Dish TV launches Zing in Maharashtra, targets DAS III and IV towns

[JitendraKumar]

MUMBAI: Zing, Dish TV’s sub-brand, is in
expansion mode. After four months of launch, Zing
has travelled to Maharashtra. This is the fourth
state where the service is now available, after the
eastern states of West Bengal, Tripura and Odisha.


Maharashtra and Goa account for 13 per cent of
India’s total cable TV homes, less than only
Andhra Pradesh (15 per cent) and Tamil Nadu (14
per cent). As per the Ministry of Information and
Broadcasting, excluding Mumbai, rest of
Maharashtra and Goa have close to 7 per cent
cable TV homes (4-5 million). Mumbai has another
6 per cent.


Zing, however, will not get to target all of this. As
Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Thane, Nashik, Navi
Mumbai, Aurangabad and Solapur have already
been covered under the first and second phases of
digitisation, Zing will tend to combat in the
remaining towns of Maharashtra which come under
the final two rounds of digitisation.


“We have launched the product in Maharashtra. It
has a huge population. The rest of Maharashtra is,
in fact, bigger than West Bengal and Odisha put
together,” Dish TV CEO RC Venkateish told
TelevisionPost.com. “We are primarily focussing
on the DAS III and IV markets of Maharashtra. It is
a good enough market for us.”


Like in the three eastern states, in Maharashtra
also Zing will offer the maximum number of local
regional-language channels. On the plate are 16
Marathi language channels and services. They
include DD Sahyadri, 9X Jhakaas, Jai Maharashtra,
Maiboli, TV9 Maharashtra, Mi Marathi, Zee 24 Taas,
Zee Marathi, Saam TV, Star Pravah, ABP Mazha,
Zee Talkies, IBN Lokmat and ETV Marathi.
Zing’s connection is available for Rs 1,099 with Rs
200 installation charges extra. There are three
packs – the Utsav Pack with 180+ channels and
services for Rs 349 per month; the Anando Pack
with 160 plus channels for Rs 249; and the
Shubharambh Pack with 140 plus channels for Rs
179 (all inclusive of taxes).


Venkateish is bullish about the prospects of Zing.
“We are getting good response from across all the
four markets. The product as a concept of regional
first has struck a chord with the audiences,” he
said.


Dish TV has launched a very cost-effective
marketing campaign that includes local print, radio
and outdoor in the Phase III and IV towns. “It’s a
very cost-effective marketing campaign and we
have set aside adequate funds for it,” said
Venkateish.


Zing is expected to next launch in Gujarat.
The company addresses subscribers through two
brands. While Dish TV targets the main DTH
subscribers, Zing goes after the low-paying strata
of the market.

Dish TV launches Zing in Maharashtra, targets DAS III and IV towns | TelevisionPost.com

 

[JitendraKumar]

Dish TV adds some Zing to Maharashtra

MUMBAI: After targeting the east of the country, Dish TV has trained its sights on the diametrically opposite part of India - Maharashtra - with its regional sub brand Zing. The western state has arguably the highest penetration of TV viewing homes nationally.

Zing has been spreading out gradually over various towns and districts of Maharashtra right from Nashik to Ratnagiri to Aurangabad to Amravati over the past few days. It will however be focusing primarily in the heartlands and on areas where language consumption is very high; hence bigger cities like Mumbai, Thane, Pune and Nagpur won't be exposed to the brand.

Earlier this year, Zing was launched in West Bengal, Odisha and Tripura. The aim is to provide a DTH offering that can compete with cable but with digital picture quality, stereophonic sound and at affordable rates. Says Dish TV marketing VP Anjali Malhotra, "When these analogue consumers think of going digital we come as the first proposition. As markets will open up in phase III and IV, we do see an opportunity between other private DTH players and DD's Freedish."

There are three packs available – Utsav, Anando and Shubharambh that will have 16 Marathi channels such as Zee Talkies, Zee 24 Taas, Zee Marathi, Star Pravah, Mi Marathi, ABP Mazha, IBN Lokmat, Saam TV, Maayboli, 9X Jhakaas, Jai Maharashtra, TV9 Maharashtra, DD Sahyadri and ETV Marathi.

Estimates peg Maharashtra’s cable TV and DTH homes at around 4-5 crore with a considerable amount of that being covered under the first two phases of digitisation.

A marketing campaign worth Rs 6 crore has already begun across various towns and cities. The first phase was ground activations through mobile vans and merchandising activities. The ATL campaign that just commenced includes Marathi newspapers, local radio spots and close to 100 outdoor billboards in city and market areas. The ATL marketing that has been executed by McCann with planning in the hands of Madison will go on for a month.

"Consumers are warming up to the idea that they are getting an offering that his cablewallah will have," says Malhotra while highlighting some of the learning from Zing in the east. West Bengal and Odisha were test areas and she says that at an aggregate level the two brands, Dish and Zing, have collectively taken 40 to 50 per cent share.

