Next wave of DTH consolidation imminent as Jio GigaFiber readies for launch

The next wave of consolidation in the direct-to-home (DTH) market could be in the offing this year as Jio GigaFiber readies for commercial launch. The last round of consolidation was triggered in 2017, when Dish TV merged with Videocon d2H, and Reliance Big TV was acquired by Delhi-based Veecon Media and Television.

In the past few days, the buzz around Bharti Airtel’s interest in Dish TV, the country’s largest DTH operator, has only grown, prompting furious activity at the Dish TV counter on the bourses. Tata Sky and Airtel DTH are the second- and third-largest players, respectively.

On Thursday, when speculation about Airtel DTH looking to merge with Dish TV first began, the Essel group company’s stock price touched an intra-day high of Rs 41 on the BSE, with trading activity jumping over 2.65 times. It finally settled at Rs 39.05 per unit, which was also the range in which it closed trade on Friday.