A recent report shows that India has lost 40 million Pay TV homes in just six years — dropping from 151 million in 2018 to 111 million in 2024. This major decline has led to big job losses for local cable operators (LCOs), with an estimated 1.14 to 1.95 lakh people losing their jobs during this period.
The report, jointly released by the All India Digital Cable Federation (AIDCF) and EY India, reveals that employment in the local cable sector has gone down by 31% since 2018. The fall is largely due to people shifting to online content platforms like OTT apps (Netflix, YouTube, etc.), connected TVs, and free DTH services.
A survey of over 28,000 LCOs between November and December 2024 revealed that 93% of them saw a drop in subscribers, and nearly half reported a drop in monthly income. Around 35% of the operators lost more than 40% of their subscribers compared to 2018.
Another challenge faced by LCOs is that they can’t increase fees from customers even though broadcasters are raising their channel prices. Additionally, many people are cutting cable connections due to poor quality content on regular TV, fewer second TV setups at home, and the growing use of free or online streaming services.
The study also suggests some possible solutions, such as creating fair rules for all content platforms (like Pay TV, Free TV, OTT, and FAST channels), and allowing different pricing for different regions based on affordability.
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S N Sharma, President of AIDCF and CEO of DEN Networks, said the report gives a clear picture of the current situation of Pay TV in India. He urged broadcasters, government bodies, and other stakeholders to take steps to help the cable TV industry recover and grow.
