Pay-TV subs decline cutting 577,000 jobs

Mumbai: India's cable television industry has undergone a significant contraction over the past seven years, with an estimated 577,000 cumulative job losses between 2018 and 2025, driven largely by a sharp decline in pay-TV subscribers, according to a report released on Monday.Pay-TV subscriber base dropped from 151 million in 2018 to 111 million in 2024 and is expected to fall further to between 71-81 million by 2030, said the report, 'State of Cable TV Distribution in India', jointly prepared by the All India Digital Cable Federation (AIDCF) and EY India.It attributed the decline to rising channel costs, increased competition from OTT platforms and growing popularity of free, unregulated services such as DD Free Dish.Cumulative revenues of four DTH players and 10 major cable TV providers, or multi-system operators (MSOs), have declined by more than 16% since 2018 while their margins have reduced by 29%, the report said. In FY19, their combined revenue stood at ₹25,700 crore, which dropped to ₹21,500 crore in FY24. Combined Ebitda fell to ₹3,100 crore in FY24 from ₹4,400 crore in FY19.The study drew inputs from 28,181 local cable operators (LCOs) across 34 states and union territories.The LCO workforce has been severely affected, with surveyed operators reporting a 31% drop in employment, representing a loss of 37,835 jobs. When extrapolated to the national level, this translates into job losses ranging from 114,000 to 195,000 across various operational tiers.In addition, closure of approximately 900 MSOs and 72,000 LCOs since 2018 has contributed to the overall job loss figure of 577,000, the report said.Despite these challenges, industry leaders remain cautiously optimistic. JioStar vice chairman Uday Shankar, Zee Entertainment chief executive officer Punit Goenka, and Sony Pictures Networks India CEO Gaurav Banerjee have, in recent times, reiterated their belief in the resilience and growth potential of linear television.

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