Tata Play, Jio and Airtel lock horns over streaming of live TV channels on Broadband

[Esmail]

Tata Play cited the recent JioFiber Backup and Airtel Black plans that offer a mix of live TV channels and OTT apps. “This move of predatory pricing by telecom and broadband operators is damaging and detrimental to the DTH business, which is already saddled with multiple regulatory restrictions and is unable to negotiate with broadcasters and give such lucrative discounts to its subscribers,” Nagpal said.

Digi DTH plan pricing sets off Airtel-Jio-Tata Play row - ET Telecom

Bharti Airtel: Tata Play cited the recent JioFiber and Airtel Black plans that offer a mix of live TV channels and OTT apps. “This move of predatory pricing by telecom and broadband operators is damaging and detrimental to the DTH business, which is already saddled with multiple regulatory...

telecom.economictimes.indiatimes.com

 

[Esmail]

In simple words Airtel's accusation is for the Jio Tv+ app on Jio fiber STB which provides live TV channels which is as good as IPTV service and yet the subscribers don't have to pay the subscription price of those channels as per the NTO 2.0
Jio in it's defence is saying that we are not providing IPTV service, we are just bundling the OTT app subscriptions along with our broadband plans and those OTTs themselves provide those channels within the respective apps and our Jio Tv+ just aggregates all of those in a common place and then loads them in those respective apps when the user clicks on it.
And Airtel is crying foul coz they are saying Jio is exploiting a loophole in the regulation which doesn't consider the area where broadcasting and digital services converge, which is in turn denting the revenue of DTH and cable operators.
Tata Play on the other hand is accusing both the telecom operators Jio and Airtel for indulging in this predatory pricing model.

 

[Ss08]

Doesn't Airtel do the same thing with providing Live channels to their Mobile subscribers as a benefit? Or are the two somehow different?

 

[Esmail]

Doesn't Airtel do the same thing with providing Live channels to their Mobile subscribers as a benefit? Or are the two somehow different?

That's the thing, they take the liberty of providing it on the Mobile screen but when it comes to the big screen viewing it comes under the IPTV regulation.
Ideally it had to be followed in the way that the DTH and Cable operators do with their mobile TV apps, you only get to stream those channels which you have paid for in your base pack or add on packs in your DTH or Cable account.

 

[saketk11]

as end consumer , what should we expect ,
Jio fiber providing free IPTV
airtel taking middle route and converge telecom, broadband and DTH
tata play which is moving away from traditional linear TV, but business case is unsuitable to declining subsciber count

 

[iDJ]

Meanwhile Jio is helping DTH to get recharges.