DTH industry revenue falls 10% to Rs 11,000 crore in FY23
Dish TV, and Sun Direct—declined nearly 10% to Rs 11,072 crore in FY23, compared to Rs 12,284 crore the previous fiscal year, according to data obtained from the four firms' regulatory filings.
Furthermore, the four DTH companies have incurred a net loss of Rs 2143 crore cumulatively, with Dish TV posting the biggest loss of Rs 1684 crore. All four DTH operators recorded losses in FY23, while three of the four DTH operators—aside from Dish TV—reported profits in FY22.
However, Dish TV’s losses in both FY23 and FY22 were due to exceptional items amounting to Rs 1,908 crore in FY23 and Rs 2,654 crore in FY22, the company said in a statement.
It added that the exceptional items were due to the impairment of intangible assets under development, trademarks or brands, property, plant equipment (PPE), and goodwill related to its merger with Videocon D2H and related accounting.
Experts say that the DTH business is under stress due to a decline in the subscriber base and the average revenue per user (ARPU).
In FY22 and FY23, the paid DTH operators lost over four million customers.
The experts further state that the top end of the DTH subscriber base is switching to over-the-top (OTT), while the bottom end is migrating to DD Free Dish. However, it’s DD Free Dish that has harmed the paid DTH operators more than the OTTs.
«The DTH segment has been losing most of its subscribers to DD Free Dish, while capital challenges hinder investment in new hybrid TV solutions.
