Cable TV
ABS Seven Star to launch MPEG 4 headend; targets phase III, IV cities
MUMBAI: ABS Seven Star is all set to make its next big move. The Mumbai based multi system operator (MSO), which so far had been operating MPEG 2 headend, will now launch its MPEG 4 headend with as many as 500 channels.
While it is currently in the testing phase, the official launch is slated for 25 July.
The new headend will be placed at Andheri West in Mumbai. “We have taken a new premise for setting up the MPEG 4 headend,” ABS Seven Star CMD Atul Saraf tells Indiantelevision.com.
The MPEG 4 headend will have 75 high definition (HD) channels. “We will be swapping the MPEG 2 set top boxes (STBs) with the MPEG 4 HD boxes in the next four months,” added Saraf.
Priced at Rs 2500, the STBs are hybrid with both cable and Ethernet. The boxes have been manufactured under ABS Productions Pvt Ltd, which has contracted Videocon Group’s Trend Electronics to manufacture them at its Aurangabad plant. “The box is on Broadcom chipset,” informed Saraf.
The company has already tested 2000 boxes on its network. “We will continue our old MPEG 2 headend till all the boxes are swapped,” he said.
With this launch, the MSO is now targeting phase III and IV cities of digitisation. “At the time of launch, we will be present in at least three-four states,” he informed.
ABS Seven Star is aiming at reaching 10 million households in the next two years. “India is huge, and another 17 million STBs are needed to digitize the whole country. We will have our own pipe in that,” he informed.
In order to expand, the MSO is also taking the acquisition route in phase I. “We will acquire lots of networks in phase I, talks for which are already on,” concluded Saraf.
MUMBAI: When margins wobble, liquidity talks and in Q3 FY25-26, cash did most of the talking. Den Networks Limited closed the December quarter with consolidated revenue of Rs.251 crore, marginally higher than the previous quarter but down 4 per cent year-on-year, even as profitability stayed resilient on the back of strong cash reserves and disciplined cost control.
Subscription income softened to Rs.98 crore, slipping 3 per cent sequentially and 14 per cent from last year, while placement and marketing income offered some cheer, rising 15 per cent quarter-on-quarter to Rs.148 crore. Total costs climbed faster than revenue, up 7 per cent QoQ to Rs.238 crore, driven largely by higher content costs and operating expenses. As a result, EBITDA dropped sharply to Rs.13 crore from Rs.19 crore in Q2 and Rs.28 crore a year ago, pulling margins down to 5 per cent.
Yet, the bottom line refused to blink. Profit after tax stood at Rs.40 crore, up 15 per cent sequentially and only marginally lower than last year’s Rs.42 crore. A healthy Rs.57 crore in other income helped cushion operating pressure, keeping profit before tax at Rs.48 crore, broadly stable quarter-on-quarter despite the tougher cost environment.
The real headline-grabber, however, sits on the balance sheet. The company remains debt-free, with cash and cash equivalents swelling to Rs.3,279 crore as of December 31, 2025. Net worth rose to Rs.3,748 crore, while online collections accounted for 97 per cent of total receipts, underscoring strong cash discipline across operations, including subsidiaries.
In short, while Q3 showed signs of operating strain, the financial backbone remains solid. With zero gross debt, steady profits and a formidable cash war chest, the company enters the next quarter with flexibility firmly on its side proving that in uncertain markets, balance sheet strength can be the best growth strategy.
