Expansion and contest influence the Pay TV landscape in India

The latest Performance Indicator Report (PIR) from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) sheds light on the dynamic landscape of pay direct-to-home (DTH) and cable TV services in India. The report highlights the growth in active subscriber bases for DTH services and provides insights into the number of pay TV channels and market share of key players. This article presents a comprehensive overview of the data, showcasing the developments in the Indian pay-TV industry.

Growth in DTH Services:
According to the PIR, private DTH companies experienced a 1.59% growth in active subscribers between September 30, 2022, and December 31, 2022. During this period, they acquired an impressive 1.04 million new paid active subscribers. As a result, the overall active subscriber base for pay DTH services, combined with the subscribers of DD Free Dish, reached approximately 66.62 million by the end of December 2022. This signifies an increase from 65.58 million active subscribers recorded in September 2022.

Pay TV channels:
The report highlights that out of the 892 permitted satellite TV channels available for downlinking in India, 357 are classified as satellite pay TV channels. Among these, 254 are standard definition (SD) satellite pay TV channels, while 103 are high definition (HD) satellite pay TV channels. This variety ensures a diverse range of content options for Indian viewers.

Market share in the DTH sector:
In terms of market share, Tata Play leads the way with 32.70% for the quarter, closely followed by Bharti Telemedia (Airtel DTH) with 26.35%. Dish TV secures a market share of 22.36%, while Sun TV Direct TV holds 18.59%. This healthy competition among key players contributes to innovation and customer-centric offerings in the DTH space.

Cable TV sector:
The report also sheds light on the cable TV sector, revealing that there are 1748 Multiple System Operators (MSOs) registered with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB). Notably, 12 MSOs and 1 HITS operator have a subscriber base exceeding one million. GTPL Hathway emerges as the leading MSO with over 8 million subscribers, followed by Siti Networks Ltd with over 6 million subscribers and Hathway Digital with over 5 million subscribers. These figures demonstrate the significant presence and reach of cable TV services across the country. Telecom Talk