DTH Industry Might Grow 6% During This Financial Year: CRISIL

The DTH segment is likely to witness six percent growth, during this financial year, as per Crisil's new report. The report said that DTH operators have added many subscribers and expected to get Rs. 2,200 crore in FY 21.

"At a time when most other industries are seeing a 20-30 percent drop in revenues, the overall revenue of the DTH industry has remained stable with a marginal decline of about 2-3 percent in subscribers. Despite the initial decline, there was a marginal increase in average revenue per user (ARPU) in Q1 FY21," Sachin Gupta, senior director, Crisil Ratings, said.

The new report comes soon after DTH operators have launched several packs to attract users as they have lost subscribers. The operators have reduced the prices of set-top boxes and offering packs at affordable prices. However, the growth is estimated to be less than the last financial year. The report added that last year's growth comes from the subscriber base and jump in average revenues per user.

"This fiscal (FY21), the subscriber base is seen increasing another 600-700 bps to 68 million, which will lift revenue growth up 400-600 bps. But ARPU is seen contracting 100-200 bps to Rs. 310-315 on downtrading by viewers and reduction in charges for multi-TV subscribers as per the New Tariff Order (NTO) 2.0," Sachin added.

Tata Sky New Offers Details

The leading direct-to-home player Tata Sky has launched several initiatives during this pandemic like new plans, smart guides, reduced prices of set-top boxes, and partners with companies to bring the facility in India.

Apart from these benefits, Tata Sky has partnered with Accedo to launch a new interface for Tata Sky Binge+ set-top box. Similarly, Dish TV has announced that it is also setting up its manufacturing line in the country to promote the Atmanirbhar Bharat. These initiatives clearly show that DTH players have taken all measures to increase their subscribers' base in the country.