Cable TV
Siti Networks reports higher revenue, operating profit for Q2-18
BENGALURU: Siti Networks Limited (Siti) reported higher revenue and operating profit (EBIDTA) for the quarter ended 30 September 2017 (Q2-18, current quarter) as compared to the corresponding year ago quarter – Q2-17 (y-o-y). However, loss for the current quarter was higher year-on-year.
Siti reported 21.9 percent y-o-y growth in operating revenue for Q2-18 at Rs 3,523.08 million as compared Rs 2,889.67 million. Total Income (including other income) for the current quarter increased 22.3 percent higher y-o-y at Rs 3,562.64 million that Rs 2,913.17 million in Q2-17. Revenues grew mainly on account of higher subscription revenue partially set off by a decline in carriage revenue.
Operating EBIDTA for Q2-18 was 41.9 percent higher y-o-y at Rs 671.75 million as compared to Rs 473.37 million, while overall EBIDTA increased 43.1 percent y-o-y to Rs 711.31 million from Rs 497.07 million. The company reported a higher loss of Rs 524.25 million in Q2-18 as compared to a loss of Rs 354.73 million.
While commenting on the results, Siti’s chief business transformation officer Rajesh Sethi said, “Siti displayed strong growth in video as Q2 subscription income jumped 21 percent q-o-q and 52 percent y-o-y with overall collection efficiency improving to 93 percent for H1FY18. We continue to improve monetization levels and leverage our customer base in Phase 3 and 4 territories. An emphasis on cost optimization and instilling a lean culture is expected to drive efficiencies across the board and further aid the bottomline. At the same time, an organizational restructuring is underway to evolve Siti into a more nimble and effective organization. In Broadband, focus on further enhancement of service levels to retain customers and new geographies expansion is expected to drive growth along with overall improvement in the pricing environment.”
Breakup of revenue (rounded off) and subscriber matrices
Siti reported 51.9 percent y-o-y growth in subscription revenue to Rs 2,050 million from Rs 1,350 million. Carriage revenue declined 6.6 percent y-o-y to Rs 710 million from Rs 760 million. Activation revenues increased 15.8 percent y-o-y to Rs 440 million from Rs 380 million, but were sharply lower than the Rs 850 million in the immediate trailing quarter (Q1-18). Siti has a cable subscriber base (analogue and digital) of 13.2 million. The company had converted 1.6 million of its existing subscribers to digital in Q1-17 as compared to less than half that number in Q2-17 (0.7 million). Siti’s active video subscriber base was 11.1million in Q2-18, while it was 10.6 in Q1-18. It’s HD subscriber base increased by 34,000 in Q2-18 to 254,000 from 230,000 in Q1-18.
Broadband revenue was flat (grew 2.2 percent) y-o-y at Rs 250 million. The company has witnessed a slight decrease in its broadband subscriber base to 238,000 in the current quarter from 240,000 in the immediate trailing quarter Q1-18.
Let us look at the other numbers reported by the company
Total expenditure increased 22.9 percent y-o-y to Rs 4,013.93 million from Rs 3,268.10 million. Finance costs increased 32.7 percent y-o-y to Rs 371.49 million from Rs 280.02 million. Carriage sharing, pay channel and related costs increased 16.9 percent y-o-y to Rs 1,676.01 million in Q2-18 from Rs 1,434.08 million. Employee benefits expense in the current quarter increased 9.9 percent y-o-y to Rs 227.47 million from Rs 206.98 million in the corresponding year ago quarter. Other expenses increased 25 percent y-o-y in Q2-18 to Rs 942.86 million from Rs 754.09 million.
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.
