Dish TV rolls out South India packs starting at Rs 149

MUMBAI: Remote controls in South India are about to get a lot more regional and a little lighter on the wallet too. Dish TV India has unveiled an expanded South India-focused entertainment strategy, introducing regional language packs starting at Rs 149 a month as the direct-to-home operator doubles down on one of the country’s most fiercely loyal television markets. The move comes at a time when streaming platforms may dominate headlines, but television continues to hold prime-time power across Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam-speaking households, where family viewing, cinema culture and regional storytelling remain deeply woven into everyday life.

Dish TV’s new offering is built around that reality.

The company said the revamped packs are designed to match evolving viewing habits while making entertainment more accessible and less complicated for consumers across the region. The base pack, priced at Rs 149 per month, includes over 225 channels along with a blend of entertainment and sports content.

Regional customisation sits at the heart of the strategy. Tamil viewers will get access to more than 36 Tamil-language channels, while Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam packs each offer over 30 curated regional channels tailored to household viewing preferences.

The broader proposition combines regional entertainment, movies, daily soaps and sports programming with flexible pack customisation.

But the bigger talking point may well be Dish TV’s newly introduced ‘Sports Always-On’ feature, a service designed to keep sports channels running even during temporary recharge gaps or service interruptions.

In a cricket-crazy country where missing even two overs can spark household panic, the feature appears aimed squarely at reducing viewing disruptions for sports fans.

Manoj Dobhal, CEO and executive director of Dish TV India, described South India as one of the company’s most strategically important markets, shaped by strong language identities and highly engaged family audiences.

The company’s latest push reflects a wider industry trend where broadcasters and DTH operators are increasingly moving towards hyper-localised and language-first entertainment offerings instead of one-size-fits-all bundles.

Dish TV India chief revenue officer Sukhpreet Singh said consumers are increasingly prioritising affordability, convenience and content that reflects their language preferences, three areas the company believes this offering addresses directly.

The timing is notable.

As competition intensifies between DTH operators, OTT platforms and telecom-led entertainment bundles, regional content has emerged as one of the strongest retention drivers in the Indian entertainment market. South India, in particular, continues to punch above its weight in television engagement, movie consumption and sports viewership.

By combining low-entry pricing, regional programming and uninterrupted sports access, Dish TV appears to be betting that television’s strongest defence against digital disruption may not be scale alone but speaking the viewer’s language, quite literally.