India to Reassess Broadcast Pricing as Media Competition Hots Up

(Bloomberg) — India is proposing changes including on how cable TV fees are calculated, following concerns that free services from the state broadcaster and rising popularity of over-the-top platforms is eroding viewership. 

Direct-to-home active subscribers fell to 68.52 million in December from 70.99 million in March 2020. In such conditions, industry representatives say implementation of a new tariff order “will cause large scale disruptions,” the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India said in a consultation paper posted on its website Saturday. 

Asia’s Two Richest Men Prepare for Battle With Netflix, Amazon

The media and entertainment sector in India has become a hot-bed of competition in recent months. Global giants like Netflix and Amazon are battling Indian tycoons Gautam Adani and Mukesh Ambani in the only market which offers more than a billion customers and is open to foreign competition.

Trai’s key questions:

  • Should channels in a bouquet be priced homogenously?
  • What measures can ensure effective a-la-carte choice to customers?
  • Should prices be capped to ensure access/should discounts be offered?

Stakeholders can send their views by May 30 and counter comments by June 6.

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