Choosing the right DTH sports channel pack is straightforward once you know which two broadcaster networks carry most of what you want to watch — and how each provider prices them differently.
Most sports fans in India are specifically looking for cricket. IPL, international matches, domestic tournaments. The channels that carry these are Star Sports and Sony Sports. Every major DTH provider carries both networks. The difference between providers is not which networks are available, but how they package them, at what price, and whether HD is included in the base sports pack or costs extra.
Football, kabaddi, wrestling, and motorsports are largely split between these same two networks, with Star Sports carrying the majority of live events. Knowing which network has the rights to what you watch narrows the comparison significantly.
The Two Networks That Drive Most Sports Coverage
Star Sports carries IPL, ICC tournaments, bilateral cricket series involving India, Pro Kabaddi, ISL football, and a range of international leagues. The network runs across multiple channels — Star Sports 1, Star Sports 2, Star Sports Select 1, Star Sports Select 2, Star Sports 3, Star Sports Khel, and regional language feeds in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Bengali.
One significant change: Sports18 was discontinued on 15 March 2025. Its channels were rebranded into the Star Sports network — Sports18 1 became Star Sports 2 Hindi, Sports18 2 became Star Sports 2 Telugu, Sports18 3 became Star Sports 2 Tamil, and Sports18 Khel became Star Sports Khel. If you subscribed to a Sports18 pack previously, verify that your current pack reflects the rebranded channels.
Sony Sports carries Asia Cup cricket, WWE, NBA, Grand Slam tennis, and selected international football. The network runs across Sony Sports Ten 1, Ten 2, Ten 3 (Hindi), Ten 4 (Tamil and Telugu, following a July 2025 rebrand), and Ten 5. Asia Cup 2025 is broadcast on Sony Sports Ten 1, Ten 3 Hindi, Ten 4 Tamil, Ten 4 Telugu, and Ten 5.
Tata Play Sports Packs
Tata Play offers sports content through named packs that can be added to any base plan.
The English Sports HD pack carries 6 channels — Star Sports 1 HD, Star Sports 2 HD, Star Sports Select 1 HD, Star Sports Select 2 HD, Eurosport HD, and Star Sports 3 (SD) — at ₹95 per month. This is a dedicated HD sports add-on covering the primary Star Sports feeds used for cricket and international sports.
The Sony Happy India Sports Action 2 pack carries 4 channels — Sony Sports Ten 1, Ten 2, Ten 3 Hindi, and Ten 5 — at ₹62.54 per month. This is an SD pack; a separate HD version is available at a higher price.
For subscribers who want both Star Sports and Sony Sports together, the two packs can be added simultaneously. Combined, they cover the primary channels broadcasting IPL, Asia Cup, ICC events, and most bilateral cricket series from India's schedule.
Regional language sports feeds — Star Sports 1 Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Bengali, and others — are available as individual à la carte channels or as part of regional sports add-on packs. Prices vary by language.
Verify current pack prices at tataplay.com before recharging — Tata Play updates plan pricing periodically, and prices shown at the point of purchase are the applicable ones.
Airtel Digital TV Sports Packs
Airtel carries 31 sports channels with individual à la carte prices ranging from ₹4.70 to ₹22.40 per channel per month, depending on the channel and whether SD or HD is selected.
For subscribers who want a bundle, the My Sports HD pack covers Star Sports HD and Sony Ten HD channels at ₹493 for 28 days — roughly ₹520 per month. This is a comprehensive HD sports pack suited to households that watch cricket regularly across multiple series.
For annual subscribers, the Value Sports Pack is available at ₹3,049 per year — approximately ₹254 per month — covering popular sports channels at a lower per-month cost than the monthly HD pack.
Airtel also carries a Hindi Value Sports HD pack at ₹508 per month, including HD sports coverage for Hindi-language viewers specifically. Regional language sports channels — Star Sports Bangla, Star Sports 1 Telugu, Star Sports 1 Tamil, Star Sports 1 Kannada — are available à la carte at individual channel rates.
Verify current pack prices at airtel.in/plans/dth/sports-channels before recharging.
Dish TV and D2H Sports Options
Dish TV and D2H carry Star Sports and Sony Sports channels across their plans. Both providers offer sports channels as à la carte additions or as part of broader curated packs, with regional sports feeds available for South Indian and Hindi-belt languages.
