Tata Sky ties up with Ola Sunburn Festival 2017 to bring the biggest EDM extravaganza to small screens

UMBAI: Tata Sky, India’s leading content distribution platform, tied up with Ola Sunburn Festival 2017, one of the largest music festivals in the world, to bring its eclectic mix of music, entertainment, experiences, celebration and lifestyle straight to the small screens. Apart from live streaming Ola Sunburn Festival 2017, Tata Sky Mobile App will showcase nearly 500 hours of music fest content from over the years too, which will be open to all users, including non-subscribers.

Performances by the headliners of Ola Sunburn Festival – Dimitri Vegas and Like Mike, DJ Snake, Clean Bandits, Martin Garrix, Afrojack and KSHMR – will be live-streamed on Tata Sky Mobile App. Over and above the 4 days of live streaming, prior to the event there will be a rich library of content available on demand on the app. This includes official after movies, artist interviews, exclusive backstage footage and performances from the world’s top EDM acts such as KYGO, NUCLEYA, Hardwell, David Guetta, Tiesto, Armin Van Burren and many more as well as an archive of all the past events from Sunburn season 10.

This is the first time ever that Ola Sunburn festival, which kicks off on December 28th, will be live streamed on the Tata Sky Mobile app making it the only OTT platform covering the festival live.
The sheer depth of content on offer, which will be archived on the app for viewing after the festival ends, will allow EDM fans to fully immerse themselves in the 11th edition of Asia’s largest music festival on-the-go wherever and whenever they like. Moreover, Tata Sky will broadcast snippets of Ola Sunburn Festival 2017 on Channel 100 too.

Tata Sky’s Chief Communication Officer, Malay Dikshit said, “With increasing screens and the appetite of millennials to experiment with content, it is essential to reach the entertainment needs of consumers, just the way they like it. To create endearing and impactful engagement with millennials and to bring alive content across all types and sizes of screens, the Tata Sky Mobile App has partnered with the hugely popular music festival - Sunburn.”

The Sunburn Festival, the highlight of a year-long calendar of Sunburn events, has established itself as one of the annual ‘go-to’ events for EDM fans, drawing crowds of hundreds of thousands from India and around the world every year.

To cater to these fans, Tata Sky has lined up a number of ground-breaking experiences:
- A breath-taking 360-degree virtual reality experience that will let fans see what the DJ sees as he cranks out his tunes, putting them at the heart of the action like never before.
- A Graffiti Wall where fans can get their photographs clicked and jazz them up by drawing over them with personalised messages, quirky costumes or spray paint.

- A 3D hologram of the company’s logo at various points at the venue, in order to make fans’ engagement with India’s leading content distribution platform an even more experiential one.
Resource   :http://www.indiantelevision.com/dth/dth-services/tata-sky-ties-up-with-ola-sunburn-festival-2017-to-bring-the-biggest-edm-extravaganza-to-small-screens-171227

MIB clears path for Dish TV Videocon | Indian Television Dot Com

MUMBAI: Even as a new global media powerhouse was created in the US yesterday with Disney’s buyout of Fox's entertainment assets for $52.4 billion, India’s ministry of information & broadcasting (MIB) has cleared the decks for Dish TV and Videocon d2h paving the pathway for the creation of a mammoth DTH company.

The companies had received the green signal from the Mumbai division of the national company law tribunal some months ago after which the ministry’s approval was pending. Dish TV and Videocon d2h reported separate revenue and EBITDA numbers which at a pro-forma level add up to Rs 60,862 million and Rs 19,909 million for FY17. Following the amalgamation, the combined entity will be renamed as Dish TV Videocon Limited. 

As on 30 September 2017, the duo together serve more than 29 million customers.

Dish TV CMD Jawahar Goel says, ““It has been a long journey since the announcement of the agreement between the two companies a year back. We would like to thank the ministry of information and broadcasting, the national company law tribunal, the competition commission of India, the securities and exchange board of India, the stock exchanges and all other stakeholders for showing their trust in us. I would also like to express our gratitude to our shareholders for standing by us through the transaction and believing in us to take the combined entity to the next level going forward.”

Dish TV group CEO Anil Dua says, “Together, Dish TV and Videocon d2h are going to write history as we embark on this journey of delighting our 29 million and growing customer base. It is an exciting way ahead as we get this opportunity to leverage the individual strengths of the two organisations. I feel reassured looking at the formidable combination of these two talented teams that are now going to be working together towards a shared vision and common goals.”

Dish TV Videocon is expected to provide better synergies and growth opportunities through enhanced after-sales, distribution and technology capabilities. Aon, Deloitte and PwC have been roped in to help it with project management for seamless integration of core functions, processes and technology infrastructure.

It has been a year-long journey for Dish and Videocon since they announced the intent to merge last November. The scheme will take effect in the coming weeks.

For the quarter ended 30 September 2017, Videocon d2h saw PAT of Rs 168 million and an addition of 0.21 million subscribers, taking its total to 13.25 million. On the other hand, Dish TV’s PAT for the same quarter was Rs 689.6 million while subscribers increased by 0.188 million to hit 15.9 million.

The new year is expected to be a good one for the dynamic duo. And they have every reason to celebrate.

Resource : http://www.indiantelevision.com/dth/dth-operator/mib-clears-path-for-dish-tv-videocon-171215

Cross holding restrictions in DTH to continue till a holistic decision on cross-media is taken: Rathore

MUMBAI: The ministry of information and broadcasting (MIB) has accepted the Inter Ministerial Committee’s (IMC) recommendation to continue with the existing cross holding restriction in the guidelines for direct to home (DTH) operators.

While discussing the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India’s (TRAI) recommendations on consultation paper related to 'Issues related to New DTH License', the IMC noted that the matter of cross-holding in DTH has to be taken into consideration in the larger context of other TRAI recommendations on cross-media holdings.

In the existing DTH licence guidelines, the authority has imposed a restriction of 20% on cross-media holdings. A broadcasting or a cable TV company cannot hold more than 20% stake in a DTH company. Similarly, a DTH company cannot own more than 20% in a broadcasting or a cable TV company.

The TRAI had furnished its recommendations on "Issues relating to Media Ownerships" to the ministry on 12 August 2014 while the one related to 'Issues related to New DTH License' was issued on 23 July 2014.

The MIB has constituted an IMC to process the recommendations received from TRAI. The IMC examines the recommendations of TRAI and provides its comments/recommendations for approval of the ministry.

“IMC while discussing the TRAI's recommendations dated 23.07.2014 on 'Issues related to New DTH License' has observed that the matter of cross-holding in DTH has to be taken into consideration in the larger context of other TRAI recommendations on cross-media holdings,” minister of state in the ministry of information and broadcasting Rajyavardhan Rathore said in the Rajya Sabha.

“Hence, the IMC recommended that the restrictions in the existing guidelines may continue till the matter is holistically resolved. The recommendations of IMC on the issue have been accepted by this Ministry,” he further.

Rathore also said that the ministry is weighing in on the TRAI recommendations on cross-media holdings.

