Mumbai: India’s pay-TV pricing landscape is heading for a coordinated reset in 2026, with Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI) and Zee Entertainment Enterprises (ZEEL) unveiling revised Reference Interconnect Offers (RIOs) shortly after JioStar recalibrated its own tariffs.
The revisions indicate a broader industry move to retain ₹19 as the strategic mass-market price point while pushing premium regional and HD feeds into higher bands. For distributors and consumers alike, the cumulative impact is likely to be material.
Sony Sharpens Regional and HD Pricing
SPNI’s updated RIO outlines a combination of channel price hikes, bouquet revisions and upcoming launches. The broadcaster has indicated that Sony Sports Ten 4 Kannada may debut on or after April 1, 2026. Subject to regulatory approvals, Sony VIZHA and Sony VIZHA HD are slated for launch on or after June 1, 2026, followed by Sony Telugu and Sony Telugu HD on or after August 1, 2026.
Until these channels go live, operators subscribing to bouquets that include them will receive proportionate discounts. For example, the Happy India 2026 Smart – Tamil bouquet, priced at ₹42, will temporarily be available at ₹29.91 until Sony VIZHA launches. The adjustment reflects the ₹19 a-la-carte MRP of the channel and the ₹66 aggregate a-la-carte value of the bouquet, resulting in a 28.79% interim reduction.
On the a-la-carte front, Sony Entertainment Television, Sony SAB, Sony Marathi, Sony AATH, Sony VIZHA, Sony Telugu and Sony Max are each priced at ₹19. Sony YAY! remains at ₹6. Sony Max 1 continues at ₹5, while Sony Max 2 has increased from ₹2 to ₹3.
In the HD category, Sony Entertainment Television HD and Sony SAB HD have moved up to ₹30 from ₹25. Sports offerings — Sony Sports Ten 1, Sony Sports Ten 2, Sony Sports Ten 3 Hindi and Sony Sports Ten 5 — are now priced at ₹30 each, also up from ₹25.
Bouquet prices have risen in the 6–10% range. The Happy India Smart – Hindi pack is now priced at ₹58, while the Marathi variant stands at ₹61. SPNI’s revised portfolio comprises 27 bouquets, 19 SD channels and 11 HD channels.
Zee Aligns with Industry Trend
ZEEL has also executed a near 10% increase across both channel and bouquet pricing. In the SD category, its 25 channels include flagship brands such as Zee TV, Zee Cinema, Zee Marathi, Zee Bangla, Zaa Sarthak (Odia), Zee Kannada and Zee Tamil, each priced at ₹19 on an a-la-carte basis.
Among its 18 HD channels, Zee TV, &TV, Zee Cinema, &Pictures, Zee Marathi, Zee Bangla, Zaa Sarthak, Zee Kannada and Zee Tamil are also available at ₹19.
Bouquet pricing has been revised upward across markets. The Zee All-in-One Pack Hindi SD is now priced at ₹58, while Marathi and Bangla SD packs are set at ₹64. Tamil, Kannada and Telugu SD packs are priced at ₹85.
HD bouquets command a sharper premium. The Hindi HD pack is priced at ₹97,
while Tamil, Kannada and Telugu HD packs are at ₹131. Marathi and Bangla HD packs are available at ₹119. The across-the-board adjustments place Zee broadly in sync with its peers.
JioStar’s Structure Signals Broader Shift
The industry had already begun assessing JioStar’s recalibrated RIO, which includes 83 bouquets, 81 SD channels, 43 HD channels and six free-to-air channels.
In the SD segment, key Hindi general entertainment and movie channels such as Star Plus, Colors, Star Pravah, Star Gold and Star Movies remain anchored at ₹19 a-la-carte. However, the upper end of the SD band now extends to ₹30 for regional channels including Asianet, Colors Kannada, Vijay and Maa TV — underscoring a sharper monetisation push in southern markets.
HD pricing has also been segmented. Star Plus HD, Star Jalsha HD and Star Suvarna HD are priced at ₹25, while several others — including Colors HD, Star Bharat HD, Colors Bangla HD and Colors Marathi HD — remain at ₹19. Premium regional HD feeds such as Colors Kannada HD, Asianet HD, Vijay HD and Maa HD are now positioned at ₹30.
Compared to 2025, when most HD feeds were clustered at ₹19 and premium regional HD at ₹25, the 2026 pricing grid reflects a calibrated upward shift.
Testing Price Elasticity
Industry observers suggest the revisions, while incremental in isolation, collectively signal a strategic test of price elasticity. Retaining ₹19 as the psychological entry point allows broadcasters to protect mass reach, while higher pricing for premium regional and HD feeds enhances average realisations.
With all three major network groups revising tariffs in close succession, distribution platform operators (DPOs) are now evaluating how much of the increase can be absorbed versus passed on. The eventual consumer impact will depend on bouquet restructuring and negotiations across the value chain.
However, the synchronised recalibration suggests that 2026 could mark a decisive reset in India’s pay-TV tariff architecture — one that reflects sharper segmentation by language, quality (SD vs HD), and perceived content premium.
