Tata Play removes Sony channels from its DPO packs citing low viewership; Sony calls it arbitrary

Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI) and Tata Play are currently in a dispute over the removal of Sony channels. Starting 1st August 2024, Tata Play has made changes to its channel packs of nearly one million subscribers by eliminating Sony’s linear channels from its bouquets and curated packs, which was a surprise to Sony. Tata Play will continue to undertake this process over the next 10 days.

The reasons given by Tata Play were declining popularity of Sony channels and cost savings for its customers. SPNI has vigorously opposed the decision, accusing it of being ‘arbitrary’ and ‘retaliatory’ and was taken without prior notice. SPNI called the narrative built by Tata Play of ‘loss of viewership’ a misleading statement. This is not the first attempt by Tata Play to remove Sony channels from subscriber plans to reduce bills. In October 2018, back then Tata Sky removed all Sony channels along with India Today Network’s, Aaj Tak and India Today TV from its platform over pricing issues and they were re-added later in December 2018.

Sony has also started to notify Tata Play subscribers by adding a banner on their channels stating “Sony Network Channels are no longer part of Tata Play packs. Call Tata Play or switch to another DTH or cable provider.”

We, at Tata Play, have always prioritised customers while designing our processes. Our analysis, supported by BARC data, reveals that most subscribers have four or more times the number of channels than they actively watch. Due to lack of return path data, it is not possible to track who’s watching and who’s not. Consequently, we are streamlining channel packs by removing less-watched channels and adjusting monthly charges accordingly.

We anticipate that at least 75 per cent of customers whose packs have been modified will benefit from the reduced charges.

said Harit Nagpal, MD and CEO, Tata Play

SPNI has recently become aware of Tata Play’s surprising decision to remove Sony channels from the bouquets of nearly 10 million subscribers. This arbitrary decision seems to have been made without any notice to SPNI or apparent consideration for their subscribers’ preferences. We believe it is a retaliation to exercising our audit rights on Tata Play’s subscriber management system, in which we have observed and communicated certain glaring discrepancies to Tata Play over the past few years.

The narrative built by Tata Play of “loss of viewership” is clearly misleading. We are confident that our loyal viewers, who value diverse and high-quality content, will continue to find our channels through other platforms nationwide. Our commitment to delivering top-notch entertainment remains steadfast, ensuring our audience never misses out on their favourite shows and channels, regardless of Tata Play’s whims.

said Sony Pictures Networks India

Channels under Sony Pictures Networks India include Hindi GEC’s Sony Entertainment Television and Sony SAB, Hindi movie channel Sony Max, Sony Max 2, and Sony Wah along with Sony Sports Network and other Hindi and regional premium channels. Subscribers who want to continue watching these channels can easily activate them on à-la-carte basis by giving a missed call at the number mentioned on the channel or contacting customer service or visiting Tata Play app or website.