Mumbai : Dish TV has planned to launch city-centric differential subscription pricing to enhance its average revenue per user (ARPU). The DTH operator has increased its subscription rates by 5 to 8% since 1st February.
”While we are looking at introducing differential pricing, we are also moving the overall subscription table up. we are planning to introduce differential pricing for metro markets to start with. We will offer a premium pack, above the family package. For those who subscribe to this, we will offer some additional facilities,” said RC Venkateish, Chief Executive Officer of Dish TV.
The company has executed differential pricing model through its low-cost and regional DTH brand, Zing. In Maharashtra, Zing package is priced at INR189 and it is INR175 in Orissa.
“While we will keep the base price for Dish TV subscribers untouched at Rs 240 across the towns, we will target geographies where we can offer new packages at higher price points. After the metros, we will move to DAS Phase II cities,” added Venkateish.
Dish TV is looking to keep the subscriber base in rural and low income areas immune to increase in pricing through Zing, while trying to increase the ARPU by offering better packages to high income and urban subscribers through the Primary brand Dish TV.
DTH industry has a vast no of Inactive subscribers who are unable to continue subscribing the services due to high monthly cost, are dumping DTH and moving back to Cable TV subscription as the same is comparatively cheaper by aroun 30 per cent. Due to this close to 43.41 per cent of DTH subscribers are inactive till June 2014.