The Indian Direct-to-Home (DTH) industry witnessed a significant decline in its active subscriber base during the third quarter of 2024. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), in its latest Indian Telecom Services Performance Indicator Report, revealed a drop of 2.26 million active subscribers, reducing the base from 62.17 million in June 2024 to 59.91 million by the end of September 2024, The Economic Times reported.

Over a year, the active subscriber base experienced an even steeper decline. From September 30, 2023, to September 30, 2024, the total base reduced by 4.27 million, plummeting from 64.18 million to 59.91 million. This reflects a growing shift in consumer preferences, likely influenced by increased adoption of Over-the-Top (OTT) platforms and digital streaming services.

Among DTH operators, Tata Play continued to dominate the market with a 31.99 percent share as of September 2024. It was followed by Bharti Telemedia (Airtel Digital TV) at 29.38 percent, Dish TV at 19.53 percent, and Sun Direct TV at 19.10 percent.

However, these figures represent a slight reshuffling of market shares compared to the previous quarter (June 2024). Tata Play’s share dipped from 32.34 percent, while Bharti Telemedia saw an increase from 28.85 percent. Dish TV and Sun Direct TV also experienced marginal shifts in their market shares.