Cable TV
DEN aims to convert 10% of SD subscribers to HD in a year
MUMBAI: DEN Networks CEO SN Sharma has set a target of converting 10 per cent of its standard definition (SD) subscribers to high definition (HD) within a year.
Sharma, speaking on an analysts call, said that DEN currently has 7.4 million paid digital subscribers, but only about 100,000 of those view HD transmissions.
He further noted that the price of HD set top boxes (STBs) has seen a decline from Rs 4,000-5,000 to Rs 1,500-1,600 and that should help in increasing the HD penetration.
Reports said that DEN has locked in content deals with most broadcasters with the increase being less than 15 per cent. The MSO’s content deals are valid till April 2019 barring that of Star which will come up for renewal in nine months by January. DEN has also resolved its dispute with ZEEL.
“All these deals have been signed up and are firmly in the place. The content cost increase is in the range of less than 15 per cent,” Sharma said.
He also said that all the deals will come up for renewal next year as agreements with Sony and IndiaCast will expire in March 2019. Star and Zee are now signing only one-year deals.
“So as of now our content deals are all frozen till March and April next year. By then all of them become due for renewal,” he noted.
The deals with broadcasters are consolidated and include both standard definition (SD) and HD channels.
Currently, the DEN strategy is to replace older STBs as they run out of warranty, as well as to use new HD STBs as the cable network expands into new areas.
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Cable TV
Hathway Cable appoints Gurjeev Singh Kapoor as CEO
Leadership change comes as cable TV faces shrinking subscriber base and modest earnings pressure
MUMBAI: Hathway Cable and Datacom has tapped industry veteran Gurjeev Singh Kapoor as chief executive officer, marking a leadership pivot at a time when India’s cable television business is under mounting strain.
Kapoor will take over from Tavinderjit Singh Panesar, who is set to retire in August after a long innings with the company. Panesar, chief executive since 2023, has held multiple leadership roles at Hathway, including his latest stint beginning in 2022.
Kapoor brings more than three decades of experience in media and entertainment. He most recently led distribution at The Walt Disney Company’s Star India business, now part of JioStar. His career spans television distribution and affiliate partnerships, with stints at Sony Pictures Networks India, Discovery Communications and Zee Entertainment.
Panesar, with over three decades in the industry, has worked across strategic planning, distribution and business development in media, broadcasting and manufacturing. His past associations include ESPN Star Sports, Star India, Apollo Tyres and JK Industries.
The transition lands as the cable sector grapples with structural disruption. Traditional operators are losing ground to streaming platforms, while telecom and broadband players tighten the squeeze with bundled offerings.
An EY report estimates India’s pay-TV base could shrink by a further 30 to 40 million households by 2030, taking the total down to 71 to 81 million. The slide follows a loss of nearly 40 million homes between 2018 and 2024, a contraction that has already wiped out more than 37,000 jobs in the local cable operator ecosystem.
Hathway’s numbers reflect the strain. The company reported a consolidated net profit of Rs 93 crore for FY25, down from Rs 99 crore a year earlier. Revenue inched up to Rs 2,040 crore from Rs 1,981 crore. As of December 2025, it had about 4.7 million cable TV subscribers and roughly 1.02 million broadband users.
Kapoor steps in with a familiar brief but a shrinking playbook. In a market where viewers are cutting cords faster than companies can reinvent them, the new chief executive inherits a business fighting to stay plugged in.