“Further, this Ministry is also concerned about the recommendation of TRAI regarding cross-media holdings with an objective to ensure plurality of news and views and availability of quality services at reasonable prices to the consumers,” he stated.

In its recommendations on 'Issues related to New DTH License', the authority had liberalised the cross holding restrictions by allowing broadcasters to own a distribution platform (DPO). However, no broadcaster can own more than one DPO.

The recommendations have implications for broadcasters Star India, ZEEL, and Sun TV Network. For Star, it will be a positive move as it can increase its stake in Tata Sky. ZEEL and Sun TV, whose promoters have interests in both cable TV and DTH, will have to choose between one of the two platforms.

However, the authority in its recommendations has imposed several restrictions on vertically integrated companies to ensure a level playing field.

One is that vertically integrated DPOs cannot exceed 33% market share. The relevant market for DTH is the whole country while in case of cable it is a state. Further, vertically integrated entities cannot do fixed fee deals. The deals can only be on a cost per subscriber (CPS), which has to be non-discriminatory.

In the recommendations on ‘Issues related to Media Ownership’, the regulator had suggested keeping government out of TV broadcasting sector. It had also sought a ban on private treaties between media companies and business houses.

It had also recommended imposing restrictions on media companies that have a market share of 32% in TV news and print segment. If any company crosses the threshold then it will have to dilute its control in one of the two segments.

Defining control, the authority said that an entity is said to ‘control’ another entity if it directly or indirectly through associate companies or subsidiaries owns at least 20% of total share capital.

The TRAI had even sought ownership restrictions on corporates entering media. It had also batted for a common media regulator for TV and print. 

Resource : https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=2457861156656369908#editor/target=post;postID=298605538195890508

Dish TV reports improved operating profits for second quarter

BENGALURU: Hit by a double whammy–that of demonetisation and the implementation of the new goods and services tax (GST)–Indian media and entertainment (M&E) companies have been struggling to attain and/or maintain black in their financials. Direct to home or DTH was one of the components of the M&E industry that had slowly started reporting profits – operating or plain profits after tax. The Essel group’s DTH services company Dish TV India Ltd (DishTV) was one of the first companies from the Indian carriage industry that had started churning out profits until the aforementioned double whammy. Subscription collections were suddenly hit because people just didn’t have enough legal currency. Average revenue per user (ARPU) fell – last year in the quarter before demonetization, the company had reported ARPU of Rs 162. For the quarter ended 30 September 2017 (Q2-18, quarter under review), ARPU was Rs 149. In the immediate trailing quarter (Q1-18), ARPU was slightly lower at Rs 148. 

Over the last few quarters post demonetisation, Dish TV’s net profits were in the red. However, during these quarters, operating profits (EBIDTA) were positive and that seems to have improved for the quarter under review as compared to the immediate trailing quarter (q-o-q, Q1-18). Year-over-year however, Dish TV has reported a net loss and lower operating profit for Q2-18 as compared to net profit and EBIDTA numbers of the corresponding year ago.

Dish TV reported 7.4 percent higher q-o-q EBIDTA for Q2-18 at Rs 2,160.8 million (28.9 percent margin - on operating revenue) as compared to Rs 2012.0 million (27.2 percent margin) for Q1-18. EBIDTA for Q2-17 was Rs 2,656.8 million (34.1 percent margin). The company’s net loss however widened q-o-q to Rs 178.7 million during the quarter under review as compared to a net loss of Rs 135.1 million in Q1-18 and a net profit after tax of Rs 689.6 million (8.8 percent margin) for Q2-17.

The silver lining for the company has been its growing subscriber base, and this despite lower ARPU has resulted in 1.3 percent q-o-q increase of operating revenue to Rs 7,585.80 million for Q2-18 as compared to Rs 7,388.8 in Q1-18. However, y-o-y operating revenue during the quarter under review was 3.9 percent lower as compared the Rs 7,792.8 million for Q2-17.

The company’s subscriber base has increased by 0.188 million subscribers during the quarter under review and it has reported a subscriber base of 15.9 million. The company had closed the corresponding year ago quarter with a subscriber base of 15.1 million – it had added 0.259 million subscribers in Q2-17. Consequently, Dish TV’s subscription revenue grew 1.9 percent q-o-q during the quarter under review to Rs 7,049 million. Year-on-year, subscription revenues were 3.3 percent lower than the Rs 7,288 million reported for Q2-17. Churn for Q2-18 was 0.8 percent

A look at the other numbers

Total expense in Q2-18 increased 6 percent y-o-y to Rs 7,834.7 million from Rs 7,393.1 million. Employee benefits expense was almost flat (declined 0.2 percent) y-o-y to Rs 366.3 million from Rs 367 million. Operating expenses in Q2-18 increased 6.6 percent y-o-y to Rs 3,893.4 million from Rs 3,651.9 million. Other expenses during the quarter under review declined 4.8 percent to Rs 1,038.0 million from Rs 1,090.8 million in Q2-17. Finance costs in Q2-18 increased 6.4 percent y-o-y to Rs 610.9 million from Rs 574.2 million.

Amalgamation of Videocon D2h into Dish TV

The proposed combination of Dish TV and Videocon d2h would create one of the world’s leading DTH platform.

Dish TV CMD Jawahar Goel said, “We have been eager to get back to our stakeholders with the news of the successful closure of the merger. With all other approvals in place, the only approval pending is from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. We are optimistic about hearing back from the MIB any moment now and hope to close the merger at the earliest thereafter.”

“We remain excited about the next phase of growth that the combined entity, Dish TV Videocon Limited, will go through and are committed to make the combination a mega success. On the synergy front, we stick to our guidance of Rs. 1,800 million for FY18 and Rs. 5,100 million for FY19,” he added.

Resource : http://www.indiantelevision.com/dth/dth-operator/dish-tv-reports-improved-operating-profits-for-second-quarter-171206

Jio Fiber and Jio DTH: What all we know so far about the new broadband and DTH service!

After giving a tough competition in the telecom market, Jio could be launching the all-new fiber network for the home broadband service and the much awaited Jio DTH. The Jio Fiber is currently being tested in select areas of Delhi, Mumbai, NCR, Ahmedabad, Surat and Vadodara.

Expected to be launched for a free service of three months just like Jio’s grand offer, users are eagerly vying for the broadband and DTH services to roll out.

Jio Fiber

Earlier in August 2016 at the company’s annual general meeting Reliance chairman Mukesh Ambani mentioned that soon Reliance would launch FTTH (fiber to the home) service, which would be capable of delivering broadband speed up to 1Gbps.

The company finally rolled out its FTTH service on January 13^th, 2017 but only in Mumbai. It offered a beta service with 100 GB per month high-speed quota for every customer. It also came with an added installation charge of Rs 4500 which was termed as ‘Refundable Security Deposit’ if the customer doesn’t wish to extend the Jio fiber beyond the trial period of three months.

Jio DTH

 

As far as the DTH services are considered, if Jio enters the market, it will surely challenge the dominance of Tata Sky, Videocon and Dish TV. 

