Sony not in Tata Play base packs; available via ‘Plus’ variants at MRP

New Delhi: Tata Play’s pack price hike from October 7 is largely an adjustment for Sony channels, which were dropped from bouquets in May after a dispute and were available only on an a-la-carte basis, multiple industry observers said.

They pointed out that Tata Play has now created new “Plus” packs that add one or more Sony channels at their listed MRP, while the original base packs remain almost the same.

In one example, “Hindi Dhammal” shows 63 channels and “Hindi Dhammal Plus” shows 64, with Sony added for about Rs 22, which is the a-la-carte price. The cost difference between the two packs matches that add-on.

Industry observers said this means Sony is not back inside most base bouquets.

“It sits behind the ‘Plus’ step-up, and only homes that want Sony will pay for it. Tata Play has kept the base packs unchanged so non-Sony homes do not face a larger increase. Homes that value Sony can move to the ‘Plus’ version and pay the published channel price,” said an industry observer.

When asked about the implications of the move, an industry veteran told BestMediaInfo.com that it may give Tata Play leverage in talks.

“Sony isn’t guaranteed base-pack reach, so Tata Play isn’t locked into big placement commitments mid-litigation,” the veteran said. “The structure protects the headline price for the wider base and lifts ARPU only from viewers who watch Sony.”

On Sony’s part, the veteran explained, it does not gain bundled reach. “Its channels return at full MRP but reach self-selecting, high-engagement homes only, especially a trade-off for sports.”

Tata Play-Sony dispute

In May, TDSAT stayed a Rs 128.42 crore demand notice from Culver Max (Sony) on the condition that Tata Play deposit Rs 40 crore. The tribunal also restrained both sides from running on-air scrolls about the dispute.

Sony then went to the Bombay High Court, which declined interim relief but allowed a limited social-media clarification that Sony channels remain available on Tata Play on an a-la-carte basis and as part of Sony bouquets.

TDSAT has also pushed an audit track. The tribunal asked for a fresh audit of Tata Play’s systems under strict confidentiality terms and recorded a settlement on the process, with MGB & Co. as auditor and an NDA to be signed. The broadcaster’s petitions are listed again, with Tata Play due to file replies and the matter back before TDSAT later this month.

A large share of TV homes buy curated packs and expect the line-up to stay stable. When a broadcaster’s channels move out of packs and into paid add-ons, the home either pays extra or loses those channels.