Cable TV
Q3-2016: Den activation revenue boost revenue 31 percent; adds 9 lakh digital subscribers in a quarter
BENGALURU: As mentioned earlier, Den Networks Ltd had reported 31 per cent YoY growth in consolidated Total Income from operations (TIO) in the quarter ended 31 December, 2015 (Q3-2016, current quarter) at Rs 352.18 crore as compared to Rs 268.81 crore. TIO increased 29.8 per cent QoQ as compared to Rs 271.29 crore.
Note: 100,00,000 = 100 lakh = 10 million = 1 crore
The company has reported activation revenue of Rs 86 crore in Q3-2016, more than fivefold YoY as compared to the Rs 15 crore in Q3-2015 and more the than three times the Rs 27 crore in the immediate trailing quarter. The company says that it has added 9 lakh digital subscribers in the current quarter, taking its digital subscriber base to 85 lakhs as compared to the 76 lakhs in the previous quarter. The company had reported a digital subscriber base of 68 lakh for the Q3-2015, hence the share of its digital subscriber base has gone up from 58 percent in Q3-2015 to 65 percent in the current quarter. The company says that its Cable DAS ARPU has increased 3.8 percent to Rs 80 in the current quarter as compared to Rs 77 in the immediate trailing quarter.
The company reported EBIDTA of Rs 42.99 crore (12.2 per cent margin) in the current quarter as compared to an operating profit of Rs 0.28 crore (0.1 per cent margin) in Q3-2015 and an operating loss of Rs 11.27 crore in the immediate trailing quarter. The company’s pre-Activation Cable EBIDTA in the current quarter was Rs 6 crore as compared to the Rs 34 crore in Q3-2015 and a negative Cable EBIDTA of Rs 5 crore in Q2-2016.
The company has also ramped up its broadband subscribers by 33.3 percent to 76,000 in the current quarter to 57,000 in the immediate trailing quarter. As had been reported earlier, the company’s broadband segment revenue increased by over five times YoY (5.5 times) at Rs 11.96 crore (3.4 per cent of TIO) as compared to Rs 2.17 crore (0.8 per cent of TIO) and increased 58 per cent QoQ as compared to Rs 8.23 crore (three per cent of TIO). The segment’s YoY operating loss increased to Rs 19.57 crore as compared to Rs 12.37 crore, but reduced QoQ as compared to Rs 23.07 crore. The company says that broadband ARPU has declined by Rs 10 in the current quarter to Rs 760 from Rs 770 in the previous quarter.
Broadband Post Activation EBIDTA in Q3-2016 was negative Rs 16 crore as compared to the negative Rs 11 crore in Q3-2015 and negative Rs 20 crore in Q3-2016.
The company says that its TV Shop has achieved a GMV of Rs20 crore per month with a reach of 5.2 crore homes and a conversion ratio of calls received of 38 percent and 30 percent repeat customers.
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.
