Tata Play and Airtel Digital TV are close to merging for the final time as the Tata and Bharti groups try to respond to the shift to digital streaming platforms. Reports suggest that the merger will be through a share swap and Airtel is planning to diversify its revenue stream from mobile. The merged entity would see Airtel controlling a majority stake of 52-55%, while the rest 45-48 would be owned by Tata Play shareholders including Walt Disney. It is expected that the combined operations would be controlled by the senior management of Airtel and Tata will get two board seats. Ranging between ₹6,000-7,000 crore, the merger is of a subscriber base of 35 million and FY24 revenue of more than ₹7,000 crore. Airtel will also get Tata Play’s 19 million households to expand its customer base in the DTH segment. This is the biggest deal in the DTH sector after Dish TV took over Videocon d2h in 2016. It will be a game changer in the Indian DTH market and the new entity will have an advantage over others in the OTT based model.
Tata Play and Airtel Digital TV Near Landmark Merger
