Cable TV
FY-2015: Hathway revenue up 15.7%; cable subscription revenue up 44%
BENGALURU: Indian multi system operator (MSO) Hathway Cable and Datacom Limited reported 15.7 per cent growth in consolidated Total Income from Operations (TIO) in FY-2015 (year ended 31 March, 2015, current year) to Rs 1830.60 from Rs 1583.25 crore in FY-2014.
The company has reported 44 per cent growth in consolidated cable subscription revenue in FY-2015 at Rs 840.3 crore. Standalone TIO grew four per cent to Rs 1023.5 crore in the current year. Standalone cable subscription revenue increased 32 per cent to Rs 441.7 crore in FY-2015.
Note: 100,00,000 = 100 lakh = 10 million = 1 crore
Hathway’s consolidated subscription and broadband revenue grew 47 per cent to Rs 247.5 crore, while standalone subscription and broadband revenue increased 37 per cent to Rs 196 crore in FY-2015. Consolidated placement revenue grew nine per cent to Rs 626.9 crore, while standalone placement revenue remained flat at Rs 319 crore in FY-2015. The company’s consolidated and standalone revenues declined by 50 per cent to Rs 82.4 crore and by 40 per cent to Rs 44 crore respectively in FY-2015.
The company has seeded 4.3 lakh set-top-boxes (STBs) in FY-2015, taking its total digital subscribers to 85 lakh.
Let us look at the other numbers posted by Hathway:
FY-2015 consolidated and standalone numbers
Hathway’s consolidated Total Expenditure (TE) in FY-2015 increased 21 per cent to Rs 1903.38 crore (103.9 per cent of TIO) from Rs 1572.75 crore in FY-2015. Standalone TE increased 11.2 per cent to Rs 1110.43 crore (108.6 per cent of TIO) in FY-2015 as compared to the Rs 998.84 crore (101.9 per cent of TIO) in FY-2015.
Hathway’s consolidated Pay Channel cost increased 22 per cent to Rs 813.13 crore (44.4 per cent of TIO) in FY-2015 from Rs 666.41 crore (54.1 per cent of TIO) in FY-2016. Standalone Pay Channel cost in FY-2015 increased 17.8 per cent to Rs 383.99 crore (37.5 per cent of TIO) as compared to the Rs 325.88 crore (33.2 per cent of TIO) in FY-2014.
The company reported 16 per cent drop in consolidated EBIDTA to Rs 259.9 crore and a 27 per cent drop in EBIDTA to Rs 139.4 crore in FY-2015 as compared to the previous year.
Consolidated loss in FY-2015 increased to Rs 180.45 crore as compared to the Rs 111.11 crore in FY-2014, while standalone loss in FY-2015 increased to Rs 175.22 crore from Rs 125.25 crore in FY-2014.
Consolidated average revenue per user (ARPU) in Phase I cities is Rs 100, while in Phase II cities it was Rs 67. Broadband ARPU increased to Rs 540, with Docsis 3 ARPU reaching Rs 750.
Q4-2015 standalone numbers
Hathway’s standalone TIO in Q4-2015 declined 18.3 per cent to Rs 270.03 crore as compared to the Rs 292.72 crore in the corresponding year ago quarter but increased 12.9 per cent as compared to the Rs 239.15 crore in the immediate trailing quarter.
Standalone TE in Q4-2015 at Rs 307.66 crore (113.9 per cent of TIO) was 1.9 per cent lower than the Rs 313.53 crore (107.1 per cent of TIO) in Q4-2014 but 12.1 per cent more than the Rs 274.39 crore (114.7 per cent of TIO) in Q3-2015.
Standalone Pay Channel cost in Q4-201t at Rs 107.34 crore (39.8 per cent of TIO) was seven per cent lower than the Rs 115.41 crore (39.4 per cent of TIO) in Q4-2014 but 14.1 per cent more than the Rs 94.04 crore (39.3 per cent of TIO) in Q3-2015.
Hathway reported higher standalone loss of Rs 58.05 crore in Q4-2015 as compared to the loss of Rs 49.27 crore in Q4-2014 and loss of Rs 39.26 crore in Q3-2015.
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.
