DTH
Airtel Digital TV loses half a million subs in Q2 FY 2025
MUMBAI: Bharti Airtel’s digital TV business’ revenue saw a marginal bump even as it shed a chunk of customers in Q2 FY 2025 ended 30 September 2024. India’s leading direct to home television (DTH) player saw a one per cent increase in revenues to Rs 7586 million (Rs 7515 million in Q2 FY 2024).
Airtel’s DTH sub base continued to see erosion with a drop of 546,000 subscribers in Q2 FY’25 to 15.8 million as against a loss of 196,000 subs in the previous years’ corresponding quarter. ( It had gained 194,000 subs in Q1 FY’25). Monthly customer churn climbed to 3.7 per cent (2.7 per cent). Average revenue per user was shaved by a rupee to Rs 158 in the latest quarter as against last year’s corresponding quarter figures.
EBITDA stayed nearly constant at Rs 4,243 million as compared to Rs 4,212 million in the corresponding quarter last year with EBITDA margin degrowing to 55.9 per cent as against 56.1 per cent. EBIT for the quarter was at Rs 12 million as compared to Rs 832 million in the previous quarter. During the quarter, the company incurred a capital expenditure of Rs 4,252 million.
During the quarter, Airtel and Apple entered in a strategic partnership to bring exclusive offers of Apple TV+ and Apple Music to Airtel customers in India.
Airtel digital TV then joined hands with Amazon Prime to offer live TV and Prime Lite benefits as part of its new Ultimate and Amazon Prime Lite plan. Subscribers of the Amazon Prime Lite plan that start Rs 521, can enjoy Prime Video on two devices in HD quality, in addition to enjoying linear TV channels. The Prime Lite subscription also includes other Prime benefits like free unlimited same-day delivery on over 10 Lakh products and next-day delivery on products on Amazon, early access to sale events and lightning deals and 5 per cent cashback on purchases on Amazon.in with Amazon Pay ICICI Bank credit card.
DTH Operator
JC Flowers withdraws NCLT plea against Dish TV over EGM demand
Move eases pressure on DTH firm as long-running shareholder dispute cools
MUMBAI: In a breather for Dish TV India, JC Flowers Asset Reconstruction has withdrawn its petition before the National Company Law Tribunal seeking directions to convene an extraordinary general meeting.
The development was disclosed by Dish TV in a regulatory filing, confirming that the petitioner chose to withdraw the case during a hearing at the Mumbai bench of the tribunal. A detailed order from the bench is still awaited.
The petition, originally filed under Sections 98 to 100 of the Companies Act, 2013, sought to push for an extraordinary general meeting to address governance issues at the company. The case had its roots in a prolonged shareholder tussle dating back to 2021, when Yes Bank, then the largest shareholder, was at odds with the promoter group led by Subhash Chandra over board reconstitution.
JC Flowers had stepped into the picture as an assignee of Yes Bank’s stressed assets, effectively continuing the legal push initiated earlier. The withdrawal now signals a pause, if not a closure, to that chapter of dispute.
While the reasons behind the withdrawal have not been formally detailed, the move reduces immediate legal pressure on Dish TV, which has been navigating both operational and regulatory challenges in recent years.
For now, the focus shifts back to the company’s business fundamentals, even as the legal dust settles, at least temporarily, on one of its more closely watched shareholder battles.
