Dish TV, Airtel Digital TV merger announcement likely by month end

Mumbai: Bharti Airtel’s direct-to-home (DTH) arm Airtel Digital TV, private equity firm Warburg Pincus and Essel Group-owned Dish TVNSE -0.21 % have reached an agreement on merging the two businesses and a formal announcement is expected in four-six weeks, two people with direct knowledge of the development told ET.

With the partial stake sale in Essel Group-owned Zee Entertainment Enterprises (ZEE) having been decided, the promoters are focused on completing Dish TV’s merger with Airtel Digital TV. The Essel Group’s promoters are selling assets to repay debt. They own a 57.52% stake in Dish TV— almost 95% of this is pledged with lenders.