Dish TV aims to garner 25% market share this financial year: CEO Manoj Dobhal

Delhi: In a bet to retain and capture new customers, Dish TV recently unveiled its new service, Dish TV Smart+, which offers built-in OTT (over-the-top) services alongside traditional linear TV subscriptions. 

This strategic move aims to attract new subscribers and enhance customer retention among existing users, said Dish TV CEO Manoj Dobhal. 

Currently at a market share of 20.81%, he told BestMediaInfo that Dish TV aims to garner a market share of at least 25% in the current fiscal year. 

For the record, Dish TV had a market share of 21.54% in the June–September quarter of 2023. 

The decline in Pay DTH subscribers is indicative of a broader trend affecting the entire DTH sector. According to TRAI data, the total active Pay DTH subscriber base decreased from 64.18 million in the September quarter to 63.52 million in the December quarter of 2023.  

Dobhal expressed confidence in the Dish TV Smart+ offering, stating, “If I can retain just 0.5% of my customers on the platform, it could mean approximately 700,000 to 1 million additional subscribers.”

"We are integrating built-in OTT services with our television offerings, which translates to providing internet access at highly affordable rates to everyone. This represents our most significant retention strategy because it's exclusive to Dish TV. Even if others adopt this approach later, we'll be the pioneers in offering this integrated service," explained Sukhpreet Singh, Dish TV's Head of Marketing.

While competitors such as Airtel, JioCinema, and Tata Play also provide combined OTT and linear TV channel packages, what sets Dish TV Smart+ services apart is that they will be offered at no extra cost with the flexibility to switch, said Dobhal. 

According to early insights, Dobhal said that the customers are already lapping up on this new offer. "We are seeing a lot of traction coming from people who are not on our platform as of now," he stated.

Dobhal was appointed as the Dish TV CEO in August 2023. Outlining the goals he set for the company, he said, “Starting with customer retention, adding new offerings in the least disruptive manner, and using the company's capital expenditures efficiently have been a few of my priorities.”

Dobhal envisions Dish TV as the go-to destination for all the entertainment needs of its customers. For instance, the company introduced Dish TV Zing Super for FTA (free-to-air) users, while Watcho offers snackable content and OTT aggregation.

Later in the discussion, Singh, Dish TV's Head of Marketing, emphasised the comprehensive 360-degree marketing approach that the DTH player has devised to promote the new service.

He outlined two key segments:  

• Existing subscribers to Dish TV and D2H
• Potential new customers

"For our current subscribers, we're leveraging our platform channels and various touchpoints, such as our website, apps, and call centres, to provide product information," Singh explained.

"Similarly, for new customers, we have a detailed plan encompassing Above the Line (ATL), Below the Line (BTL), traditional, digital, and social media marketing, including influencer marketing initiatives," he added.

Dobhal emphasised the pressing challenges in the DTH sector, highlighting the need for consistent guidelines and regulations to address disparities among operators and technologies. He mentioned that regulators are soliciting input from industry stakeholders and actively working on resolving these issues.

Singh echoed concerns regarding the Broadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill, 2023, noting that it fails to fully address the challenges faced by the DTH industry.

"We have previously highlighted the various gaps and lack of a level playing field for all ecosystem players today. We hope that moving forward, these issues will also be addressed," added Singh.

Dobhal further emphasised the necessity for significant regulatory changes related to licensing, regulation, and content provisions to ensure fairness among stakeholders.

“Having a level-playing field will allow us the flexibility to use our CapEx and redeploy it to do technological advancements,” he concluded.