Bharti Airtel and the Tata Group have officially ended negotiations to merge their direct-to-home (DTH) television businesses after failing to reach common ground.
In a regulatory filing on May 4, 2025, Airtel announced that both parties had mutually agreed to discontinue discussions. The proposed deal aimed to combine Tata Play, Tata Group’s DTH platform, with Bharti Telemedia, Airtel’s DTH subsidiary.
The companies began talks in February 2025, exploring a possible merger structure that would be acceptable to both sides. Despite several rounds of discussions, they were unable to reach a deal that satisfied all involved, leading to the decision to walk away from the table.
Airtel stated, “After not being able to find a satisfactory resolution, the parties have mutually decided to terminate the discussions.”
Had the merger gone through, it would have created a major consolidation in India’s DTH sector, following previous mergers like Dish TV and Videocon d2h in 2016. The combined entity could have benefited from greater market share and operational synergies in a highly competitive industry.
Airtel has been seeking to streamline its DTH operations, particularly as consumer viewing habits shift from traditional satellite TV to online streaming platforms. This now-paused merger was seen as part of that broader strategy.
Both companies are expected to continue operating their DTH businesses independently while adapting to the evolving media and entertainment landscape.
