India to emerge largest DTH market by 2012
22 Apr 2010
India is set to emerge as the world's largest direct-to-home (DTH) satellite pay TV market with a 36.1-million-strong subscriber base by 2012, according to a report by research firm Media Partners Asia. The Indian DTH subscriber numbers will also overtake the US subscriber numbers, the report said.
The report titled 'Asia Pacific Pay-TV and Broadband Markets 2010', says India's DTH subscriber base would swell from 17 million in 2009 to 45 million by 2014 and 58 million by 2020.
"India will become the largest DTH market in the world in terms of subscribers by 2012, overtaking the United States," the report says.
The industry sales is expected to touch $12.1 billion by 2014 further rising to $18.5 billion by 2020, the report projects, adding that most DTH players would start making money after 2013.
DTH operators are today burdened with a heavy tax regime and subsidies customers have been given on the new set-top boxes.
"We are more positive on India's DTH opportunity than previously, especially when anchored to consolidation and improved pricing power with continued growth," MPA executive director Vivek Couto said.
"We suspect the DTH market will consolidate from six to four platforms within three to five years, and the four will be making money at the EBITDA level by financial year ending March 2013," he added.