dishtv to premier new movies; targets 9 million subscribers by 2010
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With the economic slowdown affecting pay packets and job security like never before, people have become cautious about their spends. One of the ‘luxuries’ that is getting struck off people’s lists is a visit to the theatre to catch up on the latest release.
Keeping this in mind, DTH service provider DishTV on December 12 announced the premier of a recent Bollywood release, ‘Oye Lucky, Lucky Oye’, over their movie-on-demand (MoD) service within three and a half weeks of the film’s theatrical release. The consumer needs to shell out Rs 100 for every new movie that is premiered on the DTH platform and watch the film throughout the day.
Salil Kapoor, COO, DishTV, in a prepared statement, said, “The premiere of ‘Oye Lucky, Lucky Oye’ on DishTV will enable our 4.6 million subscribers to enjoy the latest and best of movies in the comfort of their homes. We have broadcast both Bollywood and Hollywood blockbusters like ‘Taare Zameen Par’, ‘Jab We Met’, ‘Spider Man 3’, ‘Pirates of Caribbean’, etc.”
He further said, “Many production houses have approached us for the release of their forthcoming films on DishTV, the largest DTH platform in the country. In the current scenario of multiplex sales dipping and viewers preferring to watch movies at home, this association could form a growing new revenue stream for us going forward.”
The DTH service provider has also started running trailers of the newly released movies as well, which are run on their MoD channels by default. “We are right now releasing on a co-promotion basis, but going forward, we look forward for this move to be monetised and even featured in our ad sales strategies,” Kapoor added.
Growth as per expectations
Kapoor said, “We had three million subscribers on April, 1 2008, and we have set a target to achieve five million subscribers by March 2009. Today, we are at 4.6 million subscribers and we are very sure that we will achieve more than our target very comfortably. Our focus will be on providing a wide choice of popular content across customer segments and regions and specific value-added content according to their interest levels and requirements, such as special interactive services, channel packages, and offers.”
Competition vital for DTH growth
This year also saw the entry of more players in the DTH space. The launch of Big TV and Airtel Digital has set off a price war amongst the DTH players, forcing the old players to change course in order to retain their subscribers and attract new ones. With Videocon, too, preparing to join the DTH bandwagon, the competition in this space is set to become fiercer.
Speaking about competition in the DTH space, Kapoor said, “Currently, DishTV enjoys a market share of 46 per cent in the DTH space and aims to garner 9 million subscribers by 2010. The competition has only opened up the DTH category. Having multiple players will only expand the DTH space more and hasten the adoption of the category. I believe there is huge opportunity in this space and a lot of pent-up demand for DTH in the Indian market.”
He further said, “A DTH service provider needs to achieve economies of scale, resulting in lower operating costs, breaking key price barriers for consumer adoption, as well as granting easy access to premium content.”
Part of Zee Group, DishTV’s creative duties are being handled by Lowe, while Madison Media is its media agency. DishTV has on its platform 225 channels and services, including 21 audio channels.
India media news marketing India advertising Indian brands tv media newspapers
With the economic slowdown affecting pay packets and job security like never before, people have become cautious about their spends. One of the ‘luxuries’ that is getting struck off people’s lists is a visit to the theatre to catch up on the latest release.
Keeping this in mind, DTH service provider DishTV on December 12 announced the premier of a recent Bollywood release, ‘Oye Lucky, Lucky Oye’, over their movie-on-demand (MoD) service within three and a half weeks of the film’s theatrical release. The consumer needs to shell out Rs 100 for every new movie that is premiered on the DTH platform and watch the film throughout the day.
Salil Kapoor, COO, DishTV, in a prepared statement, said, “The premiere of ‘Oye Lucky, Lucky Oye’ on DishTV will enable our 4.6 million subscribers to enjoy the latest and best of movies in the comfort of their homes. We have broadcast both Bollywood and Hollywood blockbusters like ‘Taare Zameen Par’, ‘Jab We Met’, ‘Spider Man 3’, ‘Pirates of Caribbean’, etc.”
He further said, “Many production houses have approached us for the release of their forthcoming films on DishTV, the largest DTH platform in the country. In the current scenario of multiplex sales dipping and viewers preferring to watch movies at home, this association could form a growing new revenue stream for us going forward.”
The DTH service provider has also started running trailers of the newly released movies as well, which are run on their MoD channels by default. “We are right now releasing on a co-promotion basis, but going forward, we look forward for this move to be monetised and even featured in our ad sales strategies,” Kapoor added.
Growth as per expectations
Kapoor said, “We had three million subscribers on April, 1 2008, and we have set a target to achieve five million subscribers by March 2009. Today, we are at 4.6 million subscribers and we are very sure that we will achieve more than our target very comfortably. Our focus will be on providing a wide choice of popular content across customer segments and regions and specific value-added content according to their interest levels and requirements, such as special interactive services, channel packages, and offers.”
Competition vital for DTH growth
This year also saw the entry of more players in the DTH space. The launch of Big TV and Airtel Digital has set off a price war amongst the DTH players, forcing the old players to change course in order to retain their subscribers and attract new ones. With Videocon, too, preparing to join the DTH bandwagon, the competition in this space is set to become fiercer.
Speaking about competition in the DTH space, Kapoor said, “Currently, DishTV enjoys a market share of 46 per cent in the DTH space and aims to garner 9 million subscribers by 2010. The competition has only opened up the DTH category. Having multiple players will only expand the DTH space more and hasten the adoption of the category. I believe there is huge opportunity in this space and a lot of pent-up demand for DTH in the Indian market.”
He further said, “A DTH service provider needs to achieve economies of scale, resulting in lower operating costs, breaking key price barriers for consumer adoption, as well as granting easy access to premium content.”
Part of Zee Group, DishTV’s creative duties are being handled by Lowe, while Madison Media is its media agency. DishTV has on its platform 225 channels and services, including 21 audio channels.