Direct-to-home (DTH) operators in India have jumped onto the High Definition (HD) bandwagon to cash in on the ongoing ICC Cricket World Cup. Major DTH service providers like Dish TV, Tata Sky, Reliance Digital TV (RDTV), Airtel Digital TV and Videocon d2h have launched HD set-top boxes (STBs), offering their customers a bouquet of sports channels, special sports packs and other value-added services. While Dish and RDTV expect a 15-20% rise in DTH subscription during the cricket season, Videocon has set itself a target of 40-50% increase in subscriber acquisition.
According to industry estimates, the total DTH subscriber base stood at 30 million in December 2010, and is expected to grow to nearly 40 million by March 2012. Out of 140 million TV households in India, 4-5 million have HD-enabled TV sets, of which only 10% have opted for a HD DTH connection. However, the World Cup excitement will push subscribers to opt for HD, say service providers.
Sugato Banerjee, CMO, Airtel Digital TV, says, ?Major sporting events are huge drivers of DTH subscription. We witnessed a 25-30% spurt in subscription during the FIFA World Cup in 2010. With the cricket World Cup and IPL happening back-to-back , there will be a surge in demand for high-definition viewing. We?ve tied up with official broadcaster ESPN for bringing live HD content to viewers.? The company has also struck a deal with TV maker Sony to offer consumers a free Airtel HD connection with the purchase of every Sony Bravia TV set.
Priced at a premium, more than 100% higher than standard definition (SD) STBs, these HD boxes offer superior quality viewing, surround sound and digital video recorder functionality. A standard STB costs R1,000 to R1,500, while HD boxes cost R2,500 – 4,000. ?HD provides a great opportunity to increase average revenues per user (ARPUs). The industry operates at an ARPU of R180-200, which will rise by 20% owing to higher STB cost,? adds Banerjee.
Sanjay Behl, CEO of RDTV, says, ?Subscribers are definitely in for superlative viewing experience during the World Cup. We?ve inked a deal with ESPN Star Sports to offer HD cricket coverage without ad breaks.? It has also tied up with Onida for special offers and launched a day & night support service for its subscribers.
While Dish TV offers 30 HD channels across genres to counter claims of limited availability of HD content, Videocon d2h offers sports channels like ESPN, Star Sports, Star Cricket, and Neo Cricket in its Gold Sports pack. Tata Sky?s interactive service Actve Sports enables viewers to choose multiple camera angles to watch a match. Vikram Mehra, CMO, Tata Sky says, ?In a country where cricket is religion, we provide fans with a unique, economical and effective way of enjoying the stadium experience from the comfort of their homes.?