Jio has already partnered with Indian video streaming website Hotstar and it may also partner with Amazon Prime and Netflix. This will enable the users to view the platforms from their set-top boxes.

Back in March, a lot of videos of Jio’s set-top box surfaced the internet and the launch was expected in August. However, now the new launch date is said to be around January 2018. Jio’s DTH smart setup box is said to include all the features of Jio TV mobile application. If sources are to be believed then, it will cost much less than its competitors. 

Resource :https://www.knocksense.com/2017/12/05/jio-fiber-jio-dth-know-far-new-broadband-dth-service/

DTH services to be launched soon, says Marriyum

ISLAMABAD: Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb on Friday said Direct To Home (DTH) services will soon be launched in the country.

Chairing a meeting in Islamabad, she said the technology was aimed at providing quality entertainment to the people.

“The initiative is part of the vision of the government to change the landscape of the country on the technological front as well,” she said

The minister also directed the management of Pakistan Television Corporation (PTV) to initiate the work at earliest for launching DTH services.

“PTV should launch DTH to provide state of the art, affordable, uninterrupted and quality services to the viewers as being made available by the state broadcasters across the region and around the world.”

READ MORE: WHAT IS DTH AND HOW WILL IT OPERATE IN PAKISTAN?

The state minister said that it was part of the policy of the ruling government to change the digital landscape of the country which also included the introduction of latest mobile technology (4G/5G).

She directed the PTV management to submit a detailed proposal for introduction of DTH services within the next seven days.

Marriyum further directed that the best available systems capable of providing quality services should be acquired and while preparing the proposal utmost consideration should be given to ensuring transparency in the whole process.

READ MORE: PEMRA AWARDS THREE DTH LICENSES IN ISLAMABAD AUCTION

“Once the proposal is firmed up, due process would be followed for the introduction of the best DTH services commensurate with the international standards,” she said.

The meeting was attended by senior officials of Ministry of Information, Broadcasting and PTV.

WHAT IS DTH?

The DTH technology enables a broadcasting company to directly beam the signal to your TV set through a receiver that is installed in the house. There is no need for a separate cable connection.

In this a dish is placed outside a home which helps in receiving the signals and broadcasting the transmission onto a television. The signals are digital by nature and are received directly from the satellite. The digital signals provide optimum quality in all features and make viewing an absolute pleasure. Features like 1080i resolution, 16:9 Wide Aspect Ratio, 5 Times Digital Picture Quality and HDD Sound add to the incredible experience of television viewing.

With DTH, you will also be able to view High Definition (HD) channels, more number of dth channels and you can customize the package as per your choices.

There are also widespread complaints of piracy of foreign channels by some of the local cable TV operators as well as individuals. Establishment of DTH service with proper authorization is expected to eliminate such gray market activity to a large extent.

Resource:https://arynews.tv/en/marriyum-aurangzeb-directs-ptv-launch-dth-system-earliest/

RCom to pull the plug on its DTH operations

Reliance Communications (RCom) is shutting down its DTH (direct-to-home) operations effective from November 18, reports the Economic Times.

 Reliance Communications (RCom) is shutting down its DTH (direct-to-home) operations effective from November 18, reports the Economic Times.

The company confirmed to the newspaper that since their licence is expiring they will not be able to continue with their DTH operations - Reliance Digital TV.

Mint accessed a TRAI report which said that RCom has the smallest market share of 2 percent among the other DTH players. Dish TV is at the top with a 24 percent market share and Tata Sky is catching up with a 23 percent market share.

A company spokesperson told the papers that DTH is a "non-core area for RCom." He said that the firm has asked its customers to shift to alternative providers and is working with three other providers for migrating their customers where they will be offered new schemes without additional costs.

In 2013, RCom planned to merge with Sun Group to strengthen its DTH business. However, that also didn't work out due to differences over valuation.

But the hurdles did not stop here. In April 2017, RCom believed to have retrenched nearly 800 employees as the firm was battling with its falling revenue numbers.

Recently, the firm called off their merger with Aircel. Even though this merger would have helped RCom strengthen its telecom presence, the deal was called off due to "legal and regulatory uncertainties, and various interventions by vested interests." 

Resource :http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/rcom-to-pull-the-plug-on-its-dth-operations-2419115.html

RCom to shut down DTH business

RCom cites expiry of its DTH licence as the reason behind the shutdown, says it is working with three other DTH players to migrate its customers

New Delhi: Anil Ambani-led Reliance Communications has decided to shut down its direct-to-home (DTH) business under the brand Reliance Digital TV with effect from 18 November, according to an advertisement in a Malayalam publication.

The company, which started in 2008, cited expiry of its DTH licence as the reason behind the shutdown in the ad. “Since our licence is expiring, we will be shutting down our DTH service across India. We urge subscribers to make alternative arrangements to continue to watch their favourite channels,” the advertisement said.

Responding to an emailed query, Reliance Communications confirmed the development and said that the company is working with three other DTH players to migrate its customers. “DTH operations are a non-core area for RCom (Reliance Communications), and we are currently working with three leading DTH operators for seamless migration of our customers, for them to enjoy uninterrupted services. A new scheme without any additional costs will be communicated to our customers in the next few days,” a company spokesperson said.

Currently, there are six private DTH firms—Zee group-owned Dish TV India Ltd, Reliance Digital Ltd, Tata Sky Ltd, Videocon d2h Ltd, Sun Direct TV Pvt. Ltd and Bharti Telemedia Ltd. In addition to these, state broadcaster Doordarshan also runs a DTH platform for free-to-air channels called DD Free Dish.

Reliance Digital TV is the smallest player with a market share of 2% in the 65.31 million DTH subscriber market (as of June 2017), according to a report released by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India.

Dish TV is currently the market leader with a 24% share, followed by Tata Sky with a 23% market share.

“Reliance has been debt-ridden and trying to get rid of its loss-making businesses. It also tried to merge with Sun Direct but it didn’t work out. In an industry where top three players control the market and there are talks of Reliance Jio entering the business with its predatory pricing strategy, it makes perfect sense for such a small player to shut the business altogether,” said a media industry expert, who did not want to be named.

Reliance’s move comes a year after the initiation of a consolidation process in the DTH industry with Dish TV announcing the merger of its operations with Videocon d2h in November 2016.

Once formed, the new company will be called Dish TV Videocon Ltd. Dish TV will own 55% and Videocon 45% stake in the new company. The merger is pending before the information and broadcasting ministry.

According to a 2013 report on the Indian DTH market by Hong Kong-based research firm Media Partners Asia, revenues are expected to touch $3.9 billion in 2017 and $5.3 billion by 2020, up from $1.5 billion in 2012.

Reliance Group companies have sued HT Media Ltd, Mint’s publisher, and nine others in the Bombay high court over a 2 October 2014 front-page story that they have disputed. HT Media is contesting the case.

Resource  http://www.livemint.com/Consumer/TIAfngt4j1Wk13PgAsrMfM/Reliance-Communications-to-shut-down-DTH-business.html

Dish TV selects Verimatrix for DTH service security

Dish TV India has selected Verimatrix to provide card-less security for its DTH service offerings.