Neither provider currently offers a standalone sports-only curated HD pack comparable to Tata Play's English Sports HD or Airtel's My Sports HD in terms of published pricing visibility. Individual à la carte channel selection is the more common approach for sports subscribers on these platforms.
IPL 2025 was available on Star Sports channels across both Dish TV and D2H — all the Star Sports 1, 1 HD, 2, 2 HD, Select 1 HD, Select 2 HD channel numbers were active on both platforms for the tournament.
For sports-only DTH pack subscriptions, Dish TV and D2H are workable options at lower base plan costs, though the sports add-on pricing structure is less transparent than Tata Play or Airtel's published pack pages.
Sports Channels in Regional Languages
All five major DTH providers carry regional language sports feeds — predominantly from the Star Sports network. The channels and their availability across providers:
Star Sports 1 is available in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Bengali feeds. IPL 2025 was broadcast in all five languages. Star Sports Select channels carry English commentary for premium international matches.
Sony Sports Ten 4 was rebranded in July 2025 — the HD feed became Sony Sports Ten 4 Telugu and the SD feed became Sony Sports Ten 4 Tamil. If you had a subscription referencing the old Ten 4 name, confirm that your pack reflects the rebranded versions.
For subscribers who primarily watch cricket in a regional language, the à la carte route often works out cheaper than a full sports pack — selecting two or three specific language feeds costs less than a bundle that includes English commentary channels alongside them.
Which Pack Suits Your Viewing Pattern
Recharge Your Sports Pack Through Shriram Finance
Sports pack add-ons and base plan recharges for all major DTH providers — Tata Play, Airtel Digital TV, Dish TV, D2H, and Sun Direct — can be completed through the Shriram One App via BBPS, the Bharat Bill Payment System.
Open the app, go to the BBPS section, select your DTH provider, enter your subscriber ID, confirm the recharge amount, and pay. A digital receipt is stored for every transaction — useful for tracking monthly sports pack additions separately from base plan recharges.
Manage all DTH, electricity, gas, and mobile payments at shriramfinance
FAQs
1. What sports channels are included in Tata Play's sports pack?
Tata Play's English Sports HD pack carries Star Sports 1 HD, Star Sports 2 HD, Star Sports Select 1 HD, Star Sports Select 2 HD, Eurosport HD, and Star Sports 3 at ₹95 per month. Sony Sports channels are available separately through the Sony Happy India Sports Action 2 pack — Sony Sports Ten 1, Ten 2, Ten 3 Hindi, and Ten 5 — at ₹62.54 per month. Both can be added simultaneously. Verify current pricing at tataplay.com before recharging.
2. Does Airtel DTH offer all Star Sports channels in HD?
Airtel carries Star Sports 1 HD, Star Sports 2 HD, Star Sports Select 1 HD, and Star Sports Select 2 HD individually and within its sports packs. Individual channel à la carte prices range from ₹4.70 to ₹22.40 per month per channel. The My Sports HD pack bundles Star Sports HD and Sony Ten HD at ₹493 for 28 days. Not all Star Sports regional language feeds are available in HD across all packs — verify specific channel availability at airtel.in before subscribing.
3. Which DTH has the most affordable sports package?
Airtel's annual Value Sports Pack at ₹3,049 per year — approximately ₹254 per month — is currently among the more competitive options for year-round sports subscribers. Tata Play's English Sports HD pack at ₹95 per month is the most affordable published HD sports add-on for Star Sports channels alone. The right answer depends on which channels you need and whether annual or monthly billing works better.
4. Are sports channels available in regional languages on DTH?
Yes. Star Sports carries language feeds in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Bengali across all major DTH providers. These are available as à la carte additions. Sony Sports Ten 4 was rebranded in July 2025 into Tamil (SD) and Telugu (HD) feeds. For viewers who primarily watch cricket in a regional language, selecting the specific language feed à la carte is typically more cost-effective than a full sports bundle.
5. Can I subscribe to sports channels only on Dish TV without a full pack?
Yes. Under TRAI's à la carte framework, you can select individual sports channels on Dish TV without taking a full entertainment pack. The base network capacity fee and free-to-air channels still apply, but you are not required to take a curated entertainment bundle to access sports channels. Sports channels are added on top of the base at their individual monthly rates.