JioStar, Zee, Sony hike RIOs for cable operators, DTH and IPTV

Major broadcasters in India have unveiled their revised tariffs for distribution platform operators (DPOs) who deliver television channels to households across the country. From what is understood, Networks such as JioStar, Zee, and Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI) have released their updated reference interconnect orders (RIOs), outlining the costs cable operators, direct-to-home (DTH) platforms, and IPTV players must pay for their offerings in 2025. The new rates, effective from February one, show a moderate increase, with most channels witnessing price hikes between five and fifteen percent, while several others remain unchanged.

JioStar, emerging as a powerhouse after the merger of Star and Jio, now offers an impressive portfolio of 134 channels across 83 curated packs. These include 85 standard definition channels, 44 high-definition channels, five free-to-air options, and a mix of regional and niche categories. On an a la carte basis, JioStar’s pricing ranges from Rs 25 for popular regional channels like Maa TV and Colors Kannada, to just ten paise for its news channels. Bundled options are equally diverse, with prices starting as low as Rs17 for the Disney Kids SD pack and climbing to Rs 240 for premium offerings like the Star Premium Pack Marathi Lite Hindi HD.

Zee, in contrast, has taken a simpler approach with just 30 packs on offer. Its flagship general entertainment channels, such as Zee TV Hindi, Zee Bangla, and Zee Kannada, are priced uniformly at Rs 19 each, while Zee Keralam is priced at Rs 10. Zee’s movie channel rates vary between Rs 19 for popular options like Zee Cinema and ten paise for classics. Most of its high-definition channels are capped at Rs 19, with a few exceptions like &Prive HD at three rupees. Zee has also introduced incentives for DPOs that position its channels on preferred logical channel numbers (LCNs), making its pricing strategy both practical and competitive.

Sony Pictures Networks India has revised its rates more selectively, with some channels seeing significant price adjustments. For instance, Sony Wah, previously priced at ten paise, now costs one rupees, while Sony Max 2 has doubled from one rupees to two rupees. Sports enthusiasts will note that Sony Sports Ten 4 has increased from Rs 17 to Rs 19. Bouquet pricing has also been adjusted, with hikes ranging from four to 12 percent. For example, the Happy India Smart – Hindi pack now costs Rs 54, up from Rs 48, while its Marathi and Bangla counterparts are now priced at Rs 56, reflecting the inclusion of additional channels. Financial Express