50 TV channels surrender licences in three years as viewers shift to digital platforms: Report

Over the past three years, around 50 Indian television channels have surrendered their broadcasting licences, signalling a structural shift in the country’s media landscape as audiences increasingly migrate to digital platforms. Data from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) shows that several leading broadcasters — including JioStar, Zee Entertainment Enterprises, Eenadu Television, TV Today Network, NDTV and ABP Network — have been part of this trend. The exits come amid falling advertising revenues, rising operating costs and an evolving regulatory environment, raising concerns over the long-term sustainability of traditional television models.

According to a report by The Economic Times, broadcasters such as JioStar, Zee Entertainment and Enter10 Media have surrendered licences for multiple channels. JioStar gave up licences for channels including Colors Odia, MTV Beats, VH1 and Comedy Central, citing internal business decisions. Zee Entertainment shut down Zee Sea, which held an uplink-only licence, after discontinuing the channel’s operations.

Enter10 Media, which runs Dangal, one of India’s most-watched Hindi general entertainment channels, also surrendered certain licences following a strategic review. The company decided not to proceed with planned new channel launches, pointing to internal constraints related to business objectives and resource allocation. As part of this reassessment, Enter10 relinquished licences for Dangal HD and Dangal Oriya, effectively shelving its HD and regional expansion plans.

Other networks have exited specific segments due to cost and monetisation pressures. ABP Network shut down ABP News HD, citing high operational expenses and weak revenue generation, while NDTV surrendered the licence for its proposed Gujarati news channel, NDTV Gujarati.

Industry representatives attribute the decline to broader technological and market forces. Media executives and industry bodies say the slowdown reflects structural changes driven by media and technology convergence, alongside shifting viewer preferences and consumption patterns. Regulatory challenges have further compounded the stress on traditional broadcasters.

A key concern raised by industry stakeholders is the regulatory imbalance between television and digital platforms. Broadcasters, cable operators and DTH service providers argue that television is subject to multiple layers of regulation — spanning licensing, content norms and pricing — while over-the-top (OTT) platforms continue to operate under comparatively lighter oversight.

Despite the licence surrenders, India still has a large television ecosystem. Latest MIB data shows 916 television channels authorised for downlinking, including 572 free-to-air and 334 pay channels, along with 10 overseas-exclusive licences.

Financial pressures remain a central factor. According to Crisil, India’s pay DTH subscriber base fell from 72 million in FY19 to 62 million in FY24, and is projected to drop below 51 million this fiscal year. Meanwhile, WPP estimates television advertising revenue will decline 1.5% in 2025 to Rs 477.4 billion, even as India’s overall advertising market is expected to grow to Rs 2 lakh crore by 2026.