DTH
Dish TV, Videocon d2h merger impacted global TV subscriber numbers
MUMBAI: The merger of India’s two direct-to-home (DTH) players, Dish TV and Videocon d2h partly played a role in the loss of over five million subscribers or 1.14 per cent in the first quarter of 2018, as per the global report of TV subscribers released by Multiscreen Index.
Excluding Dish TV and Videocon d2h, the index rose by just 1.49 million subscribers, or 0.36 per cent, which is the lowest quarterly increase Informitv has seen. The average quarterly gain over the previous three years has been around 4.5 million, or 1.15 per cent.
Before the merger, it was reported that Dish TV and Videocon d2h will have a total 29.51 million subscribers. After merging in March, the enlarged Dish TV had 6.90 million more subscribers than it had the previous quarter, although overall there appeared to be an apparent loss of 6.51 million from the previous combined total.
Informitv Multiscreen Index editor William Cooper said, “Traditional television subscriber numbers are flat or falling for some services and tracking them through mergers and acquisitions, together with changes in reporting methodologies is increasingly complex. Only 48 of the 100 services in the index reported subscriber gains in the first quarter. That does not include some services that only report figures once or twice a year.”
Dish TV in India emerged with 23 million subscribers, sending it straight to the top of the Multiscreen Index, ahead of American operators Comcast with 21.21 million and DirecTV with 20.27 million.
AT&T still has more subscribers overall in the US, with a total of 25.32 million including U-verse and DirecTV NOW. AT&T has the largest number of subscribers as a group, with 38.89 million across the Americas, up by 93,000.
Satellite services in the US continue to see subscriber losses, with DirecTV losing 188,000, and Dish Network losing 185,000 subscribers. The top 10 services in the US lost 212,000 subscribers in the quarter, with only three of them reporting gains. The largest of these was from the online service DirecTV Now, which added 336,000 subscribers, taking its total to 1.42 million. Sling TV from Dish Network added 91,000, for a total of 2.30 million.
With Sling TV and DirecTV Now regularly reporting subscriber numbers, the report now accounts for online distribution as a separate category, in addition to cable, satellite and telco networks. With a total of 3.71 million online subscribers in the index, it is far smaller than satellite, which still leads with 182.12 million subscribers.
DTH
GTPL Hathway posts FY26 revenue growth, Q4 slips into loss
Annual profit at Rs 5.88 crore; Q4 loss at Rs 5.90 crore
MUMBAI: A strong year met a shaky finish as GTPL Hathway closed FY26 on a high note only to stumble at the final hurdle. The company’s latest financials reveal a tale of two timelines: steady annual growth alongside a fourth-quarter dip that nudged it into the red. GTPL Hathway Limited reported total income of Rs 2,472.46 crore for the year ended March 31, 2026, marking a clear rise from Rs 2,223.00 crore in FY25. Revenue from operations stood at Rs 2,450.78 crore, up from Rs 2,193.38 crore a year ago, signalling consistent traction in its core cable TV and broadband business.
Yet, beneath the annual growth narrative, the March quarter told a different story. The company posted a net loss of Rs 5.90 crore in Q4 FY26, a sharp reversal from a profit of Rs 0.91 crore in the preceding quarter and Rs 8.15 crore in the same period last year. Total income for the quarter came in at Rs 618.46 crore, largely flat sequentially but higher than Rs 569.33 crore reported a year earlier.
The pressure was visible across the cost structure. Total expenses for the quarter rose to Rs 620.64 crore, marginally exceeding income and tipping the company into a loss before tax of Rs 7.87 crore. This compares with a profit before tax of Rs 1.22 crore in the December quarter and Rs 11.32 crore in Q4 FY25.
For the full year, however, profitability held firm. GTPL reported a net profit of Rs 5.88 crore in FY26, significantly lower than Rs 47.80 crore in FY25, but still in positive territory despite higher finance costs and operating expenses. Operating expenses alone climbed to Rs 1,884.53 crore for the year, up from Rs 1,603.53 crore, reflecting the increasing cost of running and scaling network infrastructure.
Finance costs also rose notably to Rs 33.57 crore in FY26 from Rs 22.19 crore in FY25, while depreciation and amortisation expenses stood at Rs 189.19 crore, underlining continued investments in assets and technology. Employee benefit expenses, however, declined to Rs 63.42 crore from Rs 77.08 crore, offering some relief on the cost front.
An exceptional item of Rs 5.69 crore during the year also weighed on profitability, compared with Rs 3.79 crore in the previous year. Meanwhile, tax adjustments, including deferred tax movements and prior-year adjustments, played a role in shaping the final earnings outcome.
Despite the quarterly wobble, the broader picture suggests a company still expanding its top line while grappling with margin pressures. With paid-up equity share capital unchanged at Rs 112.46 crore, the focus now shifts to whether GTPL can convert its revenue momentum into more stable, sustainable profitability in the coming quarters.
In short, FY26 may have delivered growth on paper but the closing chapter serves as a reminder that in business, as in broadband, consistency is everything.