DishTV, Asia’s largest DTH video service provider and the only DTH operator to operate through three satellites, will use the Verimatrix Video Content Authority System (VCAS) for DVB, as part of its revenue security measures. DishTV competes with TataSky and Airtel digital.

“Our infrastructural and technological edge allows us to continually develop new innovations and revolutionize our service offerings, so it has become crucial that our revenue security measures are robust yet flexible enough to keep pace,” said V K Gupta, COO at DishTV.

VCAS for DVB offers a modern approach to multi-device streaming as video service providers like DishTV redefine their pay-TV services. The solution is compliant to DVB standards and pre-integrated with a range of partner headend and software systems.

“Dish TV has established itself as the pioneer in the Indian DTH broadcast industry, and VCAS for DVB is designed to adapt to any scenario it may face as the Indian pay-TV industry continues to undergo rapid transformation,” said Steve Oetegenn, president of Verimatrix.

Resource  : http://www.telecomlead.com/broadcasting/dish-tv-selects-verimatrix-dth-service-security-79374

Star Bharat debut ratings and reach impressive

MUMBAI: Well, Star India seems to be on a roll these days. No sooner had the euphoria dimmed after it outwitted others with a masterstroke $ 2.56 billion global bid for India’s premier cricket league IPL, it’s now time to savour the success of rebranded-cum-rechristened channel Star Bharat, which is rubbing shoulders with category leaders in terms of ratings and reach --- and that too within a short period.

On 28 August 2017, Life OK was revamped with a new name, logo, tag line and, of course, a lineup of fresh original shows. It debuted on free-to-air DTH platform DD FreeDish with its parent having successfully bid for a place after coughing up a shade over Rs. 160 million. That Star Bharat continues to be available on other cable and DTH platforms could be another masterstroke.

Now sample the data collated by audience measurement organization BARC India. In week 36, Star Bharat took the second position in the GEC category garnering 669588 (000s) Impressions and 378234 (000s) Impressions, respectively, in the urban+rural and rural markets. The two-week old channel’s reach too had gone up by 15 per cent from week 35-36, while the ratings or impressions grew by 29 per cent.

In contrast, in week 34 of BARC India, Life OK (the earlier avatar of Star Bharat) was placed at 10th spot in the urban+rural market with 328571 (000s) Impressions, while in the urban market it did slightly better at sixth position with 213162 (000s) Impressions.

Cometh week 35 of BARC India. After an overhaul in name and programming, Star Bharat in its first week of operation climbed to the fifth spot in urban+rural market with 519743 (000s) Impressions. It also made an entry in the rural market at the fourth spot with 278785 (000s) Impressions and in urban market occupied the sixth position with 240958 (000s) Impressions.

An independent observer of the TV industry, having seen many a channel strategy gone awry, admitted that Star’s planning and research regarding distribution and programming does seem to be working. Primarily the FTA platform approach, though audience data provided to indiantelevison.com regarding Star Bharat 

 doesn’t specify whether the viewership and reach is coming from DD FreeDish or elsewhere.

TG: HSM, 2+

Top 10 Channels pre re-branding and post:

 Top 10 Hindi GECs In week36:

Here the equation becomes interesting. According to information collated by Indiantelevision.com, a 10-second ad rate for Star Bharat is presently estimated at around Rs 10,000, whereas Life OK commanded a higher price in the range of Rs 30,000-40000/10 seconds.According to the BARC India data, the four-week average for Life Ok (Week 31-34) was 345621 (‘000s) Impressions.However, the average for weeks 35-36 shows a growth of 72 per cent in the viewership of Star Bharat with figures of 594666 (‘000s) Impressions.

“The (sponsorship) rates will pick up once the ratings come. At present, it is just two weeks data. If there is stability in the ratings over the future weeks, there is a possibility that Star Bharat may increase its ad rates. Right now the marketing buzz and hype is pushing the channel, but after a few weeks it will not only stop, but may even out too,” a senior media planner told Indiantelevision.com, adding that the channel, as also the advertising world, will have to wait for at least “four to six weeks” to fairly evaluate the viewership data.

Old shows such as ‘May I come in Madam’, `Sher-E-Punjab Ranjeet Singh’, ‘Ghulam’ and `Chandrakanta’ have been taken off the air by the channel management of Life OK/Star Bharat, though crime series ‘Savdhaan India’ continues on Star Bharat. The channel in its new avatar has unveiled a content line up that is aimed at living up to the brand’s philosophy of ‘Bhula ke darr, kuch alag kar’ (forget the fear of the unknown and do something different).

So, Star Bharat now flaunts shows like `Om Shanti Om’, `Kya Haal Mr. Panchaal’, `Nimki Muhkiya’, `Saam Daam Dand Bhed’ and `Ayushman Bhav’.

Reach ‘000s for week 35 and 36

Star has three other channels on the DD FreeDish platform including Star Utsav, Star Utsav Movies and Star Sports First. The last one, which debuted earlier this year, again is a new FTA offering of sorts that has been riding the kabaddi league wave.Indiantelevision.com tried to reach out to Star India for its comments, but could not elicit a response till the time of writing this report. However, if we get some comments on Star Bharat from the channel owner, it’d be updated.

The big question is: will this rebranding and repositioning strategy work for Star Bharat? To use a cliché, only time will tell… oops, sorry, BARC India will tell.

Resource : http://www.indiantelevision.com/television/tv-channels/gecs/star-bharat-debut-ratings-and-reach-impressive-170915

Star Bharat coming soon on DD Freedish / DD Directplus

Star Bharat channel is coming soon on DD Freedish / DD Directplus, from August 27 2017 onwards Life OK channel is going to be rebranded as Star Bharat and as per reports this channel is going to be Free to Air and will be available on DD Freedish / DD Direct Plus as well.

As we know in last e-auction on DD Freedish Star has won 2 slots and in that one has been filled with Star Sports First channel and now this could be the second channel.

Resource :http://www.ddfreedish.info/18/08/2017/star-bharat-coming-soon-on-dd-freedish-dd-directplus/

Dish TV adopts TRAI tariff order; to offer channels on a la carte

NEW DELHI: Leading direct-to-home (DTH) player Dish TV has adopted the new tariff order of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) partly, in order to offer its subscribers a greater choice in selecting the channels they want to watch.

The DTH company has launched ‘Mera Apna Pack’, wherein subscribers can curate their choice of channels.

It provides subscribers the flexibility of channel selection to curate the best suitable pack. Customers can opt for popular channels by just paying Rs 8.5 per channel over and above the basic service pack for standard definition (SD) channels and Rs 17 per high definition (HD) channel.


“While ‘Freedom of Choice’ has been claimed for many decades, this initiative will truly empower consumers to choose from amongst the bouquet of channels and pay for only those channels that they would like to watch. This will also be in tune with TRAI’s new tariff regulations, an attempt to make channel pricing flexible yet affordable,” said Anil Dua, group CEO, Dish TV.

