New Delhi: India’s pay Direct-to-Home (DTH) television sector continued its downward trajectory in the quarter ending December 31, 2025, according to the latest edition of the Indian Telecom Services Performance Indicator Report released by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).
During the October–December 2025 quarter, the country had four pay DTH service providers, with the total active subscriber base declining to 50.99 million, down from 52.78 million recorded in the September 2025 quarter. The figures exclude subscribers of DD Free Dish, the free DTH platform operated by Prasar Bharati.
Continued Sequential Decline
The fresh decline of 1.79 million subscribers quarter-on-quarter reflects sustained pressure on the pay-TV ecosystem.
In the previous quarter’s TRAI report (June 2025 quarter), the total active pay DTH subscriber base stood at approximately 56.07 million. Comparing that with the December 2025 figure of 50.99 million indicates a net erosion of over 5 million subscribers within six months.
This trend underscores the structural shift underway in India’s television distribution market.
Shrinking Base Amid Digital Migration
The DTH sector, which includes operators such as Tata Play, Airtel Digital TV, Dish TV and Sun Direct, has been grappling with:
- Accelerated cord-cutting trends
- Growing adoption of OTT streaming platforms
- Expansion of affordable broadband access
- Increasing preference for bundled digital content offerings
While DD Free Dish continues to maintain a strong rural and price-sensitive user base, the pay DTH segment has faced persistent churn in urban and semi-urban markets.
Structural Industry Transition
The steady drop from:
- 56.07 million (June 2025)
- 52.78 million (September 2025)
- 50.99 million (December 2025)
signals that the pay DTH industry is navigating a prolonged contraction phase rather than a temporary correction.
Industry observers note that unless operators pivot towards hybrid distribution models integrating broadband and OTT aggregation, subscriber attrition may continue in upcoming quarters.
