After Dish TV, Nelen enters connected TV space with broadcaster partnerships

The expansion of connected TV (CTV) services by traditional television distributors is gathering pace, with operators looking to combine linear television channels with internet-based delivery as viewing shifts towards smart TVs and connected devices. 

After Dish TV India’s push into the segment via Vzy, Andhra Pradesh-based Nelen has entered the connected TV space with an offering that brings live linear channels, including those from leading broadcasters, to internet-connected screens.

The move signals a widening effort by distribution platforms to establish a presence beyond conventional cable and direct-to-home (DTH) connections. By taking linear television online, distributors are seeking to retain their relationship with viewers as smart TVs, streaming applications and internet-delivered television become increasingly important parts of the home entertainment ecosystem.

Nelen’s offering places it alongside other distribution-led initiatives attempting to bring traditional television viewing into an app-based environment. Tata Play, too, has its Smart app, which advertises access to more than 500 live television channels spanning sports, news, movies and general entertainment.

The emerging model seeks to bridge the gap between linear television and streaming by allowing audiences to access familiar broadcast channels through connected television interfaces, without relying exclusively on conventional distribution infrastructure.

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From cable operator to connected TV platform

Nelen’s entry into CTV builds on a distribution business that dates back more than three decades. The company traces its origins to 1991, when M.R. Gopala Raju established The Bhimavaram Community Network as a proprietorship firm to provide cable signals to operators in Bhimavaram town in Andhra Pradesh.

The business subsequently expanded its cable television operations before moving into digital distribution. In 2014, it entered the DTH segment under the BCN Digital brand, marking a shift from its origins as a cable operator towards a broader television distribution business.

The transition reflects how traditional distributors are extending their businesses from delivering television signals through cable and satellite infrastructure to aggregating content through internet-enabled platforms.

Subscription plans combine pay-TV channels and streaming services

Nelen’s connected TV offering is built around subscription plans that combine linear channels with access to entertainment across different genres. According to its website, the Basepack is priced at ₹80 per month and offers more than 30 pay-TV HD and SD channels, along with over 150 free-to-air channels, for viewing on one screen. 

The CTV Pack 1 HD, priced at ₹140 per month, provides more than 110 pay-TV HD and SD channels, in addition to over 150 free-to-air channels, also for viewing on one screen.

At the higher end, Nelen’s Ultimate Pack costs ₹350 per month and includes more than 200 live SD and HD television channels, alongside access to streaming platforms such as JioHotstar, ZEE5, SonyLIV, Sun NXT, ETV Channels, FanCode, Discovery+, Hungama Play, AaoNXT and regional content services. The plan allows viewing on one television and one mobile device, according to the company's website.

The channel catalogue spans entertainment, sports, movies, news, children's programming and regional content. Among the listed channels are Star Plus HD, Colors HD, Star Maa HD, Star Sports channels, Star Jalsha HD, Star Pravah HD, Star Vijay HD and Star Suvarna HD. The platform also carries news and infotainment channels, including TV9 Telugu, NTV, Sakshi TV, ABN Andhra Jyothi, TV5 News, CNN International and Discovery networks.

The bundling strategy allows Nelen to offer consumers a single subscription covering linear television and multiple streaming services, rather than requiring separate arrangements for each category of content. It also gives the distributor an opportunity to extend its existing channel relationships to internet-connected devices.

Tata Play's connected TV proposition

Tata Play has also extended its television offering to connected screens through the Tata Play Smart app. Its app listing advertises more than 500 live television channels spanning sports, news, movies and general entertainment. 

The selection includes Star Plus, Zee TV, Colors, &TV, Star Sports, Star Gold, Zee Cinema, MTV, Star Maa, Zee Telugu, ETV, Sun TV, Star Vijay and several regional-language channels.

The app's catalogue also includes programming across entertainment and reality television, such as Bigg Boss and Khatron Ke Khiladi, alongside regional serials and news programming. This positions the service around the familiarity of linear television, while making channels accessible through a connected television interface.

The expansion of such offerings points to a growing overlap between traditional television distribution and streaming aggregation. Cable and DTH operators have historically competed through channel packages, pricing, reach and distribution infrastructure.

Connected TV adds another dimension, with applications, internet connectivity and content aggregation becoming part of the consumer proposition.

For regional distributors such as Nelen, combining regional-language programming with national broadcasters and OTT platforms could be particularly relevant in markets where language-specific entertainment remains an important part of television consumption.

As more distributors experiment with internet-delivered television, the distinction between traditional pay-TV distribution and streaming aggregation is becoming less pronounced. Nelen's entry, following Dish TV's move into the connected TV segment, adds another example of a legacy distribution business extending its presence to connected screens while retaining linear television channels at the centre of its offering.