Resource http://telecom.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/dish-tv-adopts-trai-tariff-order-to-offer-channels-on-a-la-carte/59880646

DTH stocks fall up to 6 pc on announcement of Jio phone

Shares of broadcasting and cable TV companies on Friday slumped up to 6 per cent after Mukesh Ambani announced the launch of a 4G—enabled feature phone which would also have a cable to connect with TV as a special accessory to display the phone content on a bigger screen.

The scrip of Dish TV India plunged 5.85 per cent, Sun TV Network went down by 2.65 per cent, Hathway Cable & Datacom fell 2.58 per cent, GTPL Hathway (2.28 per cent) and Den Networks (0.13 per cent) on BSE.

“In addition to this, the announcements towards the JIO Phone — TV would also hurt the cable TV industry,” said Nitasha Shankar, Sr Vice President and Head of Research, YES Securities.

Mukesh Ambani today announced the launch of a 4G—enabled feature phone priced at “effective” zero that bundles life— long free voice calls with dirt cheap data in a bid to woo 50 crore low—income users to his 10—month old Jio.

Addressing the annual meeting of shareholders of RIL, the parent of Jio, Chairman Ambani said the handset, named JioPhone, will have “an effective price of Rs 0” as buyers will be able to get the device for a one—time refundable security deposit of Rs 1,500.

The deposit will be refunded after 36 months on return of the phone.

Voice calling will be free for life while unlimited data packs will cost Rs 153 a month on the device, he added.

Resource :http://www.thehindu.com/business/dth-stocks-fall-up-to-6-pc-on-announcement-of-jio-phone/article19326062.ece

Reliance JioFiber Preview Plan- Offers Free 100GB Data

Reliance JioFiber Preview Plan: Reliance Jio provides so many offers to the peoples. Now, they announce Reliance JioFiber Preview plan with attractive offers. The company website provided JioFiber Preview Plan that offers 100GB of data per month at 100Mbps of speed for three months for free. Users have to pay an installation charge (refundable security deposit) of Rs.4,500. After the 100GB FUP has been consumed, speeds drop to 1Mbps.

In their Twitter page, they tweeted as “The JioFiber Preview Offer has currently being launched in select areas of Mumbai, Delhi-NCR, Ahmedabad.” Reliance Jio is expected to launch services such as DTH, smart-TV boxes, IoT solutions; alongside its 1GBps broadband. The Jio’s DTH TV services with more than 360 channels and a “seven-day catch-up option being given to users” as well.

The JioFiber preview plan was spotted by a Redditor who was able to disable the redirect page and using Google cache; we were able to confirm what was reported.

The website also revealed the cities where the JioFiber Preview Plan will be launching. The cities are Ahmedabad, Delhi, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kolkata, Mumbai, Surat, Vadodara, and Vishakhapatnam. Jio will also provide its custom router during installation, which is included in the cost of the installation charge. Notably, there is also an option that says “I am interested in enhancing Jio coverage in my building,” which could hint that Jio may install a network of routers to improve the coverage in a building.

By the report, Jio will test its JioFiber Service in Pune and Mumbai at speed between 70Mbps to 100Mbps. The preview plan will be offered for three months for free, like as “Welcome Offer.” Stay tuned for more updates.

Resource :  https://www.keralanews247.com/reliance-jiofiber-preview-plan-offers-free-100gb-data/

DD FreeDish a hit with advertisers, broadcasters; subscriber base reaches 40 mn mark

With a current subscriber base of 22 million, the government run DTH service provider DD FreeDish which telecasts free-to-air channels has turned out to be a favourite amongst broadcasters as well as advertisers.

According to the latest EY report titled, India’s FTA market – 2017, the subscriber base of DD FreeDish is projected to reach 40 million users in the next two–three years. (Representative Image: Reuters)

With a current subscriber base of 22 million, the government run direct-to-home (DTH) service provider DD FreeDish which telecasts free-to-air channels has turned out to be a favourite amongst broadcasters as well as advertisers. According to the latest EY report titled, India’s FTA market – 2017, the subscriber base of DD FreeDish is projected to reach 40 million users in the next two–three years. As a matter of fact, in the latest round of bidding for slots on FreeDish held on July 4, broadcasters paid R85 crore as carriage fee for 11 slots. “FTA market has become important, with the rise in subscriber base. However, these viewers are going through a transition, as FTA is the first step in TV viewing before they migrate to paid platforms,” said Rohit Gupta, president, network sales and international business, Sony Pictures Network.

The latest report on FTA market by ICICI Securities points out that the rise in FTA channels has been driven by Broadcast Association Research Council ‘s (BARC), measurement of ratings in rural India According to BARC ratings for week 26 (June 24-30, 2017), in the rural markets, Zee Anmol – the FTA channel from the house of Zee Entertainment Enterprises (ZEEL) grabbed the top spot with 470,357,000 weekly impressions, followed by Colors Rishtey at 432,128,000 weekly impressions at number two position. This has whetted advertisers’ interest.

“Companies such as Hindustan Unilever (HUL), Procter & Gamble (P&G) have a huge chunk of their target consumers residing in rural India. Thus FTA channels have become the perfect platform to advertise. In the last one year, these companies have increased their advertising spend by 50% on FTA channels,” said a senior media planner. As per the ICICI Securities report, the FTA advertising market which was pegged at Rs 400 crore –Rs 500 crore CY16, is expected to grow to Rs 800 crore- Rs 1,000 crore by end of CY17.

 Interestingly, advertising rates too have gone up in the last one year by 100%. Currently a ten second ad spot during prime-time on FTA channels costs anywhere in the range of Rs 10,000 – Rs 20,000 compared to the rate of Rs 5,000 – Rs 10,000, till December last year. Compared to this a ten second ad spot during prime-time on Star Plus, ZEE TV, costs between Rs 80,000 – Rs 1 lakh.

“FTA channels are growing at the expense of paid channels. The situation is similar to that of paid video over-the-top platforms (OTT) versus the free platforms. In India viewers are fine with the idea of watching content a bit late if it’s for free. Going forward broadcasters are expected to face a tough time converting these consumers into paid,” said Ashish Sehgal, COO, Zee Unimedia.

The ICICI Securities report estimates an annual revenue opportunity loss of Rs 1,800 crore for broadcasters from pay-TV, “assuming 300 million subscribers could have generated monthly content average revenue per user (ARPU) of Rs 50,” said analysts in the ICICI securities report.

Resource : http://www.financialexpress.com/industry/dd-freedish-a-hit-with-advertisers-broadcasters-subscriber-base-reaches-40-mn-mark/758045/

Alliance with Tata to help Bharti Airtel close gap with Vodafone-Idea

Bharti Enterprises and the Tata Group have held exploratory talks to evaluate a mega alliance involving their telecom, enterprise services, overseas cable and direct-to-home TV businesses

 Bharti Airtel will emerge stronger in the enterprise and undersea cable business and narrow the gap with the Vodafone-Idea combine in mobile service revenue market share (RMS) if the Sunil Mittal-led Bharti Enterprises and the Tatas form an alliance, analysts said.

