Mumbai: Sony Pictures India has revamped its channel packages by tweaking their channel prices to make them more affordable and accessible to users in the regional languages markets under the new Tariff regime introduced by TRAI.
Under its new Happy India plans, Sony has started offering a greater variety of channels when compared with its initial offerings. The initial list was split into four types, Platinum, Premium/Gold, Silver and Sixer.
The new line-up offers more choice to non-Hindi speakers by breaking out Sports channels as well as English channels from Sony’s Hindi offerings. Earlier, South Indian users had to subscribe to the company’s Hindi channels to watch three of its English channels — AXN, PIX and Sony Earth.
Sony has also dropped the English channel Le Plex HD, which has reduced its English portfolio to three. The new Happy India plans introduce a dedicated English pack comprising the three channels and priced at Rs 12 per month for the SD version and Rs 20 per month for the HD version. Earlier, one would have had to subscribe to aRs 90 pack to watch those channels.
Sony has also dedicated two Sports packs, one with Ten 3 and the other without it. The pack without Ten 3 are priced at Rs 31 for the SD version and 48 for the HD version, while the pack with Ten 3 is priced at Rs 39 for SD and 59 for HD.
It also offers all its English and Sports channels, except Ten 3, for Rs 47 for the SD version and 50 for the HD version.Sony has unveiled three Happy India packs focused on the South Indian market starting from Rs19.In addition to this, Sony also offers Marathi and Bangla versions of the above packs which come with Sony’s Bangla and Sony offerings such as Sony Aath and Sony Marathi.
Earlier, Broadcasters like Zee, Times Network and TV18 had changed their plans responding to market conditions. However, Star India is still holding its packs unchanged, that are clubbed with English channels or Sports channels, despite running in to rough whether with DTH players like Sun Direct and D2h.