Business · Companies · 1 hr ago
Tata Play launches Rs 199 live-TV app while keeping DTH business
Tata Play has launched an internet-based app with more than 500 live TV channels for compatible smart TVs and other devices.
Called Tata Play Smart, it costs Rs 199 a month for the first language and Rs 99 for each additional language.
Viewers can use an internet connection instead of a satellite dish or set-top box, while keeping features such as channel numbers and a programme guide.
The launch comes as India's paid DTH subscriber base fell 13.4% in a year, reaching 48.56 million by June 2026.
Tata Play, the country's largest paid DTH operator, says the app is an expansion alongside satellite TV, not a replacement for it.
The company sees potential in households that do not yet own a television and in TV-owning homes that have not subscribed to pay television.
The app gives Tata Play another way to reach viewers as households increasingly use connected TVs and streaming services.
Tata Play has launched Tata Play Smart, an internet-based live-TV app with more than 500 channels that works without a set-top box or dish antenna.
The app costs ₹199 per month for the first language and ₹99 per month for each additional language.
The company says the app expands its services rather than replacing its direct-to-home business.
India’s paid DTH operators had 48.56 million active subscribers as of June 30, 2026, down 13.4% from a year earlier.
Tata Play remained the largest paid DTH operator, with 14.84 million subscribers and a 30.56% market share.
- Who
- Tata Play launched the app. Managing director and CEO Harit Nagpal described the company’s strategy.
- What
- Tata Play Smart offers more than 500 live-TV channels over the internet without a set-top box or dish antenna.
- When
- The launch was reported on October 14 and 15, 2026.
- Where
- The service is available on compatible smart TVs and on mobile devices, tablets and laptops.
- Why
- Tata Play says it is expanding how it serves consumers and offering choice across viewing platforms.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Paid DTH operators had 48.56 million active subscribers, down from 56.07 million a year earlier.
Reports announced Tata Play Smart, an app offering more than 500 live-TV channels without a set-top box or dish antenna.
- Channels
- More than 500 live-TV channels
- Monthly price
- ₹199 for the first language; ₹99 for each additional language
- Tata Play DTH subscribers
- 14.84 million as of June 30, 2026
- Tata Play market share
- 30.56% as of June 30, 2026
- Paid DTH subscriber base
- 48.56 million as of June 30, 2026
2 sources
What people are saying
Tata Play is not looking at this as a shift away from DTH, but as an expansion of how we serve evolving consumer needs
Our job is content aggregation and distribution besides making content discovery simpler. We continue to do the same while making the user interface easier and familiar for those who are now using the Internet
What is maturity for one customer, is an entry point for another
Connected TV is rapidly evolving from a premium platform into a true mass-reach medium.