However, Airtel will face some challenges from a merger: over Rs 30,000 crore in debt and a modest 48 million subscribers of Tata’s mobile service business, breach of market share cap in eight circles, and the need to spend $1.7 billion (over Rs 11,000 crore) to pay market rates for airwaves in the 1800 MHz band held by Tata Teleservices to use them for 4G, they said.

Bharti Enterprises and the Tata Group held exploratory talks to evaluate a mega alliance involving their telecom, enterprise services, overseas cable and direct-to-home TV businesses, ET reported last week. Both entities have not commented on the matter.

If a deal gets confirmed “and subsequently completed, Bharti Airtel would have an RMS of 40% on the cellular business front, closing the gap with the potential Idea-Vodafone merged entity (that will command a 44% RMS),” Bank of America-Merrill Lynch said in a note to clients. At present, Airtel’s RMS is 33%.

 Theoretically, this merger would also make Airtel stronger in the enterprise and undersea businesses, where the telco “is currently not in a dominant position,” the US bank said.

Analysts expect any potential Tata-Bharti mega alliance to unlock synergies in the direct-to-home TV industry.

BankAm-Merrill Lynch said the DTH industry would turn into a two-player market with a Airtel-Tata Sky combine commanding 43% of the subscribers and Dish-Videocon controlling 45%. Edelweiss backed the view and said such a potential merger would strengthen the bargaining power of DTH companies and help lower content cost.

Experts see strong business sense for Airtel to buy both the listed Tata Communications, a provider of network, cloud and security services, and Tata Sky.
“TataComm potentially brings a lot of value to the table by virtue of its sizeable intra-city fibre resources, its sub-sea cable system assets coupled with its strong enterprise business which would complement Airtel’s,” said an analyst at a Mumbai-based brokerage.

Brokerages also foresee minority/strategic stakeholder interests in Tata group outfits such as the listed Tata Communications and Tata Sky as a potential hurdle.

Edelweiss said minority stakeholders like the government – which owns 26% of Tata Communications – and Rupert Murdoch’s 21st Century Fox (owner of 30% in Tata Sky) “may not find their strategic stakes relevant in the combined (Tata-Bharti) entity and alignment of their interest could be a challenge.”

Among the challenges are Tata group’s mobility business assets, analysts said.

BankAm-Merrill Lynch said the Tatas’ holding of spectrum in the 850 MHz band may prove inadequate for Bharti Airtel to launch full-scale 4G LTE. Since the Tatas have 2.5 MHz of airwaves in the 850 MHz band, which are expiring in a few years, such spectrum can be used only for narrow-band LTE, the US brokerage said.

Edelweiss said the synergy benefits “are not meaningful” because a significant chunk of Tata’s spectrum holdings are unliberalised, for which market prices haven’t been paid.

BankAm-Merrill Lynch estimates Bharti would need to invest $1.7 billion to liberalise Tata Tele’s 1800 MHz spectrum and would also cross the revenue cap in eight circles.

India’s telecom M&A norms require a single entity’s revenue and subscriber market share to be below 50% and spectrum holding to be below specified caps. 

Resource : http://brandequity.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/business-of-brands/alliance-with-tata-to-help-bharti-airtel-close-gap-with-vodafone-idea/59538589

HRD gifts 32 DTH channels to students, announces ‘guru dakshina’ for President

The government has also decided to adopt a 17-point action plan for this year, including building digital campuses.

 Students across the country will now be able to access high-quality educational programmes as the HRD ministry launched 32 DTH channels on Sunday, along with a number of other digital initiatives in the field of education.

At the inauguration of three digital initiatives— Swayam, Swayam Prabha and National Academic Depository — human resource development (HRD) minister Prakash Javadekar said convocation addresses delivered by President Pranab Mukherjee will be compiled and published as ‘guru dakshina’ to him.

Felicitating Mukherjee — who was a teacher before he plunged into politics in 1969 — on the occasion of Guru Purnima, Javadekar said his life was an “exemplary” record of calibre, capacity and conduct, adding that Mukherjee represented all teachers in India.

“Since I called him a teacher, there will be ‘guru dakshina’ as well. We will publish compilation of his convocation addresses to various universities so that students can enlighten themselves from his valuable observations,” he said. Talking about the initiatives, he said Swayam aims at taking the best teaching-learning resources to all. Under Swayam Prabha, the government plans to telecast high-quality educational programmes through 32 DTH channels, whereas National Academic Depository will facilitate online verification of certificates.

The government has also decided to adopt a 17-point action plan for this year, including building digital campuses. The plan covers measures such as universal adoption of digital education and digital financial transactions in campuses from the current academic year. Javadekar added that the government would come up with integrated B.Ed courses so that students can decide on becoming teachers after Class 12. They can take such integrated courses with graduation in a subject of their choice.

 Resource :http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/hrd-gifts-32-dth-channels-to-students-announces-guru-dakshina-for-president/story-7QyoLQL4vgvCZ032sFi67H.html

Free TV viewership to touch 46 million households by 2020: EY

The number of free TV viewership households in India is estimated to touch 46 million by 2020, a growth of over 50 per cent, mainly due to the rise of state- run DTH operator DD Free Dish, said a report by global consultancy EY.

The number of free TV viewership households in India is estimated to touch 46 million by 2020, a growth of over 50 per cent, mainly due to the rise of state- run DTH operator DD Free Dish, said a report by global consultancy EY.

There were 30 million free TV households in the country in 2016.

The growth in free TV viewership will be in addition to consumption of content on mobile digital terrestrial television (DTT) handsets, the report said.

"The free TV market in India is poised to grow primarily due to the rise of DD Free Dish, which has now become the largest DTH operator in the country," said the EY report, titled India's Free TV – a game changing opportunity.

DD Free Dish, the state-run DTH provider, is the largest TV distribution company in the country with over 20 million subscribers, more than national pay TV companies, which average 8 million to 16 million each.

With over 80 channels currently, DD Free Dish plans to add 104 more by 2017-end and eventually take the count to 256 by 2020. The subscriber base of DD Free Dish is projected to reach around 40 million in the next 2–3 years.

"The implementation of the tariff order of 2017 could further push the free TV viewer base to 46 million by 2020," the report said.

It observed that with the new tariff order, customers would have to choose between paying more to receive pay channels of their choice or opt for free television, which will help further drive subscriptions from price-conscious consumers.

"Free television is increasingly becoming a viable option for channels looking to capture the base-of-pyramid audiences in urban and non-urban areas.

"With a large subscriber base, it also opens up new avenues of advertising for marketers looking to tap some of the fastest-growing markets in the country," said EY Partner – Advisory, Media and Entertainment, Ashish Pherwani.
"The change in customer behaviour will also have a significant impact on FTA (free to air) and pay TV channel uptake, and corresponding spends on subscription income," he added. 

Resource : http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/markets-business/free-tv-viewership-to-touch-46-million-households-by-2020-ey-2319411.html

Videocon d2h adds 71 channels in regional languages this year

MUMBAI: Videocon d2h is widening its TV channel portfolio. The direct-to-home (DTH) arm of Videocon Group has added two news channels, JK 24×7 and Gulistan News, for its subscribers in Jammu & Kashmir. In fact, Videocon d2h has added 71 new channels in regional languages this calendar year.

