Cable TV
Siti Networks revenue, operating profit up in fiscal 2018
BENGALURU: Backed by higher subscription revenue and a 95 per cent collection efficiency, Indian multi-system operator (MSO) Siti Networks Ltd (Siti) posted 16.8 per cent higher consolidated total income for the year ended 31 March 2018 (FY 2018, year under review) as compared to the previous fiscal year FY 2017. Siticable has clarified that the revenue numbers for FY 2017 reflect gross billing that included LCO share to the extent of Rs 16-17 crore. Based on a figure of Rs 16 crore, Siticable’s consolidated total income for fiscal 2018 grew 18.4 percent as compared to the previous year.
Siticable’s operating profit (simple EBITDA including activation revenue) for FY 2018 increased 52.1 per cent as compared to FY 2017. Total comprehensive loss (TCL) for the year was lower as compared to the previous year. It must be noted that all numbers mentioned in this report are consolidated unless stated otherwise.
Siti’s consolidated total income in FY 2018 was Rs 1,426.37 crore as compared to Rs 1220.81 crore in FY 2017. Consolidated operating revenue in fiscal 2018 increased 18 per cent to Rs 1,410.40 crore from Rs 1,194.92 crore in FY 2017. Siti’s consolidated operating EBITDA (including activation revenue) during the year under review increased 52.1 per cent to Rs 308.55 crore (21.9 per cent of operating revenue) from Rs 202.81 crore (17 per cent of operating revenue) in FY 2017. The company reports that excluding activation revenue, operating EBITDA in FY 2018 grew 2.6 times to Rs 151 crore as compared to Rs 59 crore in the previous year. EBITDA including other income and activation fee in FY 2018 grew 41.9 per cent to Rs 324.52 crore (22.8 per cent of total income) from Rs 228.70 crore (18.7 per cent of total income) TCL including non-controlling interest during the year under review was lower at Rs 169.51 crore as compared to Rs 179.01 crore in FY 2017.
Siti claims that it added industry leading 3.1 million (0.31 crore or 31 lakh) digital cable households in FY 2018 taking its active digital subscriber base to 11.5 million (1.15 crore or 115 lakh). Siti says in its earnings release that subscription revenue in FY 2018 increased 41 per cent y-o-y to Rs 800 crore and was the main driver for revenue growth.
Let us look at the other numbers reported by Siti
Siti’s consolidated total expenditure (TE) increased 15.2 per cent in FY 2018 to Rs 1,567.56 crore from Rs 1,360.74 crore in fiscal 2017. Adjusting the Rs 16 crore payout to LCOs in FY 2017, TE in FY 2018 increased 16.6 per cent as compared to FY 2017. Carriage sharing, pay channels and related costs are the highest expense head for the company. Carriage sharing, pay channels and related costs in FY 2018 increased 6.8 per cent to Rs 637.90 crore from Rs 597.13 crore in FY 2017. Employee benefit expense during the year under review increased 8.6 per cent to Rs 90.49 crore from Rs 83.29 crore in the previous year. Other expense in fiscal 2018 increased 25.3 per cent to Rs 370.13 crore from Rs 295.47 crore in FY 2017.
Company speak
While commenting on the results, Siti chief business transformation officer, Rajesh Sethi said, “We at Siti are proud of our performance for this past year as we enter FY 2019 with significant momentum. In FY 2018 we have achieved strong operational and financial results while also delivering superlative customer experience and must-see content to our approximately 55 million strong consumer base across the country. Our continued focus on customer experience drove exceptional EBITDA growth (2.6x) coupled with industry leading subscriber additions (3.1 million, 0.31 crore, 31 lakh).”
“We continue to maintain our steady increase in customer additions, driving efficiencies through war on waste, balanced with solid EBITDA growth and expanding margins. We continue to transform into a process driven organisation with customer experience at its heart. As we achieve more from less, our year-over-year growth rates of revenue and EBITDA continue to accelerate, which is a testament of our transformation efforts across SITI,” added Sethi.
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.
