After the top four broadcasters – Star & Disney India, Zee Entertainment Enterprises (ZEE), Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN), and Viacom18 – updated their channel pricing in compliance with the amended tariff order, TV viewers may have to pay up to 50% more for the same number of TV channels starting December 1. (NTO 2.0).
According to experts, the price increase is an unexpected effect of new tariff laws for the TV broadcast sector, which were designed to lower consumers’ monthly cable or DTH (direct-to-home) bills.
NTO 2.0, according to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), would provide consumers greater choice and flexibility to choose and pay for only the channels they wish to watch.
However, the broadcasters have excluded all popular channels from bouquets, with these networks costing between Rs 15 and Rs 25 per month.
TRAI has restricted the pricing of channels at Rs 12 if they were part of a bouquet under NTO 2.0. Broadcasters were permitted to charge more for their channels if they were not included in the bouquets.
“As we (broadcasters) haven’t got any respite from the Supreme Court (the matter will come up for final disposal on November 20) and the regulator (TRAI) was after us to comply with NTO 2.0 in absence of any stay order, we have decided to come out with the pricing,” said top executive of a large network, who did not wish to be identified, as the matter is still subjudice.