Said Videocon d2h executive chairman Saurabh Dhoot, “We at Videocon d2h have always kept ahead of what our consumers require. Whether it is innovating in our set-top boxes or by continuously adding the best channels or in service, we have always led from the front. Content has been a key driver of our leadership; this calendar year, we have already added 71 new channels in regional languages. With JK 24X7 News and Gulistan, our subscribers will have even more choice to stay informed with the latest news.

” While JK 24×7 is a Hindi news channel, Gulistan News is an Urdu channel. The 24-hour news channels will deliver the day’s top stories, both national and international.

 The two channels will be available on promotional Hindi Top-up for flexi pack on channel No 335 and 790 respectively.

 With the fourth phase of digital addressable system (DAS) nearing closure, there is a growing demand for state specific and regional-language channels.

Said Videocon d2h CEO Anil Khera, “As DAS Phase IV nears an end, we are seeing a significant appeal of state specific and regional language channels. Adding two channels specifically for J&K underlines our commitment to provide holistic family entertainment to the state.

” Videocon d2h has a line-up of 570+ channels and services, including a host of regional channels. It offers a wide range of active services like smart services including Smart English, Smart Games. The other active services include d2h Hollywood HD, d2h music, d2h spice, d2h cinema in both standard definition and HD

Resource:http://www.televisionpost.com/dth/videocon-d2h-adds-71-channels-in-regional-languages-this-year/

Tariff regulation in DTH industry via a-la-carte packs won’t help much, cable operators say

PUNE: The move to regulate tariff in the direct-to-home entertainment industry won't help much in bringing down cost for the customer, according to the leader of one of the direct-to-home operators. He did not want to be named because the matter is yet to be decided and he is one of the petitioners against the move

The telecom regulatory authority of India has said that direct-to-home operators and cable service providers must make channels available on a a-la-carte basis to the customers and not force them with unrequired channels in packages. "It is a hassle to unbundle channels...the cost will remain the same for the customer," he said, adding, "If each channel is priced at the proposed pricing of Rs 19 per channel, a bundle of 20 channels will be Rs 380 per month. In the same money, a customer is given more channels. So why change that?

He further added that though DTH operators are offering channels on an a-la-carte basis for the last 5 years, people have not subscribed to it in a big way. Also, it is difficult to map cable service providers as most of their services are still un-accounted for, even if digital. "In DTH case, you can at least give us a call. What will you do with cable operators," he said.

Stay updated on the go with Times of India News App. Click here to download it for your device.
Resource : Resource :https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=2457861156656369908#editor/target=post;postID=8680072871825523901

Harmonic HEVC System Put to Use by Almatel Kazakhstan

SAN JOSE, CALIF.—Harmonic is assisting Kazakhstan’s largest cable operator, Almatel Kazakhstan, with the latest generation of HEVC video compression technology for the operator’s new direct-to-home (DTH) satellite television platform.   

Using Harmonic’s Electra X advanced media processing platform helps deliver SD, HD and UHD channels across Kazakhstan, increasing bandwidth efficiency by leveraging HEVC codec. The software will also allow the station to adopt new formats and codecs in the future, including 4K/UHD. As a result, Almatel Kazakhstan has launched a new UHD channel and has plans expand its UHD offerings in the future.

Almatel Kazakhstan CEO Eric Franke says that the Electra X platform allows for the delivery of about 140 SD and HD channels from the same DTH platform.

Resource :http://www.tvtechnology.com/news/0002/harmonic-hevc-system-put-to-use-by-almatel-kazakhstan/281208

GST bonanza: Electronics, lifestyle goods get cheaper

The new tax regime will not allow retailers a full set-off on goods procured in the last six months

 If you have been bitten by the shopping bug, you can’t be blamed. Well, at least, not this year. After all, it is not often that retail stores offer steep discounts in the months of May–June. While monsoon sales by apparel stores usually start by end of June and electronic stores do have some clearance sales in June-July, this year with the Goods and Services Tax (GST) starting from July 1, discounts are bigger than before.

For instance, electronic stores like Vijay Sales, Kohinoor and Digi1 are offering up to 50 per cent off on certain models or till stocks last. Snehanjali, another Mumbai-based electronic chain is advertising its offer as the pre-GST sale with a warning thrown in for good measure that “Prices for most electronic items are set to rise by 5 per cent’’. Electronic manufacturer Samsung is offering free DTH connection with televisions and extended warranty periods and free services with air-conditioners (ACs) and microwaves as part of its ‘June Fest’.


Brands such as Puma, Bata, ONLY, Jack & Jones, Vero Moda, Louis Philippe, Van Heusen, Benetton and US Polo have already begun their sales across major cities.

Retail chains such as Pantaloons, Lifestyle and Shoppers Stop are yet to come out with their formal end-of-season sale, but they have already started giving discounts on select brands in the range of 20-40 per cent.

Then, Flipkart and Shopclues are running their own versions of GST sale. Flipkart Fashion Days will run for nine days, from June 10 to June 18 under which the company would offer products from 50 brands. It will also hold A 'Bid n Win' contest for customers during the nine-day sale and the lowest unique bidders will win prizes like Emporio Armani watch worth Rs 13,995, Victorinox bag worth Rs 15,960 and more.

Impact of GST: With the GST on the anvil, retailers are worried that as any stock that they have procured in the last six months will not get the full set-off on the tax already paid when the transition to GST happens on July 1. That is why there is a scrambling to clear off stuff.

Currently, on stocks which are invoiced and delivered to the retailer, the VAT, excise and octroi in some cases have been has been paid. From July 1, if this stock is not cleared, retailers will be stuck with two kinds of stock. Stock on which there are GST invoices from the manufacturer client where the retailer can bill out and effectively claim a set off on GST and stock that is from before GST. On that stock retailer does not have GST invoice. And the effective set off would be only 60 per cent. “Essentially there is a loss on that and that is why retailers are trying to get the old stock out,”Ritesh Ghosal, Chief Marketing Officer, Infiniti Retail which owns Croma. The impact of GST will not be uniform and will vary depending on the region. For instance, in areas that have a lower VAT regime, like Karnataka and UP, prices could go up post GST. While in areas with higher VAT like Gujarat or Mumbai (which also has octroi) there could be softening of prices. “The immediate impact will not be more than 1.5 per cent either way,” he adds.

 case of apparels, with the input tax credit being made available under GST, prices will go down for cotton apparels below Rs 999 and remain unchanged for apparels above Rs 1,000, says Rakesh Biyani, Joint Managing Director, Future Retail. Apparels have a tax rate of 5 per cent and 12 per cent under GST. “June end-July is when end of season sales are held at stores. With the festive season this month, we are offering 50 per cent cash back on purchases of Rs 2,000,’’ he says.

