Cable TV
Hathway announces cable TV rates and packages
MUMBAIi: Is CAS happening or not? That’s a question which is on the top of many minds in the cable and satellite industry. But it doesn’t seem to be bothering the Rupert Murdoch-owned MSO Hathway Cable and Datacom. Especially if one considers the fact that it announced the packages it is looking to offer to its subscribers.
In a press statement issued on 3 September the MSO has stated that its focus would be “on offering various cost effective cable TV rate options to its consumers in the Conditional Access era.”
It has announced that it has inked deals with almost all the pay channels and that its list of options for cable subscribers is exhaustive and it will allow them to budget their monthly cable TV tab.
Among the packages it has announced figure, Hathway Prime Time, Hathway Movies Plus, Hathway Full House, and Hathway Super Saver,
Hathway Prime Time: For Rs 85 (per month), it is a mixture of the best of entertainment and education. It will contain leading entertainment, infotainment and education channels in the country. Hathway says the Prime Time package has a 23 per cent discount built in compared to the individual rates of the channels.
Hathway Movie Plus: For Rs 85 (per month), a mixture of the best of movies, kids, sports, and music, it will contain the leading movie, kids and sports channels. Hathway says this package gives consumers a 12 per cent discount on compared to the individual rates of the channels.
Hathway Full House: For Rs 109 (per month) Full House will be available in two options enhanced with additional Kids and Sports content. Option1: Star-Sony Combo or Option2: Star-Zee Turner Combo. The MSO has announced that the Hathway Full House package offers discounts in excess of 50 per cent, compared to the individual rates of the channels.
Hathway Super Saver: For Rs 149 (per month) this complete package has all the popular pay channels at an economical rate of Rs149, yielding a claimed discount of 65 per cent compared to the individual rates of the channels.
Hathway says that it will also offer the various pay channels as a bouquet option: STAR Bouquet: Rs 50, Sony Bouquet: Rs 55, Zee Turner Bouquet: Rs 55, ESPN Star Sports, Rs 32
Apart from that Hathway would also offer channels on a la carte rates of all pay channels where the subscribers have the option to choose individual pay channels.
Hathway consumers, says the press statement, can pick up the Hathway HUMAX Digital Set Top Box, which brings “in an enhanced TV viewing experience for its subscribers with advanced value added services. Hathway viewers will see the first Electronic Programming Guide in India powered by NDS”.
“This unique feature gives Hathway viewers the revolutionary ability to quickly access programme schedule and highlights, and to select the programme of their choice for future viewing. All with the convenience of a remote control and a low cost set-top box,” says the release.
Hathway also has introduced several schemes for its subscribers to make its STB widely acceptable and affordable to all.
Hathway HUMAX Digital Set Top Box schemes:
� Hathw@y Early Bird Scheme (Rental) A refundable deposit of Rs 999 and rental charge of Rs30 per month.
� Hathw@y Regular Scheme (Rental) A refundable deposit of Rs 2600 and rental charge of Rs18 per month.
� Outright Purchase Scheme Set Top Box: Rs 3125 + local taxes, Smart Card deposit: Rs 4 00 (refundable).
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.
