Pay DTH operators added 0.32 mn active subs in Apr-June quarter: TRAI
During the quarter under review, Tata Sky and Dish TV have seen a marginal decline in market share
The active Direct to Home (DTH) subscriber base has increased from 70.26 million in the March quarter to 70.58 million in June quarter, shows TRAI’s Indian Telecom Services Performance Indicators for April-June 2020.
The pay DTH operators have added 0.32 million (320,000) active subscribers. During the quarter ending 30th June 2020, there were four pay DTH service providers in India. Apart from the pay DTH players, Doordarshan has a free DTH service called DD Free Dish.
As per the TRAI report, the market share of the four pay DTH players for the April-June quarter is as follows: Tata Sky (32.09%), Dish TV (28.67%), Bharti Telemedia (23.83%), and Sun Direct (15.41%). In the January-March quarter, the market share of the four pay DTH players stood at Tata Sky (32.33%), Dish TV (29.49%), Bharti Telemedia (23.65%), and Sun Direct (14.53%).
During the quarter under review, Tata Sky and Dish TV have seen a marginal decline in market share while Bharti Telemedia and Sun Direct have registered growth in their active pay subscriber base.
It is important to note that previously (up to March 2019) the subscription figure of total active subscribers included inactive and temporarily suspended subscribers for not more than last 120 days.
However, as per the new regulatory framework of Broadcasting and Cable TV Services, the total active subscribers are counted including only those subscribers which are inactive/ temporarily suspended for not more than the last 90 days.
Cable TV Sector
As of 30th June 2020, there are 1666 MSOs registered with MIB. Further, as per the data reported by MSOs/HITS operators, there are 12 MSOs & 1 HITS operator who have a subscriber base greater than one million. e-Infrastructure and Entertainment India Private Limited (MSO) has shut down all MSO operation/ business.
The total active subscriber base of top 12 MSOs & 1 HITS operator are as follows: Siti Networks (88,78,164), GTPL Hathway (77,09,349), Hathway Digital (53,23,752), Den Networks (52,39,009), Tamil Nadu Arasu Cable TV (30,49,817), Kerala Communicators Cable Ltd (KCCL) (29,19,533), TCCL (27,06,317), Fastway Transmissions (23,83,629), IndusInd Media and Communication Ltd HITS (21,65,400), KAL Cables (19,40,255), VK Digital (15,82,489), IndusInd Media and Communication Ltd CATV (12,13,182) and Asianet Digital Network (12,12,099).
TV broadcasting
A total of 909 private satellite TV channels have been permitted by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) for uplinking only/downlinking only/both uplinking and downloading, as of 30th June 2020.
As per the reporting done by broadcasters in pursuance of the Tariff Order dated 3rd March 2017, as amended, there are 332 pay-TV channels, as of 30th June 2020, which includes 235 SD pay-TV channels and 97 HD Pay TV channels.
FM Radio
Apart from the radio stations operated by All India Radio – the public broadcaster, as of 30th June 2020, there are 367 operational private FM Radio stations in 105 cities with operational 31 Private FM Radio broadcasters as compared to 368 private FM Radio Stations in 105 cities with operational 32 FM Radio broadcasters in the previous quarter. During the quarter ended 30th June 2020, Muthoot Broadcasting Private Limited has ceased the operation of its single FM Radio station at Chennai.
The reported advertisement revenue during the quarter ending 30th June 2020 in respect of 366 private FM Radio stations is Rs 98.41 crore as against Rs 400.64 crore in respect of 367 private FM Radio stations for the previous quarter i.e 31st March 2020. One FM Radio Broadcaster, M/s Gwalior Firm Private Limited, operating in the city of Guwahati, has not submitted the advertisement revenue.
