky CEO Harit Nagpal said, “We don’t look at ourselves as a DTH operator. We are a content distribution platform. The scope of that is defined by what content, which medium, what screen the subscriber wants. That is the level of convergence that Tata Sky is looking at achieving.”

  • Tata Sky equips STBs with internet browsing apps

    Tata Sky equips STBs with internet browsing apps

    MUMBAI: Direct to home (DTH) companies are stepping up on their game in a bid to offer more specialised technological services to subscribers so as to stay relevant in the fast changing times.

    Soon after Videocon d2h revealed its plans to launch HD smart set-top-boxes (STB), which converts existing LED TVs into a Smart TV as well as allows browsing from social media, VOD and OTT apps, competitor DTH company Tata Sky has made known its plans to bring internet browsing applications on their STBs.

    This new addition will enable Tata Sky subscribers to browse and interact on certain applications through the STB on almost all TV sets without the requirement of a smart TV.

    The service will be available at no additional cost to Tata Sky subscribers and will be launched in the coming months.

    Tata Sky CEO Harit Nagpal said, “We don’t look at ourselves as a DTH operator. We are a content distribution platform. The scope of that is defined by what content, which medium, what screen the subscriber wants. That is the level of convergence that Tata Sky is looking at achieving.”

  • FX HD now available to Airtel DTH customers

    FX HD now available to Airtel DTH customers

    MUMBAI: FX HD, India’s exclusive high definition destination for edgy and fast paced shows is the one stop shop for some of the best dramas, thrillers and comical shows.

    The channel that was recently launched in September of 2015 was earlier exclusively available to Tata Sky customers. From 31 January onwards, the channel is now also available on Airtel DTH.

    The expansion of FX HD’s audience base perfectly coincides with the launch of some popular audience favorite shows like Mad Men, House M.D., Scare Tactics among others on the channel. Moreover, the channel is also home to some of the most famous, award-winning shows of global television such as Empire, American Horror Story series, The Affair, Doctor Who and Louie.

    The channel will also soon be premiering Wayward Pines and Minority Report.

    FX HD went LIVE on 31, January 2016 across the Airtel DTH platform and is available on channel no. 153.

  • FX HD now available to Airtel DTH customers

    FX HD now available to Airtel DTH customers

    MUMBAI: FX HD, India’s exclusive high definition destination for edgy and fast paced shows is the one stop shop for some of the best dramas, thrillers and comical shows.

    The channel that was recently launched in September of 2015 was earlier exclusively available to Tata Sky customers. From 31 January onwards, the channel is now also available on Airtel DTH.

    The expansion of FX HD’s audience base perfectly coincides with the launch of some popular audience favorite shows like Mad Men, House M.D., Scare Tactics among others on the channel. Moreover, the channel is also home to some of the most famous, award-winning shows of global television such as Empire, American Horror Story series, The Affair, Doctor Who and Louie.

    The channel will also soon be premiering Wayward Pines and Minority Report.

    FX HD went LIVE on 31, January 2016 across the Airtel DTH platform and is available on channel no. 153.

  • Tata Sky makes Everywhere TV free for viewers

    Tata Sky makes Everywhere TV free for viewers

    MUMBAI: The advent of the on-demand Internet streaming Netflix in India has no doubt created waves across the country. While Netflix is available free for a one-month trial it will then charge between Rs 500 – 800 for its three packages. In what can be termed as a direct reaction to this, direct to home (DTH) provider Tata Sky has declared its Everywhere TV service free for users.

     

    Tata Sky earlier charged users Rs 60 per month for the same service. Users can stream TV channels on the go through Everywhere TV on the official Tata Sky app. The service will feature channels subscribed by the viewers on the Tata Sky connection. 

     

    Everywhere TV provides access to live stream content from the channels and can also serve as a second screen. Viewers can also set the video quality on low, medium and high and the app runs smoothly on 3G and 4G networks. 

     

    The app can be accessed on up to two devices per subscriber ID. It also offers Hindi as well as English content including entertainment, news, sports, etc.

     

    While Tata Sky is the first DTH operator to react to Netflix’s entry into India by offering its streaming service free, it’s is definitely not going to be the last. How other DTH operators as well as over the top (OTT) players change or adapt their subscription and content strategy going forward will be worth watching.

  • LukUp Media names Tata Sky’s Mukund Sharma as EVP

    LukUp Media names Tata Sky’s Mukund Sharma as EVP

    MUMBAI: Content specialist Mukund Sharma, who is currently serving his notice period at the direct to home (DTH) company Tata Sky, has been roped in by on-demand and multi-screen TV service provider Lukup Media as executive vice president content, services and commercial.

     

    Confirming the appointment, LukUp Media managing director Kallol Borah said, “Mukund will be joining us from February and will be leading our content services. He will be responsible for various innovations on the content front. He will also look after value added services and other innovations. I wish him best of luck in LukUp Media.”

     

    Sharma, who is currently VP content at Tata Sky, has been with the company since its inception in 2005. Prior to joining Tata Sky, Sharma worked as senior manager with Ten Sports where he looked after revenue, advertising sales & strategy. He also worked with CNBC–TV 18 as manager.

     

    Sharma moves to LukUp Media with over 17 years of experience.