Cable TV
Q2-17: Den Networks reports higher revenue, operating profits
BENGALURU: Multiple-systems operator Den Networks Limited (Den) reported 26.7 percent increase in Total Income from operations (TIO) for the quarter ended September 30, 2016 (Q2-17, current quarter) as compared to the corresponding year ago quarter (Q2-16). The company also reported a consolidated operating profit (EBIDTA) of Rs 28.75 crore (10.6 percent margin) in the current quarter as opposed to an operating loss (negative EBIDTA) of Rs 39.80 crore. Den’s TIO for the current quarter was Rs 272.44 crore as compared to Rs 214.99 crore. EBIDTA including other income was Rs 36.24 crore (13.3 percent margin of IO) in Q2-17 as opposed to an operating loss (including other income) of Rs 27.14 crore in Q2-16.
Further the company reported lower losses for the current quarter as compared to the corresponding year ago quarter. Net loss after tax (PAT) reduced to Rs 47.87 crore in Q2-17 as compared to a loss of Rs 83.11 crore in Q2-16. Total Comprehensive Income (TCI) improved to a negative Rs 48.43 crore in Q2-17 as compared a negative Rs 97.66 crore in Q2-16.
Segment numbers
The company has two operating segments that contribute to revenue for now– Cable Distribution Network (Cable) and Broadband (brand Boomband). Both segments reported improved operating numbers. Its third segment – the soccer segment has no revenue as of now, but is an expense head and had reported an operating loss of Rs 8.57 crore for Q2-16. The segment has neither income nor result for the current quarter,
Cable segment reported 21.7 percent growth in operating revenue in Q2-17 at Rs 251.74 crore as compared to Rs 206.84 crore in Q2-16. The segment’s operating loss in the current quarter improved to Rs 31.22 crore as compared to higher operating loss of Rs 54.88 core in Q2-16.
Broadband segment standalone revenue more than doubled (over 2.6 times) in the current quarter to Rs 20.70 crore as compared to Rs 8.05 crore in Q2-16. The segment reported lower standalone operating loss in Q2-17 of Rs 8 crore as compared to an operating loss of Rs 23.23 crore in the corresponding year ago quarter.
The company’s soccer segment reported a net loss of Rs
Let us look at the other numbers reported by Den
Total Expenditure in the current quarter was 3.3 percent higher at Rs 311.66 crore (114.4 percent of TIO) as compared Rs 301.67 crore (140.3 percent of TIO) in Q2-16. As percentage of TIO, Total expenditure in the current quarter was lower as compared to Q2-16.
A major cost head for Den is Content Costs which reduced by 7.7 percent to Rs 118.25 crore (43.4 percent of TIO) in Q2-17 from Rs 128.13 crore (59.6 percent of TIO).
Other Expenses reduced 8 percent in the current quarter to Rs 78.62 crore (28.9 percent of TIO) as compared to Rs 85.46 crore (39.8 percent of TIO) in Q2-16.
Placement fees more than doubled (increased 59.2 percent) in the current quarter to Rs 13.8 crore (5.1 percent of TIO) as compared to Rs 8.67 crore (4 percent of TIO) in the corresponding year ago quarter.
Employee benefits expense in Q2-17 declined 1.5 percent to Rs 33.02 crore (12.1 percent of TIO) as compared to Rs 32.53 crore (15.1 percent of TIO) in Q2-16.
Finance costs in the current quarter declined 36.2 percent to Rs 12.92 crore (4.7 percent of TIO) as compared to Rs 20.25 crore (9.4 percent of TIO) in Q2-16.
Other Income in Q2-17 was less than half (declined 58.5 percent) to Rs 7.49 crore as compared to Rs 18.06 crore in Q2-16.
Note: (1) All numbers mentioned in this report are standalone unless stated otherwiserigh.
(2)The unit of currency in this report is the Indian rupee – Rs (also conventionally represented by INR). The Indian numbering system or the Vedic numbering system has been used to denote money values. The basic conversion to the international norm would be:
(a) 100,00,000 = 100 lakh = 10,000,000 = 10 million = 1 crore.
(b) 10,000 lakh = 100 crore = 1 arab = 1 billion.
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.
