Tata Play unveils three ad films promoting content consumption on Tata Play Mobile App over TV

Tata Play (formerly Tata Sky), an Indian direct-to-home (DTH) service provider, has launched three ad films demonstrating how viewers can conveniently enjoy their favourite TV soaps, reality shows, cricket, and much more on the Tata Play Mobile App.

The films depict people struggling to watch their favourite content on television and highlight how the Tata Play mobile app allows them to consume content seamlessly from anywhere, at any time, without any disturbances.

The first advert features Mrs Mundra, who strains her neck to watch a television soap with her head turned towards the TV at an awkward angle while cooking in the kitchen. The solution for her is to watch her favourite TV programmes on the Tata Play Mobile App, allowing her to enjoy them even while working in the kitchen.

The second advert tells the story of Dharmesh, who simply wants to watch his favourite singing reality show in peace. However, this proves challenging due to the noise from his son playing with toys, the house help moving furniture, and his wife simultaneously using a mixer and washing machine. This enrages him, almost leading to him breaking the television until the app saves the day.

The third film features Preetam, who, while watching a cricket tournament, accidentally turns around to grab a glass of water. As he turns, the Indian team takes a wicket, and his friends start cheering, physically forcing him to stay turned, believing that if Preetam avoids watching, India will win. The solution? He starts watching the match on his smartphone.

In May 2013, back when Tata Play was known as Tata Sky, the company launched a new version of the Tata Sky Mobile App on the Android platform. In April 2013, Tata Sky had introduced the new version of the Tata Sky Mobile App on iOS. The older version allowed Tata Sky subscribers to use the app as a universal remote with the use of a dongle.

In Phase 2, subscribers were able to use the app as a remote control for the set-top box directly, without needing a dongle. This remote sends commands to the set-top box over the home Wi-Fi network, requiring internet access to use the program guide, remote record, and all other features.

The app allows users to watch live TV, access on-demand content, manage their accounts, and use their mobile devices as a remote control for their set-top box, among other features. Other players in the DTH category include DD Free Dish, Dish TV, Airtel TV, Sun Direct, and Videocon.

A report from The Economic Times stated that, according to its regulatory filings, Tata Play reported a net loss of Rs 354 crore for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2024, compared to a net profit of Rs 105 crore the previous year.

Tata Play's DTH business recorded a net loss of Rs 247 crore in FY24, while it had a net profit of Rs 20 crore in FY23. Revenue from the DTH segment decreased by 7.45% to Rs 3,983 crore. However, Tata Play did not comment on its financial details.

According to a recent report by Crisil, a ratings firm, the company's revenue from its main DTH business is expected to go down soon because fewer people are signing up. The number of paid DTH users has decreased significantly due to competition from DD Free Dish and streaming services.

A report from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), as of December 2023, says that Tata Play and three other paid DTH platforms had 6.3 crore active subscribers.

Tata Play had the most customers among paid DTH services, holding 32.71% of the market, which means they had about two crore subscribers.

A study by the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) and KANTAR in 2023 revealed that the most common use of the internet in India was for watching videos and listening to audio on OTT platforms. Around 86% of India's more than 80 crore internet users, approximately 70 crore people, reported using the internet for this purpose.