DTH
Watcho and Cloud TV switch on seamless entertainment for smart TV viewers
MUMBAI: India’s smart TV experience is about to get a major upgrade as Dish TV’s Watcho joins forces with Cloud Walker’s Cloud TV OS to make premium content more accessible than ever. The collaboration aims to redefine home entertainment, integrating Watcho’s vast catalogue with over 200 smart TV brands, eliminating multiple logins and simplifying access for millions of users.
As the smart TV market in India grows at a CAGR of 13.11 per cent, the demand for seamless, cost-effective entertainment is skyrocketing. This partnership taps into that trend, ensuring Watcho’s content reaches over 18 million users across 6 million devices, bringing together a world of movies, web series, live sports, and more all on one platform.
With Cloud TV OS, Watcho subscribers can log in once and start streaming instantly, without juggling multiple credentials. The interface will also feature personalised recommendations, a ‘continue watching’ option, and exclusive Cloud TV Bundles, offering bundled subscriptions to leading OTT platforms.
Dish TV chief revenue officer Sukhpreet Singh said, “At Dish, we recognize that the future of entertainment lies in seamless, integrated experiences. With smart TVs becoming the preferred screen for digital content, our partnership with Cloud Walker is a strategic step toward making Watcho’s vast content library effortlessly accessible to millions. By embedding Watcho into Cloud TV OS, we are not just expanding our reach—we are redefining how India consumes content, making premium entertainment more intuitive, affordable, and frictionless.”
Cloud TV co-founder & COO Abhijeet Rajpurohit said, “We’re thrilled to partner with DishTV Watcho under CloudTV Bundle, making premium entertainment more accessible than ever. With Watcho’s vast content library now integrated into 200 plus TV brands, over 12 million viewers can seamlessly access to top OTT platforms all through a single subscription.”
With Cloud Walker serving over 10 million users, this collaboration positions Dish TV Watcho at the forefront of India’s evolving connected TV landscape. As more consumers shift towards Connected TV (CTV), this move ensures that Watcho remains a key player in the industry.
DTH
Dish TV moves court seeking level playing field with DD Free Dish
DTH player flags unfair edge as free platform reshapes pay-TV market
MUMBAI: Dish TV has approached the Kerala High Court, seeking a level playing field with DD Free Dish, the free-to-air satellite platform run by Prasar Bharati.
At the heart of the dispute is what Dish TV calls a regulatory imbalance. The company has urged the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to bring DD Free Dish under the same rules as private direct-to-home operators, including mandatory encryption and compliance with the Digital Addressable System under existing laws such as the Indian Telegraph Act and the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act.
Private DTH platforms are required to encrypt their signals, meaning viewers need authorised set-top boxes and paid subscriptions. In contrast, DD Free Dish remains unencrypted, allowing access through basic equipment without monthly fees, a difference Dish TV argues creates a structural advantage.
In its petition, Dish TV has described the current framework as arbitrary and discriminatory, alleging it undermines constitutional guarantees of equality and the right to trade. The company pointed out that while private operators shoulder the cost of encryption infrastructure, licensing fees and regulatory levies, DD Free Dish operates without similar obligations despite scaling up significantly.
Originally launched to distribute Doordarshan channels, DD Free Dish has steadily morphed into a quasi-commercial platform. It now carries around 120 private channels and generates substantial revenue through slot auctions, with earnings rising sharply over the years, according to the petition.
The case also throws a spotlight on shifting dynamics within India’s television market. Pay DTH operators have been grappling with a shrinking subscriber base, which has fallen from nearly 70 million in 2021 to about 51 million in 2025. At the same time, DD Free Dish has expanded its reach to roughly 53 million households, buoyed by viewers in price-sensitive regions opting for free access over paid subscriptions.
The migration has been further fuelled by broadcasters placing popular channels on the free platform, making it an increasingly attractive alternative for households looking to cut costs.
The Kerala High Court has admitted the petition and scheduled the next hearing for June 2, 2026. It also noted that a recent notice by Prasar Bharati inviting regional channels to uplink on DD Free Dish without carriage fees until March 31, 2026 will remain subject to the final outcome of the case.
Regulators have already acknowledged the gap. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, in its July 2024 recommendations, proposed a shift towards an addressable system for DD Free Dish, though these suggestions are not binding. The government is yet to take a final call, mindful of the platform’s reach among millions of households.
The petition follows repeated representations from private players and bodies such as the All India Digital Cable Federation, all flagging the same concern: a fast-growing free platform competing in a paid market without the same rulebook.
As the courtroom battle unfolds, the outcome could redraw the contours of India’s pay-TV ecosystem, deciding whether the free ride continues or the rules of the game finally converge.