The regionalisation of DTH also means that new channels need to be added as and when they come. Earlier this year the DTH operator secured additional transponder space on the newly launched SES 8 satellite, thus allowing it to add several more channels.

While there is a worry that the sub brand may eat up into the parent brand, Malhotra says that research has shown that isn’t the case.

"The customers for Dish and Zing are very different. Which is why we aren't even bringing Zing to the cities. In some places we will only display Zing, in some Dish and in some both, depending upon the language consumption in each of the areas," she says.

While on the one hand, a couple of DTH operators are going high tech and targeting premium viewers with 4K Ultra HD announcements, Dish TV, the oldest of them all, is going desiand local.

 

[Bishnu15]

Dish TV adds some Zing to Maharashtra

MUMBAI: After targeting the east of the country, Dish TV has trained its sights on the diametrically opposite part of India - Maharashtra - with its regional sub brand Zing. The western state has arguably the highest penetration of TV viewing homes nationally.

Zing has been spreading out gradually over various towns and districts of Maharashtra right from Nashik to Ratnagiri to Aurangabad to Amravati over the past few days. It will however be focusing primarily in the heartlands and on areas where language consumption is very high; hence bigger cities like Mumbai, Thane, Pune and Nagpur won't be exposed to the brand.

Earlier this year, Zing was launched in West Bengal, Odisha and Tripura. The aim is to provide a DTH offering that can compete with cable but with digital picture quality, stereophonic sound and at affordable rates. Says Dish TV marketing VP Anjali Malhotra, "When these analogue consumers think of going digital we come as the first proposition. As markets will open up in phase III and IV, we do see an opportunity between other private DTH players and DD's Freedish."

There are three packs available – Utsav, Anando and Shubharambh that will have 16 Marathi channels such as Zee Talkies, Zee 24 Taas, Zee Marathi, Star Pravah, Mi Marathi, ABP Mazha, IBN Lokmat, Saam TV, Maayboli, 9X Jhakaas, Jai Maharashtra, TV9 Maharashtra, DD Sahyadri and ETV Marathi.

Estimates peg Maharashtra’s cable TV and DTH homes at around 4-5 crore with a considerable amount of that being covered under the first two phases of digitisation.

A marketing campaign worth Rs 6 crore has already begun across various towns and cities. The first phase was ground activations through mobile vans and merchandising activities. The ATL campaign that just commenced includes Marathi newspapers, local radio spots and close to 100 outdoor billboards in city and market areas. The ATL marketing that has been executed by McCann with planning in the hands of Madison will go on for a month.

"Consumers are warming up to the idea that they are getting an offering that his cablewallah will have," says Malhotra while highlighting some of the learning from Zing in the east. West Bengal and Odisha were test areas and she says that at an aggregate level the two brands, Dish and Zing, have collectively taken 40 to 50 per cent share.

The regionalisation of DTH also means that new channels need to be added as and when they come. Earlier this year the DTH operator secured additional transponder space on the newly launched SES 8 satellite, thus allowing it to add several more channels.

While there is a worry that the sub brand may eat up into the parent brand, Malhotra says that research has shown that isn’t the case.

"The customers for Dish and Zing are very different. Which is why we aren't even bringing Zing to the cities. In some places we will only display Zing, in some Dish and in some both, depending upon the language consumption in each of the areas," she says.

While on the one hand, a couple of DTH operators are going high tech and targeting premium viewers with 4K Ultra HD announcements, Dish TV, the oldest of them all, is going desiand local.

Can you please tell me how the count is coming 16 ? Its actually 14 bro.

 

[Anirudha]

Can you please tell me how the count is coming 16 ? Its actually 14 bro.

Disney XD Marathi and Air Marathi.

 

[Bishnu15]

Disney XD Marathi and Air Marathi.

But Disney XD is not provided in Zing base packs.

Source: Zing Digital | A DishTv Product

 

[Sarkar]

And somebody created a breaking news few months earlier that that Zing will be launched in Kerala before Gujarat and Maharashtra Dish tv relaunching with 26 malayalam channels



Any comments now :lol

 

[Bishnu15]

Absolutely right Sarkar bro. Many breaking news for Zing Digital. But not true. Hope Mods will take any action against uthamsangeeth.

 

[Bishnu15]

If we count AIR Channels then every dth will have more than 300 channels (except sun direct as it does not have air channels) as there are mandatory 24 + AIR Channels. Please dont count AIR Channels Anirudha bro because it is not a full video channel.

 

[Anirudha]

If we count AIR Channels then every dth will have more than 300 channels (except sun direct as it does not have air channels) as there are mandatory 24 + AIR Channels. Please dont count AIR Channels Anirudha bro because it is not a full video channel.

If DTH provides AIR channels then they should count AIR channels as a Channels + Services :k

 

[Bishnu15]

If DTH provides AIR channels then they should count AIR channels as a Channels + Services :k

OK Bro I know u use dish tv. So agreed.