Cable TV
ESS discontinues service to InCablenet
MUMBAI: The tug of war between cable ops and broadcasters shows no signs of slowing down. ESPN Star Sports (ESS) has discontinued its service to Hinduja’s InCable.
The reason given by the broadcaster is the monies owed to it by Indus Ind Media and Communications Ltd (IMC), a subsidiary of Hinduja TMT which crossed the Rs 20 million mark for the four-month period; January – April. Meanwhile Star’s Hathway, Zee’s Siticable, Seven Star and independent affiliates will continue to receive ESS. InCable subscribers, however, will have to do without the ongoing TVS Cup in Dhaka as well as ESS’ Summer Sports Bonnanza..
ESPN Software VP affiliate sales Sricharan Iyengar said: “Payments for the ESPN and Star Sports services have not been made even as InCablenet has been collecting money from its affiliates and subscribers. Hence, during the TVS Cup cricket series, we were left with no option but to inform the viewers that their favourite sports channels were likely to be switched-off if the dues are not cleared by IMC.”
“Instead of clearing the outstanding payments, the management of InCablenet has decided to deprive their viewers of the ongoing exciting sports fest on their favourite sports network. Our repeated efforts have only resulted in receiving a very minor part payment,” Iyengar added.
“Keeping consumer interest in mind, we will continue to make our best efforts to solve the problem with InCable Network so that viewers do not miss the interesting line up of sports we have for them. This includes the special programming we are doing on the batting legend Sachin Tendulkar who turns 30 on 24 April,” Iyengar went on to say.
ESS also stated that InCablenet failed in the timely renewal of its contracts for Nagpur, Nashik, Ahmedabad,Vadodara and Indore leading to a non-availability of the two channels in these cities as well.
From this month onwards till March 2004, ESS will bring viewers over 11,000 hours of live coverage. The cricket coverage it will have will include South Africa’s tour of Bangladesh; Australia’s tour of the West Indies which is currently on; Zimbabwe’s tour of England; Pakistan’s tour Of England; followed by the triangular series between Zimbabwe, South Africa and England; and Sri Lanka’s tour of the West Indies.
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.
