Pay DTH active subscriber base reached 61.97 million by March 2024: TRAI

The year 2023-24 proved to be yet another dynamic and bustling period for the broadcasting and cable services industry, reveals the Telecom and Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) in its Annual Report for the year 2023-2024. India’s media and entertainment sectors hold a significant place in the country’s narrative, and the television broadcasting sector has emerged as a vital player in fostering India’s economic growth.

The demographic dividend comprising of more than half of youth population in the country offers huge opportunity for information and entertainment services making the Indian M&E sector a sunrise sector of Indian economy. It has seen spectacular growth over the years. As per the FICCI EY M&E report (March 2024), the Indian M&E sector grew 8.1% in 2023 to reach Rs 2.32 trillion from Rs 2.14 trillion in 2022 and is expected to reach Rs 3.08 trillion in 2026 with a CAGR of 10%. Television is one of the largest and fastest growing segments of M&E sector, representing around 30% of the total media and entertainment revenue. However, even though television remains the largest segment, digital media has seen phenomenal growth with a 38% growth in digital subscriptions in 2023.

TRAI is taking various measures to ensure transparency, non-discrimination and equity across the TV Broadcasting & distribution value chain; increase efficiency and trust and reduce disputes amongst stakeholders across the value chain, as well as creating an enabling ecosystem for the investment and growth of the broadcasting sector.

During the year, a consultation paper on “Review of Regulatory Framework for Broadcasting and Cable Services” was issued on August 8, 2023. The consultation paper included various issues relating to Tariff, Interconnection, Quality of Service as well as financial disincentives.

During the year 2023-24, several key recommendations were sent to the Government. The recommendations were made on:

a) Ease of Doing Business in Telecom and Broadcasting Sector;
b) License Fee and Policy Matters of DTH Services;
c) Issues related to FM Radio Broadcasting; and
d) Issues related to Low Power Small Range FM Radio Broadcasting.

In addition, TRAI has undertaken steps to improve regulatory compliance. During the period 2023-24, a total of 820 audits of Digital Addressable Systems (433-DPO caused & 387-broadcasters caused) have been conducted by 52 auditors empanelled by TRAI and Broadcast Engineering Consultants India Limited (BECIL).

Other significant developments of the Broadcasting sector are as below:

The broadcasting sector consists of Television and Radio Services. The Television services are delivered through cable TV services, Direct-To-Home (DTH) Service, Headend in the Sky (HITS) services and Internet Protocol television (IPTV) services. As per an industry report1 , the TV universe consists of approximately 62 million cable TV households, 2 million HITS subscribers. In addition, as reported by the pay DTH operators to TRAI, there were 61.97 million2 pay DTH total active subscribers as on 31st March 2024. Further, reported subscriber base by the IPTV operators was 0.5 million2 as on 31st March 2024.
The TV broadcasting sector encompasses approximately 333 broadcasters providing 922 private satellite TV channels as on 31st March 20243 . These television channels include 258 SD pay TV channels and 103 HD Pay TV channels provided by 41 television broadcasters. Further, there were 880 Multi System Operators (MSOs), 1 HITS operator, 4 pay DTH operators and 33 IPTV operators. Further, as per the information provided by MIB, there were 81,706 cable operators registered in the country.
Prasar Bharati is the Public Service Broadcaster in India which operates radio network[1]All India Radio (Akashvani) & Television Network (Door operates DD Free dish, the only Free-to-Air (FTA) DTH Service which is the largest distributed DTH platform in India. DD Free Dish reaches millions of people especially in rural, remote, inaccessible and border areas having low income and is used as a tool not only for entertainment but also for promoting education, health, and agriculture. As per industry estimates, there were around 45 million DD Free Dish households.
The revenue of Indian television industry stands at Rs 69,600 crore in the year 2023 as compared to Rs 70,900 crore in the year 2022, thereby registering a decline of around 1.8%. Subscription revenue accounts for a major share of the overall industry revenue. Subscription revenue has increased from Rs 39,200 crore1 in the year 2022 to Rs 39,900 crore in the year 2023. Further, advertisement revenue has decreased from Rs 31,800 crore2 in the year 2022 to Rs 29,700 crore in the year 2023.
As reported by private FM Radio broadcasters to TRAI, there were 388 private FM radio stations operational as on 31st March 2024, besides the radio channels operated by the public service broadcaster - All India Radio (AIR). As far as the data relating to Community Radio Stations is concerned, as per the information provided by the MIB, out of the 605-permission issued as on 31st March 2024 for the setup of such stations, 494 community radio stations became operational. The reported advertisement revenue by the private FM Radio broadcasters has increased from Rs 1547.13 crore in year 2022-23 to Rs 1775.79 crore in the year 2023-24.

DTH services

As reported by the pay DTH operators to TRAI, pay DTH attained total active subscriber base of around 61.97 million at the end of March 2024. This is in addition to the subscribers of the DD Free Dish (free DTH services of Doordarshan). At the end of March 2024, there were 4 pay DTH service providers catering to this subscriber base.

Apart from an increase in the availability of conventional TV channels, the pay DTH operators have continued to add several innovative offerings and value-added services (VAS) such as movie-on-demand, gaming, shopping, education etc.

FM Radio

Radio is a popular means for mass communication, owing largely, to its wide coverage, portability, low set-up cost and affordability. In India, Radio coverage is available in the Short-wave (SW) and Medium-wave (MW) bands in the Amplitude Modulation (AM) mode and Frequency Modulation (FM) mode. FM Radio broadcasting today, is the most popular and pervasive medium to provide entertainment, information and education to the masses.

As reported by the private FM Radio broadcasters to TRAI, there were 388 private FM radio stations operational as on 31st March 2024, besides the radio channels operated by the public service broadcaster- All India Radio (AIR). As on 31st March 2024, as per the reporting done by private FM radio broadcasters to TRAI, there were 388 FM radio stations have been made operational in 113 cities by 36 private FM broadcasters. Introduction of private FM broadcasters in the radio broadcasting sector has significantly enhanced radio coverage while providing good quality reception and content to listeners. This has also led to encouraging local talent as well as enhancing employment opportunities in these areas. The reported advertisement revenues by the private FM Radio broadcasters to TRAI was Rs 1775.79 crore in the year 2023-24.

Also Read: Pay DTH active subscriber base slides to 59.91 mn in Q2 FY25: TRAI