Singapore Telecom & Airtel to bid for Dish TV?
April 4, 2019
By Chris Forrester
Singapore’s SingTel is reported to be linking with Indian telco Bharti Airtel to make a bid for 60 per cent of Subhash Chandra-backed pay-TV operation Dish TV.
SingTel is a half-owner of Airtel’s holding company Bharti Telecom.
The report was carried on business news channel CNBC-TV18, but the parties involved have thus far not commented.
Should the acquisition move forward it would propel the combined Dish/Airtel pay-TV business as the largest in India with about 61 per cent of the market. Currently Dish TV has a 37 per cent share, with Airtel having about a 24 per cent share.
Consolidation amongst the various competing Indian DTH players has long been called for, and expected.