12 months ago
DTH Subscribers Decline as Consumers Shift to OTT Platforms
Imagine TV channels delivered through a satellite dish, that's DTH.
But, people are starting to watch shows on the internet, like YouTube or Netflix (OTT).
DTH companies are losing money because fewer people are subscribing.
OTT platforms let you watch what you want, whenever you want, which is appealing.
Many viewers are also moving to free online options.
DTH providers are trying to adapt by offering bundled subscriptions with OTT services.
However, traditional DTH is still popular in rural areas.
Companies like Tata Play and Dish TV are seeing revenue declines, while Airtel is growing.
DTH operators are losing subscribers and revenue as consumers move to OTT platforms.
The pay DTH subscriber base has decreased by over 7 million since 2021.
OTT platforms provide on-demand viewing and a wider range of content.
DTH providers are experimenting with bundled OTT subscriptions to retain customers.
Traditional DTH remains important in rural India.
- Who
- DTH providers and consumers.
- What
- DTH operators are losing subscribers and revenue as consumers switch to OTT platforms.
- Where
- India
- When
- FY25 (and ongoing).
- Why
- Consumers prefer on-demand viewing and a broader variety of content available on OTT platforms.
Key facts
- DTH Subscriber Decline (FY25)
- 56.92 million (from 61.97 million in FY24)
- Active Paid OTT Subscriptions
- 99.6 million
- Online Video Viewers
- 551 million
- Tata Play Market Share
- 31.42%
- Airtel Market Share
- 30.2%
- Airtel's DTH Revenue Growth (FY25)
- 5%
- Tata Play Revenue (FY25)
- ₹4,109.3 crore
- Dish TV Revenue (FY25)
- ₹1,567.6 crore
Quotes
Chandrashekar Mantha
Partner, media and entertainment sector leader at Deloitte India
“Since 2021, the pay DTH subscriber base has witnessed a decline of over 7 million, with the migration to OTT services emerging as the primary catalyst.”
livemint.com
“The appeal of on-demand viewing, coupled with a broader variety of content, has fundamentally shifted consumer preferences.”
livemint.com
Mantha
Partner, media and entertainment sector leader at Deloitte India
“Despite these shifts, traditional DTH services remain deeply entrenched in rural India, where they continue to serve as a primary source of entertainment. This rural reliance suggests that while the pay DTH sector faces ongoing challenges, its decline may be more gradual compared to urban centres.”
livemint.com
“In response, DTH providers have experimented with app-based offerings and bundled OTT subscriptions, achieving moderate success in retaining their customer base.”
livemint.com
Dobhal
CEO at Dish TV
“Fliq is an another way to retain customers from OTT and YouTube. Under Fliq, we have already got around 4,000 hours of content, which is created by professional content creators.”
livemint.com
“It is already drawing a lot of traffic, which will benefit not only Watcho, but also the DTH business owners.”
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Tata Play
A DTH provider
“From the topline perspective, the focus continued to leverage on sports, ringfence customers on long-duration products, use AI-ML (artificial intelligence and machine learning) for revenue management and grow average revenue per user.”
livemint.com
Dish TV
A DTH provider
“due to a reduction in pay-TV subscriber numbers and stagnant average revenue per user (ARPU).”
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Partho Dasgupta
Managing partner, Thoth Advisors and former chief executive at Barc India
“Many also now prefer to watch television shows on the broadcasters’ own streaming apps such as JioCinema, Disney+ Hotstar, SonyLIV, and others. This is also because post covid, the binge-watching culture has increased, which was not present before.”
livemint.com
Manoj Dobhal
CEO at Dish TV
“Around 30% of DTH customers are now opting for hybrid packs. So they want both DTH as well as OTT. So these 30% customers, I would have lost otherwise if I had not bundled the hybrid packs, if I had not provided the OTT option.”
livemint.com
