Tata Sky has rebranded itself as Tata Play as it looks to expand its television-cum-OTT (over-the-top) offerings in combined packages. The direct-to-home (DTH) platform has added Netflix to 13 OTT services, including Amazon Prime Video and Disney+Hotstar, as part of its so-called Binge packs.
Starting at ₹399 per month, the new combo packs will be effective 27 January and will be promoted through a nationwide campaign featuring actors Kareena Kapoor Khan and Saif Ali Khan in national markets, and R. Madhavan and Priyamani in the South.
“We’ve realized that while many people are still watching television, they are also watching OTT content, and that it’s difficult to have different relationships across these many platforms and go around looking for content. Our new brand identity is in line with the idea that we are no longer just a DTH player but a content distributor across live television and OTT services," Harit Nagpal, managing director and chief executive, Tata Play said in an interview.
Terming the new offering as a family product, Nagpal said the combo packs will allow different members of the same family to watch content of their choice across devices such as mobile phones or large screens when they’re not all watching TV. Prices will vary according to the number of screens, DTH connections and packs subscribed to.
In addition, Tata Play has decided to waive service visit charges of ₹175. DTH customers who have not recharged their packs can also get reconnections for free. “The name Tata Play signifies our expanded range of product and services. The new identity is an outcome of our desire to be future-ready while making tomorrow better than today for homes and families," it said.
The pandemic may have introduced Indians across age groups to web content but Nagpal said this hasn’t necessarily led to a drop in TV viewership numbers and that cord-cutting is still some time away.
Mihir Shah, vice-president, Media Partners Asia (MPA), called it a step in the right direction for Tata Play- with its TV everywhere phenomenon, this comes like a natural transition in the industry where OTT is now a mainstream trend, at least in urban homes.
“During the pandemic, lack of fresh TV programming made consumers sample OTT content. As things come back to normal, fresh programming and viewership has returned on television. For discerning urban consumers TV-OTT bundled packages offer better convenience and experience to view content on the same screen with a single remote and billing management," he said.
Shah added that the recent price revision by Netflix, where it can now be accessed for Rs199 on any device versus Rs499 has enabled it to form deeper partnerships with players like Tata play, “The revised Netflix plans will appeal to a wider subscriber base on the platform but will also help Tata Play to improve its ARPU."
