The recent report about the TRAI trying to rein in the service provers
(TV channel and DTH service providers) is quite amusing. This shows how
hopelessly TRAI and service providers are outdated and how much they are
wallowing in Marketing Myopia. Both TRAI and the service providers are
inward-looking, not focused on customer needs, self-preening and have fallen in
love their products services and are blissfully unaware that customer views,
preferences and viewing habits have changed drastically.
TRAI proudly claims that viewers’ cable bills would be down by 12% on an
average and that each channel will be available at Rs 12 instead off Rs19 per
month? Excuse me, in what time are you living TRAI? The days of Cable operators
and service providers holding the customers to ransom are a thing of the past.
The bouquet pricing that the broadcasters had thrust down the unwilling
customer’s throat is outdated and no longer neither welcomed nor
appreciated.
Let us take an example. A viewer wanting a sports channel has to pay Rs
19/- a month irrespective of whether he watches the channel for a day or a
month. One channel in a year will cost 228/-. Only one channel! And all major
sports get broadcast on different channels of Star Sports, Ten sports
etc.
The viewers end up shelling out a lot for the live telecast of Cricket,
Football matches like the world cup, Euro Cup, EPL, La Liga, Grand Slam tennis,
Olympics, Athletics and other major sporting events.
If one were to cut the cord (I did) the experience is
liberating. Cutting the cord is cutting the umbilical cord (the cord that
the viewer attaches to the television, like the cable wire or the DTH cable)
that tied us to the TV.
With the arrival of the streaming services, Cable TV and DTH are slowly
but surely becoming obsolete. And with entertainment being consumed personally
and in private, it might prove quite detrimental to the Cable wallahs and the
DTH operators unless they become market savvy and adapt to changing market
scenario.
The cost of a Hotstar VIP service is Rs 365/- per year. One rupee per
day! Hotstar beams live all the Indian cricket matches and also live telecasts
the EPL matches! Rs 365/- a year is quite a steal. Add to that the movies and
the TV shows and the viewers' cup floweth full!
Similarly, Sony LIV has a Rs 499/- package for one year only for Indian
content and for cricket telecasts that feature the Australian, English and
other cricket team matches played outside India. It also telecasts live the LA LIGA (Spanish Football) league.
Movies and TV show lovers can avail Amazon Prime available at Rs 999/- per
year and Netflix at 2400/- per year. All put together the total comes to Rs
4263/- per year and Rs 365/- per month (Hotstar, Rs 365/-, Sony LIV, Rs 499/-,
Amazon Prime, Rs 999/- and Netflix, Rs 2400/-).
If one is prudent and wants to cut down costs and subscribe only to only
Hotstar, SONY LIV and Amazon Prime the costs come down to Rs 1863/- per year
and Rs 155 per month. And if one is interested only in sports, the cost can be
further be pruned down to Rs 864/- which comes to only Rs 72/- per month.
The pluses are many. The telecast is in High definition; one can watch
at their convenience. We need not be tied to the television, and viewing can
happen when one is mobile or from multiple locations. The viewer can watch the
same content on multiple devices like TV (with Amazon Firestick, Chromecast),
Mobile phones, laptop, desktop, I-Pad etc. three to four people can watch
different content as many steaming sites allow multiple sign-ins.
We can watch the latest movies and shows from the comfort of our homes.
We can watch with time-lapse and binge-watch too!
The viewership figures displayed on Hotstar when India plays T20I or ODI
are mouth-watering. On many occasions, the data rake up to 8 million or more.
Eighty lakh people are watching only on Hotstar and that too only in India. The shape of things to come!
Of Course, some disadvantages do exist. The viewers have to pay extra
for either a broadband connection or opt for a mobile service provider who
provides good internet speed. In recent times Reliance JIO mobile speeds have
slowed down to a pathetic level. But the advantages far outweigh the
disadvantages by a very long shot!
