Summary:
Airtel Digital TV Drops Zee Entertainment Channels from its base packs due to recent price hikes from broadcasters, showcasing a similar dispute between Sony and Tata Play. Airtel will adjust its pack prices on a basis of la carte. This move comes as DTH operators resist price hikes amid declining pay-TV subscribers and raising competition from OTT platfroms.
Hello Airtel DTH subscribers, there’s some news for all of you: Bharti Airtel’s Direct-to-Home (DTH) arm, Airtel Digital TV, has removed Zee Entertainment channels from its base channel packs following recent price hikes from the broadcasters, mirroring the ongoing dispute between Sony Pictures Network India and Tata Play, as DTH operators push back to control costs and retain profitability.
Airtel DTH Subscribers Need to Opt for La Carte Access
Airtel Digital TV announced that it would revise its pack pricing following the removal of the Zee channels from its base packs. To continue accessing Zee content, viewers must now need to pay separately for Zee channels on an a la carte basis at standard rates.
According to the ETTelcom report, an Airtel spokesperson stated that, “Owing to recent changes in broadcaster Zee Network, Channels will no longer be part of the Airtel DTH base packs.
Pack prices will be updated to reflect this change. However, viewers can still access all Zee Network channels individually to the list of subscribed channels through the selection option at their respective MPRs.”
This move follows a price hike introduced earlier in January, where Zee and Sony increased their bouquet prices by over 10%, while JioHotstar raised its rates by 18%, reaching Rs 110.
Though Airtel and Zee have not publicly shared the financial terms of their deals, industry estimates suggest Airtel pays Zee between Rs 300-400 crore, approximately annually in subscription fees, according to the report.
Insiders suggest Airtel Digital TV is pushing back against Zee’s price hikes, as it, along with other DTH operators, seeks to manage rising costs and move towards profitability.
Zee Denies Any Conflict, Cites ROI Agreement
Zee has refuted claims of any dispute, emphasizing that there is an existing agreement in place. A senior executive from Zee clarified that Airtel Digital TV had already signed the Reference Interconnect Offer (RIO) agreement earlier this year and implemented the price revisions for its subscribers.
I don’t understand what the dispute is. Airtel has signed the RIO agreement and applied the revised prices. We are now waiting for their subscriber reports, listing how many customers are subscribed to our channels and bouquets, so we can invoice them, accordingly, the executive said, as per reports.
Market Shifts & Legal Disputes Shape Industry Landscape
The evolving market, especially after the emergence of broadcasting giant JioHotstar, is forcing distribution platforms to rethink their content spending strategies. “Distribution platforms need to reallocate their content budgets based on current market realities”, a veteran distributor executive stated.
With Jiostar holding a dominant 34% viewership share, Zee at 17%, and Sony Pictures Networks below 10%, budget allocations are being driven by each network’s performance amidst stagnant average revenue per user (ARPU).
Legal tensions are also rising. Sony Pictures Networks, under Culver Max Entertainment, recently challenged a TDSAT ruling in the Bombay High Court. The tribunal had paused Sony’s disconnection notice to Tata Play and ordered Tata Play to pay Rs 40 crore as a partial payment of its Rs 128 crore dues to Sony.
India’s Pay TV Industry Faces Decline
India’s pay-TV sector is continuously facing a steady decline. According to a recent report by EY and All India Digital Cable Federation, the number of pay-TV subscribers in India has decreased from 151 million in 2018 to 111 million in 2024.
The report further projects by 2025, this number could drop to between 71 million to 81 million households, primarily due to rising channel cost, increased OTT consumption, and the growing appeal of free services like DD Free Dish.
All Zee Channel Number, Price with PDF
Here we curated an Airtel Digital TV Channel list for Zee Network with Channel No.
