DTH
Airtel Digital TV revenue and profit up as Bharti Airtel reports record loss
BENGALURU: Indian telecom major Bharti Airtel reported 17 percent y-o-y increase in revenue for its Digital TV Services for the quarter ended 30 September 2019 (Q2 2020, quarter or period under review) as compared to the corresponding year-ago quarter Q2 2019. The company says that with the adoption of IndAS 116, effective 1 April 2019, the results and ratios of periods commencing 1 April 2019 are not comparable with previous periods.
Further, pursuant to reporting changes in DTH effective April 1, 2019 (content cost becoming a Pass through expense) on comparable basis, the y-o-y revenue growth for the period ended 30 Sep 2019 is 17 percent (Quarter ended) and 16 percent (six months ended). EBITDA/ Total revenues is 43.3 percent for the quarter ended 30 Sep 2019 and 42.8 percent for the six months ended 30 Sep 2019 adjusting for the reporting changes.
Without taking into accounting the adoption of IndAS 116, Airtel’s Digital Services revenue declined 22.9 percent y-o-y to Rs 789.3 crore in Q2 2020 from Rs 1,024.2 crore. Operating profit or EBIDTA for Airtel’s Digital TV Services increased 41.6 percent y-o-y in Q2 2020 to Rs 560.7 crore from Rs 396 crore. EBIT for the period under review increased 70 percent y-o-y to Rs 3,243 crore from Rs 1,905 crore.
The company reported 14.2 percent increase in capex for Q2 2020 at Rs 205.2 crore as compared to Rs 179.7 crore in Q2 2019.
Digital TV Services subscription numbers
Airtel Digital TV Services subscribers increased 9.7 percent y-o-y in Q2 2020 to 1.62 crore from 1.48 crore in Q2 2019. Airtel Digital TV Services had 1.6 crore subscribers in the immediate trailing quarter Q1 2018. The company reported net additions of 181,000 Digital TV subscribers in Q2 2020. Average revenue per user (ARPU) in Q2 2020 increased to Rs 162 from Rs 157 in the immediate trailing quarter, but was far lower than the Rs 232 in Q2 2019. In US$ terms, the company reported ARPU of $2.3, $2.2 and $3.3 for Q2 2020, Q1 2020 and Q2 2019 respectively. Monthly churn in Q2 2020 was higher at 1.6 percent as compared to 1.0 percent in the immediate trailing quarter Q1 2020 and 1.3 percent in the corresponding year ago quarter.
Bharti Airtel Numbers
Bharti Airtel consolidated revenues for Q2 2020 at Rs 21,131 crore grew 6.9 percent y-o-y (reported increase of 4.9Percent) on an underlying basis. India revenues for Q2 2020 at Rs 15,361 crore increased by 5.7 y-o-y (reported increase of 3.0percent) on an underlying basis. Mobile revenues witnessed a y-o-y growth of 7.1 percent. Mobile data traffic has nearly doubled to 4,497 PBs in the quarter as compared to 2,478 PBs in the corresponding quarter last year. Mobile 4G data customers increased by 56.9 percent to 10.31 crore from 6.57 crore in the corresponding quarter last year. Digital TV revenue witnessed a growth of 17.1 percent y-o-y on an underlying basis (decline of 22.9 percent on reported basis due to reporting changes in DTH pursuant to the new tariff order). Airtel Business has sustained its performance on ay-o-y basis.
Bharti Airtel’s consolidated EBITDA at Rs 8,936 crore increased 40.9 percent y-o-y. Consolidated EBITDA margin increased by 10.8 percent to 42.3 percent in the quarter as compared to 31.5 percent in the corresponding quarter last year. Consolidated EBIT increased by 85.2 percent y-o-y to Rs 1,993 crore. Consolidated Net Loss before exceptional items for the quarter was Rs 1,123 crore. The consolidated net loss after exceptional items for the quarter was Rs 23,045 crore.
Company Speak
Bharti Airtel MD and CEO Gopal Vittal said in a press release, “Despite being a seasonally weak quarter, we witnessed positive revenue growth in Q2 on the back of various initiatives aimed at providing superior differential services through our Thanks platform. We continue to witness strong data traffic growth of approximately 81 percent y-o-y and added about 0.8 crore 4G customers on our network during the quarter. We remain committed to strengthening our network and providing a superior experience to our customers. On the AGR verdict of the Hon’ble Supreme Court, we continue to engage with the government and are evaluating various options available to us. We are hopeful that the government will take a considerate view in this matte given the fragile state of the industry.”
DTH
Dish TV launches ‘Kuch chhota sa’ campaign for TV flexibilit
New campaign highlights 190+ channels, Always-On service, Rs 99 Freedom Pack.
MUMBAI- Sometimes, the smallest remote click can fix the biggest daily friction and Dish TV is betting on exactly that insight. The company has rolled out a new campaign built around the thought ‘Kuch chhota sa karne par, life hogi behtar’, turning everyday viewing annoyances into a case for simpler, more reliable television access.
The campaign taps into a familiar household reality: millions of viewers continue to rely on free-to-air channels but increasingly want the flexibility of premium content, often ending up with a patchy and inconsistent viewing experience. Dish TV positions itself as the middle path—a structured yet flexible alternative that promises continuity without complexity. At its core is the pitch of an “Always-On” service, designed to keep content accessible even when recharge timelines slip, effectively reducing one of the most common friction points in DTH consumption.
To strengthen this proposition, the platform is offering access to over 190 channels, alongside a flexible pricing hook through its Freedom Pack, starting at Rs 99. The pack is positioned as a seasonal companion particularly relevant during high-engagement periods such as cricket tournaments, school holidays and festive windows, when content consumption spikes but users may not want long-term commitments.
Conceptualised by Enormous, the campaign unfolds through two master films and three short edits rooted in slice-of-life storytelling. From a husband quietly navigating around his sleeping wife to siblings striking a compromise over a coveted window seat, the narratives lean into humour and relatability rather than heavy messaging. The underlying idea remains consistent: small adjustments can meaningfully improve everyday experiences.
The rollout spans a full 360-degree media mix, including television, digital platforms, on-ground activations, point-of-sale visibility, Google Display Network placements and influencer-led content, signalling a push for both scale and contextual engagement.
As viewing habits continue to evolve in a hybrid ecosystem of free and paid content, Dish TV’s latest play reflects a broader industry shift where reliability and flexibility are increasingly positioned as differentiators, not just add-ons. In a market crowded with choice, the brand’s wager is simple: sometimes, it’s the smallest tweak that keeps audiences tuned in.
