EXCLUSIVE: "We have not discontinued Sony," says Harit Nagpal, MD and CEO of Tata Play
Tata Play alleged that Sony was spreading misinformation and creating confusion among subscribers by running a ticker on their channel.
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The ongoing dispute between Tata Play and Culver Max Entertainment (formerly Sony Pictures Networks India) has intensified, with the matter now reaching the Bombay High Court. The development comes after the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) directed Sony to take down allegedly misleading messaging related to Tata Play’s platform.
Tata Play MD and CEO Harit Nagpal, in an exclusive conversation with Storyboard18, clarified that no Sony channels were removed from the platform and that the current measures are aimed at making content delivery more affordable and relevant for users.
Nagpal said, “Sony was running a ticker claiming “Tata Play has dropped Sony channels” and even directing viewers to contact other operators. That created confusion. So, we approached TDSAT. The tribunal directed Sony to remove the ticker and cease miscommunication on social media. Sony has challenged this in the High Court, but the High Court hasn’t issued a ruling yet.”
TDSAT on May 27 ordered Tata Play to pay ₹40 crore and stayed the disconnection, the tribunal also restricted Culver Max from displaying on-air scrolls — a direction that was later extended to include online communication.
Calling the order arbitrary and in violation of Articles 14, 19(1)(a), and 19(1)(g) of the Constitution, Culver Max has requested the High Court to quash the TDSAT directive and stay its implementation until the final verdict. The matter is listed for hearing on June 16.
When asked if the DTH operator is trying to arm twist the broadcaster due to its upcoming India tour of England by taking off Sony channels from the platform, to which Nagpal said, "This is not a channel takedown situation. When someone has a dispute and takes down a channel, it means none of their subscribers can view it. That's not the case here. We’ve not removed any Sony channels from Tata Play’s platform. This is a regular practice we follow, driven by data and aimed at improving affordability for our subscribers."
Nagpal further said, "We observed that there’s a wide gap between channels people subscribe to and the ones they watch. Often, when channels are bundled, people pay for all but watch only one or two. We particularly monitor customers who are slow to recharge—5, 7, sometimes even 15 days late. That’s an indicator they don’t see value in what they’re paying. We remove channels for users who are least engaged but also offer them a way to bring it back."
Nagpal explained, "So, for a small subset of subscribers, we remove under-watched channels—channels with high reach but low viewership—for instance we remove those channels for 30-40% subscribers and reduce their pack price accordingly. For example, if their original pack was ₹300, we bring it down to ₹260. We inform subscribers that they can add back channels with a missed call, if they wish."
When asked about the way to identify those subscribers to which Nagpal said, "For instance if I see that 55% of my subscribers have Sony packs and according to BARC data only 9-10 percent of them are watching the channel then there is a huge gap. I don’t have the means to detect who these 9-10 percent audience is, so we remove those channels. People who want to watch it recharge and enjoy the content. So far we have only seen only 13 percent of such loyal subscribers of Sony re-activating the channel while 87% are enjoying the content, which is available to them at low cost."
When asked if consumers today re-activate the channel if taken out from the base pack to which Nagpal said, "Absolutely. Every time when new content airs, 10,000 to 20,000 subscribers give a missed call to re-add a channel. But only 13% of those whose packs were modified actually do that. The other 87% enjoy the lower cost and recharge more frequently. It’s a win-win for them and for us, even though I lose revenue. I'd rather retain a subscriber at ₹250 than lose them at ₹300."
TDSAT in its order had directed both the parties to reconcile the matter. When asked if Culver Max and Tata Play are willing to reconcile to resolve the dispute to which Nagpal said, "There’s no need for reconciliation. The issue stems from a notice we received claiming that we owe ₹128 crore. We are paying them and the outstanding amount will be paid too. There is no dispute of payment."
According to TATA Play, despite a decade-long business relationship during which approximately ₹4,000 crore has been paid—including ₹700 crore annually in recent years— Sony Pictures Networks India's (Culver Max Entertainment) issued a sudden demand for ₹128.42 crore via a notice dated May 21, 2025. The DTH operator had argued that the amount was neither due nor payable and that significant payments had already been made following a prior communication from March 2025 seeking ₹300 crore.
At the time of publishing, Culver Max Entertainment had not replied to Storyboard18’s queries regarding the matter.
