New Tata Sky Steals Top Spot for Providing Most HD Channels, Airtel Digital Ahead in Hindi Channels

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai), charted out a new framework for pricing of the channels and channel packs thus bringing in a drastic change for the DTH providers and cable operators of India. Not only that, but the new Trai pricing framework for the television industry gives more autonomy to the subscribers and gives them the freedom to pay for only what they watch. This new regime is also expected to provide some DTH providers with a boost, while others might not be so advantageous. As per the update by Ultra News, Tata Sky, the popular DTH operator is still leading in the number of HD channels, whereas Airtel Digital and Sun Direct remain on the second and third position. On the other hand, other providers like D2h and Dish TV remain behind in providing HD channels mainly because of lack of English and South Indian content.

Tata Sky and Airtel Digital TV Take the Lead

Trai has revealed that there are a total of 95 HD channels present in India right now, out of which Tata Sky provides 92. Also, it is worth noting that out of the total 95 channels, 44 channels are of English and Sports category meaning that they have a mass appeal across India. 4 channels out of the total are kids channel, and the rest 47 channels are regional channels like Marathi, Hindi, Tamil and more.

When it comes to Hindi HD channels, Airtel Digital is at the top as it provided all 15 Hindi HD channels on its platform. On the second number is Tata Sky, which lacks the Jeet HD channel. Dish TV and D2h are on the third and fourth spot on this list with 13 and 12 Hindi HD channels respectively. Also, speaking of non-Hindi regional channels, most channels are in Telugu as opposed to any other language.

Broadcasters to Unpackage Channels in Future

Under this new regime, the power of bundling has shifted from the hands of the DTH providers to the channel broadcasters. However, big channel owners like Star India are pushing plans which contain many channels instead of making smaller packs. In the coming times, if there is more regulation and the channels see weak demands, then the channel broadcasters might unpackage the channels and even out the pricing for the same. To give you a hint about the current picture now, the English HD channels currently are being priced at Rs 12-22, whereas most of the Hindi regional channels are priced at Rs 22.42.