Cable TV
Finally, ESPN back on INCable
MUMBAI: They were eyeball to eyeball. Head to head. And it seemed like neither would blink. But the month long fracas between ESPN Star Sports (ESS) and the Hinduja run MSO INCableNet ended yesterday with the resumption of the relaying of the two sports channels’ signals to the latter.
According industry sources, ESS switched on INCableNet’s boxes yesterday (14 December) after the MSO agreed to cough up outstandings reportedly totting up to Rs 70 million.
An INCable spokesperson confirmed the news today saying, “The outstandings have been taken care of. The settlement has happened amicably. ESS is withdrawing all the cases against us.”
The sports network had snapped the signals a month ago (on 10 November) with an official statement that “InCableNet has failed to pay routine monthly dues, despite repeated collection efforts”.
More recently, a Mumbai-based consumer group Consumer Action Network (CAN) had filed a public interest petition in the Bombay High Court seeking government control of cricket telecast rights whenever the Indian team plays. On 11 December, the court ruled that local cable operators who don’t have access to ESS, can switch over to another
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.
