It seems like Tata Sky, Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) haven’t yet reached an agreement over the commercial negotiations with the broadcasters that broke down last month. Viewers recently took to social media platforms to state that the DTH provider was asking them to give a missed call ‘again’ to reactivate the channels.
Several viewers stated their displeasure on the same under the hashtag TataSkyGiveSonyBack on Twitter, and a majority of them were viewers hoping to watch the El Clasico football match on Sony Ten. “All my channels have gotten Deactivated after I went thru the hassle of giving 10 separate missed calls to activate the same,” said a Tata Sky user on Twitter, echoing the emotions of several other users.
While the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) has asked Tata Sky and Sony Pictures Networks India to negotiate the agreement and come to a final decision within four weeks, viewers need not have to miss their favorite shows and sports until then.
Sony channels can be watched on Tata Sky by giving a missed call to the number specified on their TV screens or watch it live online on www.sonyliv.com. SonyLiv app can also be downloaded and HD channels can be watched live by upgrading to ‘premium’.
In fact it is not just SonyLiv, thanks to the arrival of affordable 4G, smartphones and digital media platforms, viewers can catch all the entertainment on the go. Airtel users can always turn to Airtel TV to watch several channels like India Today, Aaj Tak, ABP News, Times Now and so on. Users can upgrade to premium as well for added benefits at a reasonable price.
Similarly, Reliance Jio users have the option of tuning into Jio TV to catch a wide range of TV channels across languages and genres live. Recently, Jio made an announcement that the Jio TV app, which has over 1.4 million downloads on Google Play alone, will now let active Jio mobile phone users stream all televised India cricket matches for the next 5 years. Jio has signed a deal with broadcaster Star India for the same, and all the matches will be streamed on Hotstar.
Also Read: Now, Jio to Stream Cricket Matches Live Online for Free
Apart from these platforms, Hotstar, ZEE5 and YouTube also host live shows, matches and events. Hotstar streams all Star channels live and also hosts popular shows like ‘Koffee with Karan’. Sporting fans usually tune into Hotstar to catch cricket matches live. Nevertheless, the old souls who still like to enjoy watching their favorite shows on their television sets will inevitably have to wait for the Tata Sky, Sony issue to settle.