Hathway Cable & Datacom introduces new packaging

[Thakur]

In a bid to drive cable TV subscription price up, Hathway Cable & Datacom has introduced a two-package plan for its digital subscribers at a higher price point and pushed the English-language entertainment channels to the second tier.

The Rs 220 pack is done away with. For offering customisation, customers can select regional-language add-ons and genre add-ons to complement the package plan they have subscribed to. For western India digital cable TV subscribers, including Mumbai, Hathway’s first tier pack of channels are priced at Rs 330 per month (inclusive taxes) and the second at Rs 425.

This is beside the basic tier pack of channels, as mandated by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), which is priced at Rs 160 per month.

The package containing high-definition (HD) channels, along with the other standard definition channels, is priced at Rs 550 a month.

Currently consisting of around 30 HD channels, this will soon be beefed up to a count of 50, a senior Hathway Cable & Datacom official said. The pricing of the packages, however, will vary, depending on the entertainment tax structures prevalent in the states.

The ‘Prime’ package will be priced in the range of Rs 265 to Rs 330 a month. In Maharashtra, for instance, it is priced at Rs 330. It will consist of the mass Hindi general entertainment channels (GECs), Hindi movie channels, and other genre channels.

The English GECs and movies are placed at the second tier. Star’s two sports channels and one Ten Sports channel will be part of the ‘Prime’ package.

The sports channels of Sony Pictures Networks (SPN) India will be in the upper package. The ‘Prime’ pack subscribers will be able to watch Hindi news channels and English news channels like Times Now, India Today and NDTV 24×7. But the English business news channels like CNBC-TV18 and ET Now are in the second-tier pack.

The ‘Royal’ pack, which will include channels from the first tier and have more in the plate, is priced in the range of Rs 375 to Rs 425 a month.

In Maharashtra, this pack will cost Rs 425. The English-language entertainment channels like Star Movies, Movies Now, Pix, AXN, Star World, Romedy Now and Colors Infinity will be part of the ‘Royal’ pack.

The sports channels that were excluded from the first pack will also find way in the ‘Royal’ pack. These include the sports channels from Star Sports, Ten Sports and SPN.

The ‘Royal HD’ pack will offer up to 50 HD channels and are being priced in the range of Rs 525–Rs 550 a month. Subscribers will be given two regional packs at no additional cost.

One of the packs will consist of the regional-language channels of the state. Maharashtra, for instance, will have the Marathi channels.

Customers will have the liberty to choose another pack of language channels, say, Gujarati or Punjabi. For third and more language channel packs, subscribers will have to pay separately.

Hathway has created several genre add-on packs and regional add-on packs that customers can select and subscribe to. This includes packs in the sports genre, kids genre, etc. The add-on packs are priced at Rs 50-60 each.

The genre add-ons are mainly for the ‘Prime’ pack customers. They can create their own packs using various genre channels.

Read more at: http://www.televisionpost.com/cable/hathway-cable-datacom-introduces-new-packaging-to-lift-arpu/ | TelevisionPost.com

 

[im_dude]

Rs 330 min pack

 

[prasad1979]

In Maharashtra, after Rs. 160, next pack Rs. 330 then Rs. 425! Nothing in Rs. 250 range?
OMG, I thought digital cable will be cheaper than DTH. This is truly mockery of digitization which was supposed to bring consumer costs down.

 

[hrishi_golatkar]

But no update on hathway website yet.

 

[Digital Mastermind]

50 HD channels ???? wow

But why are they taking so much time.
Digital cable is technically supposed to have a lot more bandwidth then DTH.
But Tata Sky is adding channels both SD and HD which is appreciated.

Hathway if it wants to stay as one of the best MSO, it needs to add remaining sd and hd channels.

 

[im_dude]

50 HD channels ???? wow

But why are they taking so much time.
Digital cable is technically supposed to have a lot more bandwidth then DTH.
But Tata Sky is adding channels both SD and HD which is appreciated.

Hathway if it wants to stay as one of the best MSO, it needs to add remaining sd and hd channels.

Hathway in major cities have all the channels but 324 rs is too much for most people

 

[hike]

I think and prayer that this is wrong news. As, in Our country all cable operators charge 100-350 May be 400 but it is not affordable for common man.

They should think on this.

 

[Kunal_2004]

Yeah, the amount seems to be on the higher side making it expensive and on the lines of DTH. Although Im excited that Hathway will be increasing the HD count. Hope it happens soon as it is severely lacking behind in HD channel count.

 

[Digital Mastermind]

Rs 160 is the lowest pack. And I feel rs 300 is a good mid rage pack.

And 50 hd channels @ rs 500 good. DTH charge Rs 660 for max sd and hd pack.

 

[im_dude]

I don't think 160 will give you pay channels.you need to pay320 to get pay channel.Not affordable for lot of people.