It may be due to targetted ads for viewers. If this is true then TS would show differentiated ad content to different customers so few may not get ads sometimes. There was a news about TS partnering with Kantar media to understand subscriber viewing habits and also measure their behaviour.
This will help TS to target ads according to customer beaviour/viewership patterns & media/services consumption which will lead to increase in ARPU.
Tata Sky signs WPP's Kantar Media to better understand subscribers | Indian Television Dot Com
Excerpts: The service will take full advantage of Kantar Media’s return path data technology RapidView to collect complex audience data directly from set top boxes (STBs) and provide insights into subscriber behaviours not easily captured elsewhere.
Data will be collected from panel chosen from Tata Sky’s subscriber base. An additional panel will be used to monitor those homes with High Definition (HD) televisions. Viewing data will be captured across all the ways in which Tata Sky customers are able to view TV (including live, time shift, on demand and interactive).
The new service will provide real insights into the viewing habits of subscribers and we look forward to working with Tata Sky further as the service develops.
Among the benefits clients such as BSkyB have got out of the service include: improved targeting of consumer marketing, increased advertising sales through more compelling audience insights, enhanced understanding of programming priorities, and increased revenues through possession of this valuable data.
The fact is Tata Sky is taking cue from other markets to further up its service and business standards. Now one will have to wait and watch whether other DTH operators in India follow suit.
