Tata Sky has extended its lead at the top with a market share of 32.58%. Tata Sky ended the Q1 FY21 with 32.09% share, and it has been increased to 32.58% at the end of September 2020. The second-largest DTH operator continues to be Dish TV. However, unlike Tata Sky, Dish TV lost its market share. The remaining two service providers- Airtel Digital TV and Sun Direct also increased their market share marginally. The total active Pay DTH subscriber base has increased from 70.58 million in June 2020 to 70.70 million in September 2020. A year ago (September 30, 2019), the total active Pay DTH subscriber base used to be 69.30 million, which saw a slight increase to 70.70 million.
Tata Sky, Airtel Digital TV and Sun Direct Register Growth in Q2 FY21
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) today released ‘The Indian Telecom Services Performance Indicators’ report for the quarter that ended on September 30, 2020. During the quarter, Tata Sky managed to increase its market share to 32.58%. On the other hand, Dish TV lost market share and settled down with a 27% share at the end of Q2 FY21. Airtel Digital TV and Sun Direct are third and fourth on the list with 24.59% and 15.83% share.
Commenting on the report, a Tata Sky spokesperson said, “We are happy to see the continued growth in the DTH sector. A strong brand like Tata Sky is becoming even more preferred with each passing day.”
It is a worrying factor for Dish TV as the DTH operator lost market share for two quarters straight. The other DTH operators are increasing their market share marginally, but that's not the case with Dish TV though. Once the top DTH operator in India, Dish TV is constantly losing the share to Tata Sky and Airtel Digital TV. The reason for Dish TV's market share dip is not-so-competitive offerings.
For example, Tata Sky is providing its Binge+ Android TV Set-Top Box with six months of free Tata Sky Binge subscription at just Rs 2,999, even for new customers. That's not the case with Dish TV as the DishSMRT Hub Android TV-based hybrid Set-Top Box is available at Rs 3,999 for new users and at Rs 2,499 for existing customers who are upgrading from HD or SD Set-Top Box. The reason behind Tata Sky gaining subscriber base is Tata Sky Binge that combines a lot of premium OTT subscriptions into a single package at just Rs 299 per month.
