Tata Sky and Airtel Digital TV have wrapped up the complimentary access to interactive services that were offered free to the subscribers in the initial days of lockdown. Tata Sky enabled free access to 10 interactive services including Tata Sky Fitness that received positive response from Minister of State for Youth Affairs & Sports Kiren Rijiju. Similarly, Bharti Airtel through its Digital TV offered three services for no additional charge to its users. The operators initially noted that the services would be available for the duration of the lockdown. However, the Indian government continued to extend the lockdown which was initially said to end in the second week of April to May 3 and now to May 17.
Tata Sky Ends Free Access to Interactive Services
Tata Sky on Tuesday issued an alert to its users highlighting that the access to its free service channels have ended and asked its users to “gift those Tata Sky Services” to their families.
The DTH operator provided free access to Dance Studio, Tata Sky Fun Learn, Smart Manager, Vedic Maths, Cooking, Classroom, Dance Studio, Beauty, Javed Aktar and Tata Sky Fitness.
It has to be noted that the service channels including Fitness and Fun Learn are priced at Rs 2 per day or around Rs 60 per month. Tata Sky charges its consumers Rs 10 per day for Vedic Maths and Smart Manager.
Additionally, Tata Sky also offered its consumers an emergency credit facility that provided its users a balance loan for a specified time period. Tata Sky said that the emergency credit facility provided “access to uninterrupted entertainment” to users who were unable to recharge during the lockdown.
Airtel Digital TV Stops Free Access to Three Service Channels
Airtel Digital TV in the first week of April joined its peer in enabling free access to three of its service channels including Aapki Rasoi, Airtel Seniors TV and Let’s Dance. The DTH operator on Monday stopped its free preview of its service channels.
Airtel Digital TV charges its consumers Rs 2 per day for access to Airtel Seniors TV while Aapki Rasoi and Let’s Dance are priced at Rs 1.5 and Rs 1.6 per day respectively.