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Source: Televisionpoint.com
Big TV, the direct-to-home (DTH) service from Reliance Communications, has reached an figure of 0.5 million subscribers in the four Southern states within five months of its launch.
The competition to accumulate subscribers and capture market share is intense in the DTH space. Big TV, which launched last August, claims to have gained a million customers within 100 days of its launch.
Recently, Dish TV and Tata Sky crossed the 4 million and 3 million subscriber marks, respectively, while Sun Direct TV acquired 2 million subscribers. The numbers for Airtel Digital TV are not disclosed by the company.
"Reaching the figure of 5 lakh customer milestone in the four Southern states was a great New Year gift to us. It is indeed a testimony to the product and proposition offered by Big TV and its success in accelerating the growth momentum of DTH sector in India." said Mahesh Prasad, president, Reliance Communications.
According to Mahesh, Big TV is the only one to score high on an all-inclusive channel bouquet for a cross section of populace from different regions, while other DTH operators focused on stiff packaging in South India.
In a bid to further tap the Southern markets, Mahesh claims that the company will look for potential partnerships with echaupals, post offices and even fertiliser companies. Arch rival Sun Direct is also looking at non-conventional channels for distribution, which includes retail outlets, rural self-help groups and people in homogenous businesses for distribution.
The DTH market in India stands at roughly nine million subscribers, which is about 10 per cent of the 85 million C&S homes in the country. However, industry estimates predict DTH to touch 25 million subscribers by 2012, and that's the number that every DTH brand has set its sights on.
It is learnt that the combined operating losses for 2008-09 may cross the Rs 2,000-crore mark, double of what they were in 2007-08 when the DTH market was serviced by only two players, Dish TV and Tata Sky.
Big TV, the direct-to-home (DTH) service from Reliance Communications, has reached an figure of 0.5 million subscribers in the four Southern states within five months of its launch.
The competition to accumulate subscribers and capture market share is intense in the DTH space. Big TV, which launched last August, claims to have gained a million customers within 100 days of its launch.
Recently, Dish TV and Tata Sky crossed the 4 million and 3 million subscriber marks, respectively, while Sun Direct TV acquired 2 million subscribers. The numbers for Airtel Digital TV are not disclosed by the company.
"Reaching the figure of 5 lakh customer milestone in the four Southern states was a great New Year gift to us. It is indeed a testimony to the product and proposition offered by Big TV and its success in accelerating the growth momentum of DTH sector in India." said Mahesh Prasad, president, Reliance Communications.
According to Mahesh, Big TV is the only one to score high on an all-inclusive channel bouquet for a cross section of populace from different regions, while other DTH operators focused on stiff packaging in South India.
In a bid to further tap the Southern markets, Mahesh claims that the company will look for potential partnerships with echaupals, post offices and even fertiliser companies. Arch rival Sun Direct is also looking at non-conventional channels for distribution, which includes retail outlets, rural self-help groups and people in homogenous businesses for distribution.
The DTH market in India stands at roughly nine million subscribers, which is about 10 per cent of the 85 million C&S homes in the country. However, industry estimates predict DTH to touch 25 million subscribers by 2012, and that's the number that every DTH brand has set its sights on.
It is learnt that the combined operating losses for 2008-09 may cross the Rs 2,000-crore mark, double of what they were in 2007-08 when the DTH market was serviced by only two players, Dish TV and Tata Sky.