Cable TV
Q1-2016: Den Networks revenue down 11%, posts net loss of Rs 52 crore
BENGALURU: Den Networks Ltd (Den Networks) reported lower Total Income from operations (TIO) in the quarter ended 30 June, 2015 (Q1-2016) at Rs 265.60 crore, 11.1 per cent less than the Rs 298.81 crore in Q1-2015 and 1.7 per cent lower than the Rs 270.30 crore in Q4-2015.
The company’s loss in the current quarter at Rs 51.89 crore was lower than the Rs 61.15 crore reported in the immediate trailing quarter Q4-2015. The company had posted a profit of Rs 1.12 crore (0.4 per cent margin) in the corresponding year ago quarter – Q1-2015.
Note: 100,00,000 = 100 lakh = 10 million = 1 crore
However, there were a few silver linings in the in the gloomy financial picture. Den’s Broadband revenue increased sharply to Rs 5.21 crore against Rs 1.06 crore in Q1-2015. Den, through a wholly owned subsidiary has participated in India Soccer League through the Delhi Dynamos FC. The company says that the response to the ISL is unprecedented and has given a huge advantage to the Den brand. Soccer revenue flow has started in current quarter at Rs 93 lakh, reveals Den.
Some of Den Networks operational highlights in the current quarter include the fact that Den says that it has seeded 20 lakh boxes in phase III markets ahead of December 2015 deadline. It claims a 21 per cent market share in India’s digital cable subscribers (25 per cent in Phases 1 and 2). Further, the company’s Cable EBITDA improved by 26 per cent from Rs 14 crore in Q4-2015 to Rs 18 crore in the current quarter.
Den Networks’ Broadband reach has increased 50 per cent in terms of number of homes passed and subscribed and broad band ARPU is Rs 760. Also, the company reports a strong growth in Den-Snapdeal clocking with the venture clocking an annualised GMV of Rs 144 crore in the current quarter as compared to the Rs 117 crore in previous quarter.
Den Network’s operating loss (EBIDTA) in the current quarter was lower at Rs 4.67 crore as compared to the Rs 5.97 crore in Q4-2015. The company had reported a positive EBIDTA of Rs 57.16 crore (19.1 per cent margin) in the corresponding year ago quarter.
The company’s Total Expenses in Q1-2016 at Rs 320.33 crore (120.6 per cent of TIO) was 12.4 per cent higher than the Rs 284.93 crore (95.4 per cent of TIO) in Q1-2015, but was one per cent lower than the Rs 323.70 crore (119.8 per cent of TIO) in Q4-2015.
Content cost in Q1-2016 at Rs 136.06 crore (51.2 per cent of TIO) was 27.9 per cent more than the Rs 106.42 crore (35.6 per cent of TIO) in Q1-2015, but was 2.2 per cent lower than the Rs 139.13 crore (51.5 per cent of TIO) in the immediate trailing quarter.
The company’s finance costs in Q1-2016 declined 7.8 per cent to Rs 18.27 crore (6.9 per cent of TIO) as compared to the Rs 19.82 crore (6.6 per cent of TIO) in Q1-2015, but was 11.6 per cent more than the Rs 16.37 crore (6.1 per cent of TIO) in the immediate trailing quarter.
Employee Benefit Expense at Rs 34.15 crore (12.9 per cent of TIO) in Q1-2016 was 20 per cent more than the Rs 28.46 crore (9.5 per cent of TIO) in Q1-2015 and was 13.4 per cent more than the Rs 30.12 crore (11.1 per cent of TIO) in Q4-2015.
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.
