Cable TV
Den Networks’ Q4 subscription revenue down 15% to Rs 190 crore
KOLKATA: Multi-system operator Den Networks has reported consolidated net profit at Rs 33.89 crore for the fourth quarter of financial year 2021 (FY21), a 50.56 per cent rise year-on-year basis.
Revenue from the operations stood at Rs 320.79 crore from the quarter, sharply declining from Rs 1195.48 crore in the same quarter a year ago. Total income also declined, down 3.49 per cent at Rs 355.52 crore during the quarter under review as against Rs 368.39 crore in the same period a year ago.
The company’s consolidated EBITDA was at Rs 65 crore at the end of Q4, a marginal increase from Rs 64 crore during the corresponding period of FY20.
Den’s cable operations cover over 500+ cities/towns across 13 key states in India. While the cable business was incorporated in 2007, Den Broadband Ltd was incorporated in 2011. The company has its registered office in New Delhi. At present, it has enabled fixed broadband services across 41 cities or towns in India.
However, the operator has seen a huge decline in subscription revenue tumbling to Rs 190 crore, a 15 per cent degrowth year-on-year from Rs 222 crore. Activation revenues have grown by 24 per cent to reach Rs 34 crore compared to Rs 21 crore in the same quarter last year.
Cable TV
Hathway Cable appoints Gurjeev Singh Kapoor as CEO
Leadership change comes as cable TV faces shrinking subscriber base and modest earnings pressure
MUMBAI: Hathway Cable and Datacom has tapped industry veteran Gurjeev Singh Kapoor as chief executive officer, marking a leadership pivot at a time when India’s cable television business is under mounting strain.
Kapoor will take over from Tavinderjit Singh Panesar, who is set to retire in August after a long innings with the company. Panesar, chief executive since 2023, has held multiple leadership roles at Hathway, including his latest stint beginning in 2022.
Kapoor brings more than three decades of experience in media and entertainment. He most recently led distribution at The Walt Disney Company’s Star India business, now part of JioStar. His career spans television distribution and affiliate partnerships, with stints at Sony Pictures Networks India, Discovery Communications and Zee Entertainment.
Panesar, with over three decades in the industry, has worked across strategic planning, distribution and business development in media, broadcasting and manufacturing. His past associations include ESPN Star Sports, Star India, Apollo Tyres and JK Industries.
The transition lands as the cable sector grapples with structural disruption. Traditional operators are losing ground to streaming platforms, while telecom and broadband players tighten the squeeze with bundled offerings.
An EY report estimates India’s pay-TV base could shrink by a further 30 to 40 million households by 2030, taking the total down to 71 to 81 million. The slide follows a loss of nearly 40 million homes between 2018 and 2024, a contraction that has already wiped out more than 37,000 jobs in the local cable operator ecosystem.
Hathway’s numbers reflect the strain. The company reported a consolidated net profit of Rs 93 crore for FY25, down from Rs 99 crore a year earlier. Revenue inched up to Rs 2,040 crore from Rs 1,981 crore. As of December 2025, it had about 4.7 million cable TV subscribers and roughly 1.02 million broadband users.
Kapoor steps in with a familiar brief but a shrinking playbook. In a market where viewers are cutting cords faster than companies can reinvent them, the new chief executive inherits a business fighting to stay plugged in.
