Cable TV
Global broadband consumption of sports content expected to increase by 25 per cent
MUMBAI: A New Media Sportscasting Summit delegation survey done reveals that global broadband consumption of sports content will increase by 25 per cent over the next three years.
The New Media Sportscasting Summit held in Dublin, a few days ago, saw experts from the sports industry gathered together to discuss the trends and opportunities for the delivery of sport over broadband and 3G.
Participants included LiverpoolFC.TV, Setanta Sports in the US, Aura Sports, Google Video, The Rugby Football League and Vodafone. The best way to minimise subscriber churn from broadband sports subscription services is to incentivise customers towards annual rather than monthly subscription.
Setanta Sports CEO Simon Green emphasised that the new phenomenon of ‘Placeshifting’ means that the desire to have sports content anytime, any place is driving new media sportscasting.
Reduction in time delay to ‘as live’ will increase opportunities to incorporate in-running betting with online sports content; live pictures can sit alongside prices for events and web content dictated by the broadcast.
At the same time the creation of more web-specific content will create opportunities to sponsor on-demand broadcasts linked to major racing events. The fourth screen – the mobile phone – is vital in the communications mix for new media sports content. An understanding of mobile personalisation, content recommendations and search capabilities in a wireless environment are key to enabling the success of mobile portal content propositions in the sports industry.
Having a well presented preview function with sample content and offering occasional free video samples to get customer more used to watching video online is essential for successful subscriber recruitment. Investing heavily in customer services and technical support is also key to keeping online subscribers.
There is also a need to understand the time-starved individual who lives in an ‘information overload’ society. The sports industry must react strongly to this. The sports industry is in the entertainment business and must compete for the customer’s attention in a very busy market dominated by MTV, iPods, PSPs, television soaps, the cinema, pubs and PCs.
It was pointed out that the ‘Placeshifting’ phenomenon is growing. This means having content anytime, any place. In the US, this is reflected in the Slingbox which enables users to watch their TV programming from wherever they are by turning virtually any Internet-connected PC into a personal TV.
In the US, it is selling three times as fast as Tivo did.This phenonmenon is reflecting the needs and demands of time starved, busy individuals who want sports information anytime, anywhere. One potential problem for broadcasters in this scenario is that national territorial rights deals could get eroded.
Streaming services are now succeeding because the delay on the television picture is cut down to seven seconds. More users now understand the relationship between PC Spec, Connection Speed and picture quality and broadband penetration is growing rapidly. Further improvements are taking place in terms of the quality of the stream, reductions in the delay as well as enhancements to the free and archive video services.
There is also a huge potential in the online gambling space and the opportunities to integrate broadband video with a ‘Bet & Watch’ facility.
Vodafone media head Kieran Mahon sees sport as the most compelling content to distribute over mobile. He described the importance of the fourth screen – the mobile screen. He outlined that recent developments in mobile data delivery means that mobile sports content can be consumed easily, adding, “Personalisation of mobile content has improved usability by learning about users’ mobile content preferences, dynamically building the user a personalised menu and reducing the time and clicks to services.”
For a sports fan using their mobile to access sports content, this means the link to their favourite sports content will be top of the menu on their mobile phone. Kieran also emphasised that an understanding of personalisation, automatic content recommendation and mobile search in a wireless environment is key to enabling the success of mobile portal content propositions.
Online sports ad agency, Aura Sports MD Paul Wright offered insight into the best ways to develop an advertising revenue stream from digital sports properties. He stated that sponsorship and advertising was equally important and beneficial online as on TV and that the interactivity that can be achieved through online advertising is extremely valuable.
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.
