DTH
Biggest threat to Indonesia’s DTH & Pay TV market is piracy: Tanoesoedibjo
MUMBAI: While there may have been disruptive pricing and piracy issues that haunt the Indonesian pay TV market, the potential in the country is enormous.
According to Indonesian satellite Pay TV company MNC Sky Vision’s president and director Rudy Tanoesoedibjo, the industry faces three key hurdles, which are stagnating growth. Outlining the three key points he says that piracy has been the biggest threat to the pay TV and Direct to Home (DTH) market.
“We work very hard to fight piracy and we get very good support from the channels to stop piracy,” Tanoesoedibjo says. He was speaking at the recently held Asia Pacific Operators Summit (APOS) 2015 in Bali.
Tanoesoedibjo further adds that the other two reasons are inter related to the content of the channels in Indonesia. “We are experiencing what India was experiencing in the past. In India, it was called call rotational subscribers while we call it recycle subscribers. The same set of new subscribers come in once again every three to four months, as new subscribers like a rotational churn thanks to an ‘unhealthy’ free offering for new subscribers. A single subscriber jumps from one operator to another,” he says.
The third reason behind the stagnant growth, according to Tanoesoedibjo, is severe because of a new practice adopted by some operators in the country. “Operators do not shut off non-paying subscribers. We have had instances where people only pay one time and continue with the service. This threatens the growth,” he laments before adding, “this is a structural problem and we can only solve it with the participation of the channels.”
To battle the menace of piracy, MNC Sky Vision is currently fighting approximately 36 cases in court. The company has three brands namely Indovision, Top TV and Oke Vision under its umbrella. The good news here is that MNC Sky Vision has managed to crack one the biggest player, which had 75,000 subscribers.
Talking about the scale of opportunity for DTH players in Indonesia, Tanoesoedibjo opines that the opportunity is large enough with a market size of 40-50 million subscribers and the pipe can grow further. “Currently the pipe is stagnant,” he informs.
Going forward, MNC Sky Vision is planning to offer more High Definition (HD) channels in the country and will also be moving soon to MPEG-5.
“It doesn’t matter if the Set Top Box (STB) is MPEG2, MPEG 3, MPEG 5, HD or even Standard Definition (SD), as the price difference is only one or two dollars. We will be move to MPEG 5 by the end of the year,” he says.
Throwing light on the dilemma of whether Over the Top (OTT) and DTH players can co-exist peacefully, Tanoesoedibjo says that DTH operators need to evolve in order to survive. “DTH operators think with a traditional mindset that they just provide access to content via their technology for customers. We should not forget that at the end of the day, we do not have control of content. We are only a pipe,” he informs.
Calling new technology that can deliver content faster, efficiently and cheaper than a DTH operator, a threat, Tanoesoedibjo says that in that scenario operators will have to expand, introduce better technology and new means of delivery such as OTT platforms.
“We have already launched our alternate OTT, and are also preparing our stand alone OTT services next. But maybe in the next five months there will bea new means of delivery,” he mulls.
On a concluding note Tanoesoedibjo says that operators need to pay attention in creating their own content. “We now have our own content for 20 channels. At the end of the day we deliver content. But if someone else finds an easier way to deliver it, then DTH needs to watch and be more effective,” he cautions.
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.