| Genre | Channel Name | Type | Channel No | Price (₹/mo) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hindi Entertainment | Zee Anmol | SD | 140 | 0.11 |
| Hindi Entertainment | Zee TV | SD | 108 | 22.42 |
| Hindi Entertainment | Zee TV | HD | 109 | 22.42 |
| Hindi Movies | Zee Cinema | SD | 203 | 17.70 |
| Hindi Movies | Zee Cinema | HD | 204 | 22.42 |
| Hindi Movies | Zee Classic | SD | 215 | 0.59 |
| Hindi Movies | Zee Bollywood | SD | 215 | 2.36 |
| Hindi Movies | Zee Action | SD | 216 | — |
| Hindi Movies | Zee Cafe | HD | 169 | 22.42 |
| Bengali | Zee Bangla | SD | 703 | 22.42 |
| Bengali | Zee Bangla | HD | 704 | 22.42 |
| Marathi | Zee Marathi | SD | 516 | 22.42 |
| Marathi | Zee Marathi | HD | 517 | 22.42 |
| Marathi | Zee Talkies | SD | 527 | 2.36 |
| Marathi | Zee Talkies | HD | 528 | 22.42 |
| Marathi | Zee Yuva | SD | 522 | 1.18 |
| Kannada | Zee Kannada | SD | 957 | 22.42 |
| Kannada | Zee Kannada | HD | 958 | 22.42 |
| Telugu | Zee Telugu | SD | 882 | 22.42 |
| Telugu | Zee Telugu | HD | 884 | 22.42 |
| Tamil | Zee Tamil | SD | 751 | 14.16 |
| Tamil | Zee Tamil | HD | 752 | 22.42 |
| Tamil | Zee Thirai | SD | 775 | 5.90 |
| Telugu | Zee Cinemalu | SD | 900 | 11.80 |
| Telugu | Zee Cinemalu | HD | 901 | 18.88 |
| Malayalam | Zee Keralam | SD | 832 | 0.12 |
| Malayalam | Zee Keralam | HD | 833 | 9.44 |
| Bhojpuri | Zee Bihar Jharkhand | SD | 659 | 0.12 |
| Punjabi | Zee Punjabi | SD | 556 | 3.54 |
| Urdu | Zee Salaam | SD | 622 | 0.12 |
| Music | Zing | SD | 501 | — |
| Hindi News | ZEE NEWS | SD | 311 | — |
| Hindi News | Zee Hindustan | SD | 319 | — |
| Hindi News | ZEE BUSINESS | SD | 331 | — |
| Hindi News | Zee Rajasthan News | SD | 336 | — |
| Hindi News | Zee MPCG | SD | 343 | — |
| Hindi News | Zee UP UK | SD | 351 | — |
Airtel DTH Recharge Plans for 1 Month
| Pack Name | Language | Channels | Price (1 Month) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Happy India ALL HD | Hindi | 15 | ₹122.72 |
| Happy India Smart – Hindi | Hindi | 9 | ₹50.74 |
| Happy India Smart HD – Hindi | Hindi | 9 | ₹93.22 |
| Happy India Smart HD Plus – Hindi | Hindi | 13 | ₹116.82 |
| Happy India Smart Plus Hindi | Hindi | 13 | ₹93.22 |
| Happy India Sports Action | Hindi | 4 | ₹53.10 |
| Happy India Sports Action HD | Hindi | 4 | ₹73.16 |
How to Activate Zee Entertainment Channels on Airtel Digital TV Online?
To activate Zee channels on your Airtel Digital TV Online, you may need to select a Zee broadcaster pack, or you can add Zee channels individually by adding them separately through several ways. But if you are one of those who do not know how to do it, don’t worry, follow these methods below to activate Zee Channels online in your Airtel Digital TV.
Or you can add Zee channels separately on an la carte basis.
Activate Zee Entertainment Channels Via Airtel Thanks App
1. First of all, download and open the Airtel Thanks App on your device.
2. Then log in using your mobile Airtel number and OTP.
3. Then navigate to the Manage Services option.
4. Then, you have to click on the Add channels option given below on the homepage, as shown in the figure.
5. After that, you can select a base pack or add Zee channels individually through an la carte option.
6. Then you can add your preferred Zee channels individually by selecting them manually as shown in the image below.
7. While selecting channels, you will see that the channels were added through the La carte option with the prices.
8. After selecting all preferred Zee Entertainment channels click on the preview option as shown below.
9. Once you click on preview and confirm option it will redirect you to the summary of your channels pack list with price.
At last, follow the on-screen instructions to confirm your changes.
Through Airtel DTH Interference
- Switch on Airtel DTH and TV.
- Navigate to the channel no. 998
- Then, follow on the on-screen instructions to add Zee Channels you want.
- Once you select your preferred Zee channels, you may receive a confirmation code.
- Send this confirmation code as an SMS from your registered mobile number to 54325.
Remove channel from Airtel DTH by SMS
You can remove or add channels on Airtel DTH by sending an SMS to 54325.
