In a significant reflection of changing media consumption habits, nearly 50 television channels have surrendered their broadcasting licences over the past three years. Major industry players like JioStar, Zee Entertainment, Eenadu Television, TV Today Network, and ABP Network are part of this trend, driven by the accelerating shift of Indian audiences to digital platforms.
Strategic Restructuring Amid Market Evolution
According to data from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, reported by The Economic Times, this wave of licence surrenders is a strategic response to financial challenges and evolving market dynamics. Industry executives describe the moves as strategic restructuring rather than mere closures, prompted by the changing landscape where digital consumption on connected TVs and mobile devices is becoming the norm.
The report highlights specific cases: JioStar surrendered licences for channels including Colours Odia, MTV Beats, VH1, and Comedy Central, citing internal business decisions. Zee Entertainment shut down Zee Sea following the cessation of its operations. In another instance, Sony Pictures Networks India's parent company, Culver Max Entertainment, surrendered 26 downlinking permissions after receiving approval to uplink and downlink the same set of channels.
The Dual Pressure: OTT Boom and Free Dish
The traditional paid television ecosystem is under sustained pressure from two sides. Affluent Indian households are increasingly migrating to subscription-based OTT platforms, seeking on-demand content. Simultaneously, price-sensitive viewers are turning to the free-to-air, government-owned DD Free Dish service.
This shift is starkly visible in the direct-to-home (DTH) sector. A Crisil report released on December 11, 2025, estimates that private DTH providers will see revenue decline by 3–4% this fiscal year, an improvement from the 5% drop last year but indicative of a continued downward trend. The subscriber base tells a clearer story: it fell from 7.2 crore in fiscal 2019 to 6.19 crore in fiscal 2024, slipped another 9% in fiscal 2025, and is projected to drop below 5.1 crore by the end of the current fiscal year.
Channel-Specific Decisions and Industry Outlook
The licence surrenders span various genres and companies. Enter10 Media rolled back plans to launch new channels and surrendered licences for Dangal HD and Dangal Oriya, pausing its HD and regional expansion. ABP Network closed its ABP News HD channel due to high operating costs and weak monetisation. NDTV surrendered the licence for its NDTV Gujarati channel.
Despite the challenges, the Crisil report offers a sliver of stability for the sector's finances. It expects overall operating margins to remain steady at 44-45% for the financial year 2025-26, supported by milder revenue degrowth. This suggests that while the traditional TV audience is shrinking, broadcasters are finding ways to manage costs and protect profitability in a transitional phase.
The collective action of these 50 channels surrendering licences marks a pivotal moment in India's media history, underscoring a fundamental and rapid realignment of how the nation consumes entertainment and news.
