Cable TV
Q3-17: Den Networks reports higher ARPUs, subscription revenue & operating profits
BENGALURU: Following the 26.7 percent year-over-year (y-o-y) increase in the previous quarter, multiple-systems operator (MSO) Den Networks Limited (Den) reported 29.7 percent y-o-y increase in consolidated Total Income from operations (TIO) for the quarter ended December 31, 2016 (Q3-17, current quarter) as compared to the corresponding year ago quarter (Q3-16). The company also reported a 75.1 percent quarter-over quarter (q-o-q) increase in consolidated operating profit (EBIDTA) to Rs 50.34 crore (18.7 percent margin) from Rs 28.75 crore (10.6 percent margin) in the current quarter. In the corresponding year ago quarter Den had reported an operating loss (negative EBIDTA) of Rs 39.56 crore. Den’s TIO for the current quarter was Rs 298.83 crore as compared to Rs 230.39 crore in Q3-16. EBIDTA including other income was Rs 62.60 crore (22.3 percent margin of TIO) in Q3-17 as opposed to an operating loss (including other income) of Rs 27.03 crore in Q3-16.
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 45.19 crore in Q3-17 as compared to a loss of Rs 87.39 crore in Q3-16. Total Comprehensive Income (TCI) improved to a negative Rs 44.39 crore in Q3-17 as compared a negative Rs 87.18 crore in Q3-16.
Said DEN Networks CEO SN Sharma: “The company continues to improve on cable subscription billing on a quarter on quarter basis. ARPU (including taxes) for DAS 1, 2 and 3 markets stood at Rs 125, Rs. 95 and Rs. 64 per box respectively which reflects on improvement of 11 per cent , 6 per cent and 23 per cent respectively on Q-o-Q basis , with a strong collection efficiency at 95 per cent .”
Sharma also announced that DEN has achieved break even in the company’s broadband business for the full quarter despite telecom launches and freebies offered by the big players.
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. The segment has neither income nor result for the current quarter. That’s because the company is gradually exiting from the business and has divested almost 80 per cent of its equity in the team.
Cable segment reported 35.4 percent growth in operating revenue in Q3-17 at Rs 277.36 crore as compared to Rs 204.84 crore in Q3-16. The segment’s operating loss in the current quarter improved significantly to Rs 11.68 crore as compared to higher operating loss of Rs 43.90 core in Q3-16 and an operating loss of Rs 31.22 crore in the immediate trailing quarter.
Broadband segment revenue increased 82.6 in the current quarter to Rs 21.47 crore as compared to Rs 11.76 crore in Q3-16. The segment reported lower standalone operating loss in Q3-17 of Rs 7.22 crore as compared to an operating loss of Rs 19.77 crore in the corresponding year ago quarter.
Let us look at the other numbers reported by Den
Other Income in Q3-17 declined 2.2 percent to Rs 12.26 crore as compared to Rs 12.53 crore in Q3-16
Total Expenditure in the current quarter was 0.8 percent lower at Rs 317.73 crore (118.2 percent of TIO) as compared Rs 320.17 crore (162.6 percent of TIO) in Q3-16.
A major cost head for Den is Content Costs which increased 3.5 percent to Rs 119.28 crore (44.4 percent of TIO) in Q3-17 from Rs 115.27 crore (58.5 percent of TIO).
Other Expenses reduced 26.9 percent in the current quarter to Rs 84.44 crore (31.4 percent of TIO) as compared to Rs 115.49 crore (58.7 percent of TIO) in Q3-16.
Placement fees increased 2.9 percent in the current quarter to Rs 11.82 crore (4.4 percent of TIO) as compared to Rs 11.49 crore (5.8 percent of TIO) in the corresponding year ago quarter.
Employee benefits expense in Q3-17 increased 17.3 percent to Rs 32.95 crore (12.3 percent of TIO) as compared to Rs 28.10 crore (14.3 percent of TIO) in Q3-16.
Finance costs in the current quarter increased 9 percent to Rs 20.44 crore (7.6 percent of TIO) as compared to Rs 18.75 crore (9.5 percent of TIO) in Q3-16.
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.