Older models are being cleared: According to Arvind Singhal, Managing Director, Technopak, a management consulting firm, June and July are among the weakest months in the year for a number of categories. So these sales could be a way for many companies to actually use the pretext of GST and get their slow moving stocks out of the way by giving a discount. “Inventory lying in the pipeline will not be able to get any kind of tax rebate abatement. So, that is one reason why sales are happening. But GST is also a reason for stores to get their slow moving stocks out of the way by giving a discount,’’ he says.

Ghosal adds that the current sales are more clearance sales as stores push out inventory. “Every year, at this time there is a churn that happens. It is end of season and setting up for the new season. May and June is the period when stores flush out old stock,’’ he says. For instance, new television models are launched around August and between the festival season. Similarly, new laptop and computer models are launched in July when schools and colleges start their new terms.

It is likely that the discounts may continue post July, as stores clear their stock to make place for new models. “The festival period begins in September and usually there are not much discounts on the new models which will hit retail outlets by then,” says Singhal.

The discounts going on currently are more of a unit wise discount rather than a category wise discount. The discount depends on the age of the model and the particular store. Largely, they range from 15-25 on most categories. Though in stray cases they could be 70 per cent.

“Essentially the discount is catering to people who are deal seekers and who are happy to settle for older models,” Ghosal says. 

Resource : http://www.business-standard.com/article/economy-policy/gst-bonanza-electronics-lifestyle-goods-get-cheaper-117061401458_1.html

Sun Direct has 3-year capex plan of Rs 1,475 cr; capital infusion from promoters not needed

MUMBAI: With Sun Direct turning profitable, the promoters need not infuse equity funding to support the direct-to-home (DTH) company. Sun Direct, which is 80% owned by Kalanithi Maran and his wife and 20% by Malaysia’s Astro, has a capital expenditure plan of Rs 1,475 crore for the next three financial years. Out of this, the intent is to have a debt funding of Rs 450 crore during FY18–FY20. The future capital expenditure of the company is expected to be supported through internal accruals and debt, with no further dependence on promoters’ contribution.


The main capex will be for purchase of customer premises equipment (CPE), a market source said. Earlier, the promoters of Sun Direct had been providing financial support to the company by infusing equity. Though Sun Direct started generating cash profits from FY13, it continued to incur losses until FY16. For the first nine months of FY17, Sun Direct posted net profit of Rs 21.2 crore on a revenue of Rs 907.93 crore. In FY16, Sun Direct reported net loss of Rs 35.30 crore compared to Rs 156.92 crore a year ago. T


otal operating income grew to Rs 1,116.61 crore, up from Rs 1,048.62 crore in the earlier year. Sun Direct’s net subscriber base has remained nearly stagnant for over four years with the focus being on South India. The company has a 10% market share of the total active DTH subscriber base, which is pegged at 62.65 million, as of 31 December 2016. Sun Direct has been able to maintain its market share in South India at about 40%. I

n the company’s net subscriber base, the share of South India has increased from about 94% during FY14 to over 97%. Sun Direct’s ARPU has been seeing steady growth over the years. For the first nine months of FY17, the DTH company’s ARPU increased to Rs 175 compared to Rs 163 in FY16. ARPU in FY15 was Rs 153, up from Rs 143 in FY14 and Rs 131 in FY13. The growth in ARPU has helped Sun Direct to improve on profitability parameters.


 The company’s losses at the net level have been declining over the last three years. In FY17, Sun Direct added three transponders on GSAT 15.

 It has a total of eight transponders, equally split between Measat 3 and GSAT 15. The addition of the transponders has enabled the company to increase the number of HD channels in its bouquet to 55. The increase in bandwidth will help Sun Direct to not only retain but also add subscribers while enhancing its ARPU, a media analyst said.

Resource : http://www.televisionpost.com/dth/sun-direct-has-3-year-capex-plan-of-rs-1475-cr-capital-infusion-from-promoters-not-needed/

Dish TV adds 3 channels to its portfolio

MUMBAI: Direct-to-home (DTH) operator Dish TV has added three new channels, namely Mirror Now, Miniplex and Teleone, on its platform. With the three new additions, the total count of channels and services offered by Dish TV now stands at 620.


Commenting on these additions, Dish TV CEO Anil Dua said, “We at Dish TV have been at the forefront of enhancing TV viewing experience and exploring opportunities to bring wholesome entertainment to the audience. With a sharp focus on content, the move aims at connecting strongly to provide the best of entertainment to our subscribers. The addition of these three channels will not only strengthen our presence but will also diversify our offerings.”

Moreover, keeping up the idea of providing the best of entertainment in industry, Dish TV recently added Arnab Goswami’s news channel Republic TV on their platform. Enhancing the kids genre, the DTH operator had also added Sony Yay to its channel repertoire last month. These two channels will be available on channel #771 and #989 respectively.

Resource : http://www.televisionpost.com/dth/dish-tv-adds-3-channels-to-its-portfolio/

Will the stars align for Airtel Digital TV's new SVOD astrology channel, Astrovaani?

Airtel Digital TV, the DTH arm of Bharti Airtel, and Dominiche, an MCN catering to the DTH and OTT ecosystem launched Astrovaani, a subscription-based video on demand (SVOD) astrology channel. Through this, Indian viewers will have access to on-demand, round the clock, cable content focused on astrology for the first time.

Currently, the service is available to Airtel DTH users at an introductory price of Re 1 for the first fortnight, after which subscribers can access the channel for a nominal Rs 39 per month.

Astrovaani showcases a variety of astrology techniques and practices including tarot, Vastu, Feng Shui, palmistry, numerology, healing, face reading, aura reading and Runes. Also, the programming will cover astrological accessories such as gems and precious stones, rudraksh, yantra and lalkitaab, among other things. Predictions on Astrovaani will be made by prominent names in the field including MunishaKhatwani, BejanDaruwala,Neel Choksi and Bhavesh Dave, among others.

Sriram Sundresan, Chief Marketing Officer, Airtel Digital TV, said, “We are pleased to announce the launch of Astrovaani. Indians have shown an appetite for content related to astrology and this service will offer them easy access to the latest in the genre and will go a long way in answering their questions on the subject.”

Utpal Vaishnav, Managing Director, Dominiche, said, “As part of our endeavour to constantly make unique and compelling content available to the DTH ecosystem, we have curated and produced the Astrovaani channel. The genre has the capability to drive a lot of viewership in India. The Astro genre also fills a significant void. Astrovaani features the best Indian astro experts. Dominiche has covered this genre most comprehensively by exclusively signing up over 350 top experts and creating over 500 hours of programme content.”

Earlier, Airtel Digital TV launched ‘Internet TV,’ its latest smart set top box, powered by Android TV, which comes preloaded with Netflix, YouTube, Google Play Music, Google Play Games, Airtel Movies and more.

Bharti Airtel lately has been pretty active in the digital space with its announcement of tie-up with Amazon for its recently launched Fire TV Stick with Voice Remote last month. Through this partnership, customers purchasing Amazon Fire TV will avail 100 GB high-speed data free via Airtel Broadband/Airtel 4G Home Wi-Fi.

Resource :http://www.exchange4media.com/digital/will-the-stars-align-for-airtel-digital-tvs-new-svod-astrology-channel-astrovaani_69014.html