Dish TV's Net Loss Increased to Rs 47 Crore in the Third Quarter

Dish TV, a direct-to-home (DTH) operator, reported a significant increase in its net loss for the quarter ending December 31, 2024, with losses rising 16.6 times to Rs 46.5 crore from Rs 2.8 crore the previous year.

The company's operating revenues fell by 20.7% year on year (YoY), to Rs 373 crore. This decline is attributed to the DTH industry's ongoing challenges, such as competition from over-the-top (OTT) platforms and DD Free Dish, Prasar Bharati's free DTH service.

Dish TV stated that revenues remained under pressure due to an increase in online content consumption and consumers' low discretionary spending. Dish TV, a direct-to-home (DTH) operator, reported a significant increase in its net loss for the quarter ending December 31, 2024, with losses rising 16.6 times to Rs 46.5 crore from Rs 2.8 crore the previous year. The company's operating revenues fell by 20.7% year on year (YoY), to Rs 373 crore. This decline is attributed to the DTH industry's ongoing challenges, such as competition from over-the-top (OTT) platforms and DD Free Dish, Prasar Bharati's free DTH service.

Dish TV stated that revenues remained under pressure due to an increase in online content consumption and consumers' low discretionary spending. The The company noted that cost-conscious consumers are increasingly shifting towards free DTH platforms, resulting in negative net additions during the quarter, despite a notable improvement in new subscriber acquisitions during the festival season.

Subscription revenues fell 33.5% to Rs 247.2 crore. EBITDA decreased by 31.9% to Rs 122.7 crore, while total expenditure fell 13.6% to Rs 250.3 crore.

Despite the overall downturn, marketing and promotional fees increased by 42.7% to Rs 115.2 crore.

According to a report by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), the DTH sector's active subscriber base is declining, from 62.17 million in June 2024 to 59.91 million in September 2024.

The market share distribution among key players was as follows: Tata Play led with 31.99%, followed by Bharti Telemedia at 29.38%, Dish TV at 19.53%, and Sun Direct at 19.1%.

The company expressed optimism about the Finance Bill 2025, which aims to increase taxpayers' disposable income and thus boost discretionary spending. The positive effects of this measure are expected to be seen in the coming fiscal year, it added.

Manoj Dobhal, CEO & Executive Director of Dish TV India, stated, "As an organization, Dish TV India has come a long way and has, in this eventful journey, positively touched the lives of millions of stakeholders, be they our ever-valuable past or present subscribers, shareholders, trade partners, suppliers, or employees. We are grateful to each and every one of them, and we want to assure our stakeholders that we will keep working hard to reach new heights. In this spirit, we are launching the B2B e-commerce platform and other exciting initiatives, the details of which will be announced in the coming quarters."

During the third quarter, Dish TV established a wholly owned subsidiary, Dish Bharat Ventures, to operate and manage an e-commerce platform that included an order management technology platform. Initial work has begun, and new employees with relevant experience have been onboarded.

The company’s consolidated results now include the newly formed subsidiary, effective from October 10,2024, in addition to its two existing subsidiaries.