Tata Play has Begun Eliminating Sony Channels from Subscription Plan of 10 Million Users

Tata Play has begun eliminating Sony channels from the subscription plans of 10 million consumers Tata Play, a leading DTH player, has chosen to withdraw all Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI) TV channels from the subscription plans of about 10 million users. On Thursday, it began removing SPNI's channels from over one million users' plans and stated that it will continue to do so for the next 10 days.

According to SPNI, the DTH service providers' decision is "arbitrary" and unexpected. When approached, Harit Nagpal, MD and CEO of Tata Play, provided a statement in which he stated that the business was "reducing charges" by eliminating "less-watched" channels from subscriber channel packs.

Customers have always come first while creating our processes at Tata Play. Based on our analysis and BARC data, we find that the majority of subscribers have four or more times as many channels as they actually watch. It is impossible to keep track of who is and is not viewing due to a lack of return path information. As a result, we are simplifying channel bundles by eliminating less-watched channels and modifying monthly fees in line with that, according to Nagpal.

He further mentioned that by placing a missed call, subscribers who still want to watch these channels can simply get them back. "We expect that the lowered fees will benefit at least 75% of customers whose packs have been altered," Nagpal stated.

Sony's reaction

Tata Play's choice, according to the broadcaster, was "surprising" and "arbitrary." "Tata Play's unexpected decision to remove Sony channels from the lineups of around 10 million members has come to the attention of SPNI. It appears that SPNI was not notified of this arbitrary decision, nor did it appear to take its subscribers' choices into account. We think it's a reprisal for us using our audit rights on Tata Play's subscriber management system, where we've been able to find and report some very obvious inconsistencies to Tata Play over the last few years," it stated.

"It is obvious that Tata Play's story about "loss of viewership" is false. We have no doubt that our devoted audience, who appreciate varied and excellent programming, will keep coming across our channels on different platforms around the country. In spite of Tata Play's whims, our dedication to provide our audience with top-notch entertainment is unwavering, guaranteeing that they never miss out on their favorite shows and channels," the statement from SPNI continued.