'Current pricing trajectory not sustainable for industry'

The current round of tariff hikes is widening the gap between what broadcasters charge and what consumers are willing to pay, rue DTH industry players, raising concerns about the long-term sustainability of the pay-TV model.

Dish TV CEO Manoj Dobhal warns that the current pricing trajectory is “not a sustainable situation” for the industry.

Speaking to exchange4media, Dobhal said that while broadcasters have implemented price hikes of 10-15%, DTH platforms cannot pass these increases to consumers due to affordability constraints.

“We have repeatedly said that the hikes won't impact customers much because they aren't ready to pay beyond a certain point. Hence, we cannot pass the increase on to the customers,” he said.

As a result, the burden of rising content costs falls directly on DTH operators, forcing them to absorb the impact internally.

“It will basically impact us more. We have to find ways of cutting costs elsewhere. But this is not a sustainable situation,” Dhobal added.

Read more: Channel prices up nearly 10% 

In February, broadcasters like JioStar, Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI), Zee Entertainment Enterprises and Sun TV Network hiked their channel prices by nearly 10% from last year. Broadcasters have consistently raised channel prices annually since 2024 after the new tariff order came into play.

JioStar set the tone for 2026 tariff revisions with a recalibrated RIO spanning 83 bouquets, 81 SD channels, 43 HD channels and six FTA channels. While ₹19 remains the key a-la-carte price for mass Hindi offerings such as Star Plus, Colors and Star Gold, the broadcaster expanded the upper band to ₹30 for several regional SD channels, particularly in southern markets. In the HD segment, pricing is more tiered — with channels like Star Plus HD at ₹25, many others at ₹19, and premium regional HD feeds such as Asianet HD and Vijay HD at ₹30.

JioStar sets pricing tone

SPNI aligned with the broader upward trend, introducing moderate hikes across both a-la-carte and bouquet pricing while outlining an expansion pipeline. Key GECs and movie channels — including Sony Entertainment Television, Sony SAB and Sony Max — are priced at ₹19, while Sony YAY! remains at ₹6. HD channels such as Sony Entertainment Television HD and Sony SAB HD have risen to ₹30, and sports channels under the Sony Sports Ten network are also now at ₹30. Bouquet prices have increased by 6–10%, with packs like Happy India Smart – Hindi at ₹58.

The broadcaster is also planning new regional launches — including Sony Sports Ten 4 Kannada, SONY Vizha, and Sony Telugu — with interim proportional discounts offered to distributors until rollout. Overall, Sony’s revised RIO (27 bouquets, 11 HD and 19 SD channels) reflects a calibrated price hike coupled with regional expansion.

Zee too implemented a near 10% increase across its portfolio, bringing it broadly in line with peers. Its SD lineup of 25 channels — including Zee TV, Zee Cinema and Zee Marathi — is largely priced at ₹19 a-la-carte, with a similar pricing approach extended to key HD channels.

The network offers 30 bouquets, with Hindi SD packs at ₹58 and regional packs such as Marathi and Bangla at ₹64, while southern language SD packs are priced higher at ₹85. HD bouquets command a significant premium, ranging from ₹97 for Hindi to ₹131 for southern markets. The consistent upward revision across both individual channels and bundles signals Zee’s participation in an industry-wide effort to test pricing elasticity while maintaining ₹19 as the mass-market benchmark.

Recently, Sun TV Network announced a hike in prices of its DTH bouquets effective May 1, 2026, while leaving the composition of the bouquets, the genre classification of channels and the visible a-la-carte rates of its core SD channels unchanged. However, the price hike across bouquets remains in the single digits. The biggest bouquet, Sun Ultimate Pack, has been increased to Rs 125 from Rs 118.

As per the latest TRAI Performance Indicator Report, DTH industry saw a subscriber downfall to 50 million in the third quarter of FY26, ending December 31, 2025. During the third quarter, the total active DTH subscriber base declined to 50.99 million, down from 52.78 million recorded in the second quarter (July-September 2025).

In the corresponding quarter in 2024 (September-December 2024), the subscriber base stood at 58.22 million, dropping by nearly 8 million by December 2025.

The figures do not include subscribers of DD Free Dish, Prasar Bharati’s free DTH platform.

According to industry experts, with continuous subscriber loss, DTH cannot pass on the channel increase to consumers.

An industry veteran said that DTH players must either absorb the price hike which may impact their bottom lines or offer fewer channels a-la-carte, which may increase churn. Most players will try to conclude a fixed-fee deal with broadcasters to minimise the impact.

According to an unnamed broadcast expert, “Price increases are an inevitable correction in the TV ecosystem. For years, content has been undervalued relative to the cost of production and premium sports rights. Gradual hikes — especially in HD and regional segments — are essential to sustain content investment and ensure the long-term viability of the broadcasting business, even if it creates short-term pressure on distribution platforms.”

Dhobal also questioned the broader industry narrative around supporting television growth, suggesting a disconnect between what broadcasters say and what they do.

“Increasing tariffs or a-la-carte or bouquet rates won't help at all. So, while many broadcasters keep talking about how they want to help TV grow and sustain, those are just statements and speeches. In reality, the reverse is happening,” he said.

The comments come at a time when the DTH industry is already grappling with multiple pressures, including subscriber churn, competition from OTT platforms, and the rising popularity of free-to-air services.

With customers unwilling to absorb further price increases, the ability of DTH operators to maintain margins is strained, raising questions about the long-term sustainability of the current pricing model in India’s pay TV market.