DTH
Dish TV-Videocon d2h to bank on economies of scale
MUMBAI: The long-awaited fusion of Dish TV and Videocon d2h finally saw the light of day on 22 March 2018. The pioneer in the direct-to-home (DTH) sector, Dish TV, and the fast-growing Mumbai-hqed and Dhoot family promoted service came together making Dish TV Videocon d2h the largest pay TV operator in India and among the top three in the world.
The merged TV distirbution platform will benefit from economies of scale while leveraging the individual strengths of the two services. One of the biggest attractions for the Jawahar Goel and Essel group promoted Dish TV as the acquirer was Videocon’s significantly higher average revenue per user (ARPU) as compared to Dish TV. While the former had an ARPU of Rs 210, the latter’s ARPU stood at Rs 155-160. The combined ARPU is expected to be Rs 180. Owing to competition from Free Dish and other operational roadblocks, Dish TV had a lower ARPU but things are on the upswing, according to Dish TV CFO Rajeev Dalmia.
Going forward, the acquirer, Dish TV, plans to keep the two brands independent in order to explore the regional opportunities as stated by Dish TV group CEO Anil Dua in an interaction with Indiantelevision.com.
For any merger of this magnitude, integration is a big challenge and Dish TV is no exception. To ease matters, the company is concentrating on cultural integration in a bid to get the ship in order. The management undertook a cultural survey with 2000 participants so as to ease the pain of integration. Though still it has only been more than a month since the merger, the two operators’ office premises, logistics and warehouses have already been combined. Dua reiterated that the combined entity would draw synergies to the tune of Rs 510 crore through revenue aggregation and cost savings.
In case of geographical capability, both brands bring different strengths to the table. The consolidated entity is expected to become a pan-India behemoth with its combined 29 million subscribers with Dish TV contributing with 16 million subscribers and Videocon d2h pitching in with 13 million users as on 31 March 2018.
“Dish TV’s has always had benchmark content cost in the industry while Videocon’s content cost has been on the higher side,” said Dua acknowledging the disparity. Dish TV’s cost of content is 30-31 per cent of subscription revenue currently while the number for Videocon is higher at 36 per cent. He pointed out that the combined cost of content will be lower and hover around 30 per cent. “We want to maintain the cost of content as a percentage of total revenue—including advertising, carriage fees, value-added services along with other income—for the combined entity at 28 per cent,” added Dalmia.
One of the key blocks of the merger is restructuring and assigning promising personnel to important positions. The management, which conspicuously does not feature anyone from Videocon, has appointed two marketing heads—one for each brand. Dish TV has put in place a common business head for North India and East India for the brands while also having a common business head for South India and West India.
“We have one national service head for a common model of service across the country. Moreover, Ranjit Singh will continue to be the legal head for both brands,” Dua pointed out.
Post merger, Dish TV wants to exploit the regional strengths without limiting the strength of the individual brands. The DTH operator has retained two independent brands as they have two marketing heads and two separate sales teams for each brand.
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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.
