Cable TV
Tivo to travel wirelessly through Verizon deal
MUMBAI: American media firm Tivo, which works in the area of creating television services for digital video recorders (DVR) has announced a deal with Verizon Wireless.
The agreement will allow Verizon Wireless to debut Tivo Mobile, a new downloadable application that lets Tivo service subscribers schedule recordings on their TiVo device directly from their Get It Now equipped Verizon Wireless handset.
Tivo CEO Tom Rogers says, “This arrangement will allow the growing base of Tivo subscribers to integrate control of their TV life with the most widespread piece of consumer electronics, the wireless phone”.
TiVo Mobile is a new innovation that will allow TiVo subscribers to schedule DVR recordings and access related entertainment information from the convenience of their mobile handsets. Viewers will be able to schedule recordings on the go via the same user interface that makes TiVo the best-in-class DVR experience.
Verizon Wireless users will be able to download the application from the Verizon Wireless Get It Now suite of services onto applicable handsets. Verizon Wireless and TiVo will also collaborate on a joint marketing campaign to promote availability of the new TiVo Mobile feature.
Verizon Wireless chief marketing officer John Stratton says, “Tivo Mobile will add yet another unique benefit to the Verizon Wireless Get It Now service by allowing our subscribers to be the first mobile users anywhere to schedule television recordings on Tivo using their mobile handset. As a powerful consumer entertainment brand, Tivo has the ability to help us attract consumers who value the leading multimedia capabilities Verizon Wireless offers.”
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.
