In the fiscal year ending March 2024, India’s four private direct-to-home (DTH) operators lost a significant 3.28 million active subscribers, the Economic Times reported, quoting the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India’s (TRAI) Performance Indicator Report released last week.

Despite the allure of major sporting events like the Indian Premier League (IPL) and the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, the DTH subscriber base declined due to free streaming of these events by JioCinema and Disney+ Hotstar, coupled with price hikes by broadcasters, The Economic Times reported added.

The Indian DTH industry, comprising four private operators and one government-owned operator, has been grappling with stiff competition from Prasar Bharati-owned DD FreeDish and over-the-top (OTT) platforms like Netflix and Prime Video. These platforms are attracting both the upper and lower segments of pay DTH customers, respectively.

The active pay DTH base dropped 5 percent from 65.25 million in FY23 to 61.97 million in FY24. In the last quarter alone, the active pay DTH subscriber base decreased by 2.4 percent, or 1.55 million, to 61.97 million, compared to 63.52 million in Q3 FY24.

The decline in the DTH subscriber base highlights the shifting landscape of content consumption in India, with consumers increasingly opting for free and flexible streaming options over traditional pay TV services, the report added.