DTH
Airtel Digital TV numbers improve as parent company numbers fall again
BENGALURU: The Sunil Mittal-led Indian telecom major with operations in 16 countries, Bharti Airtel Ltd (Airtel) reported a year on year (y-o-y) drop in numbers for the quarter ended 30 September 2018 (Q2 2019, period or quarter under review) as compared to the corresponding year ago quarter (Q2 2018). At the same time, its Digital TV services segment which contributes just about 9 percent or so to the overall numbers, had a 9 percent and 13 percent y-o-y increase in operating revenues and operating profit (EBITDA) during the period under review. The results for the quarter under review of both – Airtel overall and its Digital TV segment are subdued versions of the previous quarter. The company’s board has declared an interim dividend of Rs 2.5 per share, which is a complete pass through of dividend received from its subsidiary
Airtel reported a y-o-y increase in its overall as well Airtel Digital TV subscriber base along with an increase in mobile data traffic. However, the competitive environment has ensured y-o-y subduction of India mobile services and home services segment financials. Hence, the improved numbers from Airtel’s Digital TV services, its B2B – Airtel business services, its tower infrastructure services and its African operations numbers are reasons for cheer for the telecom behemoth.
Overall, Airtel’s total revenues declined 6.2 percent y-o-y in Q2 2019 to Rs 20,422 crore from Rs 21,777 crore, while EBITDA declined 20.7 percent y-o-y to Rs 6,343 crore from Rs 8,004 crore. Net income declined to almost a third (down 65.4 percent) y-o-y to Rs 119 crore from Rs 343 crore. The company had a negative operating cash flow of Rs 1,341 crore in Q2 2019 as compared to a positive Rs 520 crore in Q2 2018.
Airtel Digital TV
As mentioned above, for its Digital TV segment, Airtel reported 9 percent y-o-y increase in operating revenues for Q2 2019 at Rs 1,024.2 crore as compared to Rs 936.9 crore. Airtel Digital TV Services EBITDA grew 13 percent y-o-y in the period under review to Rs 396 crore from Rs 351.7 crore. The company’s subscriber base increased by 1.33 lakh (0.133 millon, 0.0133 crore) in Q2 2019 to 147.79 lakh (14.779 million, 1.4779 crore) from 146.46 lakh (14.646 million, 1.4646 crore) in the immediate trailing quarter. In Q2 2018, the company had reported 135.21 lakh (13.521 million, 1.3521 crore) Digital TV subscribers.
ARPU in the quarter under review increased by Rs 3 to Rs 232 as compared to Rs 229 in the immediate trailing quarter (Q4 2018) but was Re 1 lower than the Rs 233 in the corresponding year ago quarter. The US dollar has been rising with respect to the Indian rupee, hence in US$ terms, ARPU declined to US$ 3.3 in Q2 2019 from US$ 3.4 in Q1 2019 and declined 8.8 percent form the US$ 3.6 in Q2 2018. Churn increased to 1.3 percent in Q2 2019 as compared to 0.7 percent in Q1 2019, but was lower than the 1.4 percent in Q2 2018.
Company speak
Airtel MD and CEO of India and South Asia operations Gopal Vittal said, “Led by our focus on quality customers through simplified pricing and content partnerships, ARPU decline has moderated in this quarter. We remain focused on driving quality base growth with value adding propositions for our customers. We also remain committed to investing in enhanced capacities and have deployed 27K+ broadband sites during the quarter, enabling a 239 per cent YoY growth in mobile data volumes.”
Airtel MD and CEO of Africa operations Raghunath Mandava said, “Airtel Africa’s Gross Revenue grew by 11 per cent on a Y-o-Y basis. Data traffic grew by 53 percent, Voice minutes increased by 36 percent and Airtel Money throughput grew by 31 percent on a Y-o-Y basis. Consequently, EBITDA margin has expanded by ~4 percent Y-o-Y and stood at 37.1 percent for the quarter. We have stepped up our capex spends during the quarter to build a formidable LTE network. This positions us well to expand our profitable growth journey by enhancing customer experience with best in class network and products. This quarter also marks the first time where we are disclosing our region and product wise performance as it provides a more holistic view of our operations across the continent.”
DTH
DD Free Dish e-auction revenue dips to Rs 642 crore as slot sales fall
Revenue dips as revised norms reshape bidding in 94th round
NEW DELHI: Prasar Bharati’s DD Free Dish has closed its 8th annual, and 94th overall, e-auction for MPEG-2 slots with total collections of Rs 642 crore for the period April 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027.
That is lower than last year’s Rs 780 crore haul, with 55 slots sold compared with 61 in FY25–26. The softer topline reflects both a slimmer inventory and a recalibrated auction framework.
This was the first auction conducted after amendments to the e-auction methodology, including tighter eligibility norms and a revised reserve price structure for MPEG-2 slots. The stated aim was greater transparency and more serious participation. The immediate outcome appears to be more measured bidding in certain categories.
Day one set the tone. Eight slots were sold, six in the premium Bucket A+ and two in Bucket A. The strong early action in A+, which typically houses Hindi GECs and movie channels, reaffirmed the enduring appeal of mass Hindi programming on the platform.
Among the broadcasters securing slots in the initial rounds were Zee Entertainment Enterprises, Sony Pictures Networks India, Viacom18’s Colors network, Sun Network and Shemaroo Entertainment. Their continued presence signals that, despite the pull of digital platforms, Free Dish remains a strategic must have for legacy networks chasing scale in price sensitive markets.
The final bouquet of 55 channels leans heavily towards Hindi news, movies, devotional fare, Bhojpuri and regional programming.
In Hindi news, familiar heavyweights such as Aaj Tak, ABP News, India TV, News18 India, Republic Bharat and Zee News made the cut. Entertainment and movie offerings include Colors Rishtey, Star Utsav, Dangal TV, Sony Pal, Shemaroo TV, Goldmines, B4U Movies and Zee Biskope. Devotional viewers will find Aastha, Sanskar and Sadhna Gold among the selected channels.
Regional representation includes Sun Marathi, Fakt Marathi, PTC Punjabi and GTC Punjabi.
Equally telling were the absences. Broadcasters such as Big Magic, Filamchi Bhojpuri, India News, Bharat Express, Movieplex Maithili, TV9 Marathi, Shemaroo Marathibana, Zee Chitra Mandir and Satsang did not participate. The pullback is particularly visible across Marathi, Bhojpuri, Maithili and spiritual programming. Industry observers point to the revised reserve prices, tighter eligibility norms and a reassessment of commercial viability as possible factors.
DD Free Dish continues to beam into over 40 million homes, largely in rural and semi urban India. For advertisers and broadcasters alike, it offers efficient access to Bharat markets where pay TV penetration remains uneven and OTT subscriptions are limited.
The moderation in revenue this year may be read as a pause rather than a retreat. Fewer slots, a reworked auction playbook and evolving broadcaster strategies have clearly shaped outcomes. Yet premium Hindi entertainment retains its pull, and the platform’s mass reach remains hard to ignore.
As the FY26–27 line-up settles in, the mix of winners and walkaways will define the private satellite channel landscape on DD Free Dish for the year ahead.
