Cable TV
India cricket: Pehla-Ten Sports bag Mideast territory
MUMBAI: The Pehla broadcast platform and Dubai-based Ten Sports have secured India cricket telecast rights for the Middle East region from Nimbus Sports for approximately $ 8-9 million.
The deal has been done in principle and Ten Sports began airing the matches from Day 3 of the just-concluded Nagpur Test.
According to a statement issued by Pehla, despite the huge cost of acquisition incurred by the Pehla-Ten Sports combine, the effect on the viewers has been kept to a minimum.
As a direct result of this, the subscription rates for all packages showcasing cricket, including Pehla Silver and Gold, e-Pehla Silver and Gold, FirstNet Sports and Gold and e-FirstNet Sports and Gold packages have been increased by Dh 4.
Ten Sports vice president programming Peter Hutton was quoted in a media report as saying, “We have always been very determined in our efforts in bringing top-class live cricket and other international sporting events to the viewers in the region. Perhaps it is this determination that has helped tilt the balance in favour of the Pehla-Ten Sports combine.”
Hutton added that since Nimbus had to pay an astronomical amount to get the rights from BCCI, the television channels were expected to pay an equally high amount to obtain the rights from Nimbus.
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.
