MUMBAI: Direct-to-home (DTH) operator Airtel Digital TV and Star India, in the aftermath of a public spat, have joined hands and reached an agreement.
“Airtel Digital subscribers will continue to get uninterrupted access to all of Star’s programmes including Vivo IPL, following an agreement reached between Star and Airtel. Both parties would like to assure their subscribers that the two companies are committed to bringing more and more high-quality content and experience to their consumers,” Star India tweeted on Saturday.
The move will ensure that the Airtel Digital TV consumers will get access to Star India channels, which includes the Indian Premier League (IPL) telecast on Star Sports network.
News Update: Airtel Digital subscribers will continue to get uninterrupted access to all of Star’s programmes including Vivo IPL, following an agreement reached between Star and Airtel. https://t.co/oRpZuNdUuF pic.twitter.com/llKguAECQq
— Star TV Network (@starindia) March 31, 2018
Earlier, both parties had decided to opt for reference interconnect offer (RIO) or a la carte deal as the negotiations on renewal was not moving forward. Had the agreement not been reached, Star channels would have been removed from Airtel Digital TV’s packages.
The Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) had directed Star and Airtel to either enter into a negotiated agreement before 31 March or else go the RIO deal will come into effect from 1 April.
After the TDSAT order, the two parties indulged in a virtual slugfest running ads and scrolls accusing each other of being unreasonable. While Airtel accused of increasing prices of its channels Star retorted back by asking Airtel Digital TV subscribers to switch to other platforms to get Star channels without any additional cost.
The agreement between Star and Airtel had expired on 31 October. The previous agreement was extended by Star during the period of negotiation.
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