Cable TV
Lower activation fees, new businesses make Den Networks post a subdued result, low PAT for Q1-2015
BENGALURU: Den Networks Ltd (Den Networks) reported almost flat q-o-q result in Q1-2015. The company reported a slight drop in consolidated Total Income from Operations (TIO) in the current quarter at Rs 298.81 crore, down 1 per cent as compared to the Rs 301.86 crore in Q4-2014 and 11.2 per cent higher as compared to the Rs 268.70 crore in Q1-2014. Activation revenue dropped by Rs.47.5 crore in Q1-2015 as compared to the corresponding year ago quarter.
The company says that Operational Revenue (excluding Activation Revenue) grew by 35.4 per cent y-o-y; subscription revenues grew by Rs 71.25 crores (82.7 per cent) y-o-y. The breakup of revenue from operations for Q1-2015 is: Subscription Rs 146 crore; placement revenue Rs 116 crore; digital activation revenue Rs 20 crore and other operating revenue of Rs 3 crore. Another breakup of revenue is revenue from cable Rs 284.6 crore, broadband revenue Rs 1 crore and soccer revenue-nil.
Den Networks EBIDTA before other income in Q1-2015 fell 16.6 per cent to Rs 57.16 crore from Rs 68.57 crore in Q4-2014 and was 29.4 per cent lower than the Rs 80.94 crore in Q1-2014. The decline of Rs 23.78 crore (29.4 per cent) y-o-y comprises largely of losses on account of launch of broadband and soccer (Rs 12 crore) and lower activation revenue in cable business by Rs 42.75 crores.
Notes: 100,00,000 = 100 lakhs = 10 million = 1 crore
The company’s PAT in Q1-2015 at Rs 1.12 crore (0.4 per cent of TIO) which was about one ninth of the Rs 10.05 crore (3.3 per cent of TIO) in the immediate trailing quarter and also about one ninth of the Rs 10.15 crore (3.8 per cent of TIO) in Q1-2014.
Let us look at the other numbers reported by Den Networks for Q1-2015
Den Networks total expenditure in Q1-2015 at Rs 284.93 crore (95.4 per cent of TIO) was 5.9 per cent more than the Rs 269.18 crore (89.2 per cent of TIO) in Q4-2014 and was 24 per cent more than the Rs 229.69 crore (31.6 per cent of TIO) in the corresponding year ago quarter.
One of the major components of total expenditure is content cost in the case of Den Networks. The company paid Rs 106.42 crore (35.6 per cent of TIO) towards this expense head in Q1-2015, which was 5.5 per cent more than the Rs 100.85 crore (33.4 per cent of TIO) in Q4-2014 and was 25.2 per cent more than the Rs 85.01 crore (31.6 per cent of TIO) in Q1-2014.
Another major expense head is operational, administrative and other costs (admin cost). Den Networks admin cost in Q1-2015 at Rs 106.77 crore (35.7 per cent of TIO) which was 4.8 per cent more than the Rs 101.88 crore (33.8 per cent of TIO) and was 26.5 per cent more than the Rs 84.41 crore (31.4 per cent of TIO) in Q1-2014.
Based on the new accounting norms for calculating depreciation, the net effect is a higher depreciation of Rs 1.48 crore, which has resulted in a lower PAT in the current quarter.
The company says that it has deployed 2.7 lakh set-top boxes in the current quarter.
Den, through its wholly owned subsidiary – Den Soccer Pvt Ltd, has been awarded the team rights for Delhi – its home town. The team is named ‘Delhi Dynamos FC’. ISL is founded by IMG Reliance and Rupert Murdoch’s Star Group, under the aegis of All India Football Federation (AIFF). The inaugural season of the League is scheduled to begin in October, 2014.
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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.
