DTH
Q3-2015: DishTV adds 317K subscribers; reports subscription revenue of Rs 711 crore
BENGALURU: This is the fourth consecutive quarter that direct to home (DTH) company DishTV has reported growth across important financial and operational parameters including operating revenues (TIO), profit after tax (PAT) and subscription numbers. Last fiscal and quarter (year and quarter ended 31 March, 2015, Q4-2015), Essel Group’s DTH operator Dish TV Limited turned the corner with a consolidated profit after tax (PAT) of Rs 3.14 crore and Rs 34.94 crore (margin 4.8 per cent) respectively. The company followed this up with even better numbers in the previous two quarters (Q1-2016 and Q2-2016).
The company added 3.17 lakh net subscribers in the quarter ended 31 December, 2015 (Q3-2016, current quarter), taking its subscriber base on that date to 140 lakh. Dish TV is the largest DTH player in the country in terms of subscribers as well as revenue. The company reported 11.8 per cent YOY revenue growth in the current quarter at Rs 771.48 crore as compared to Rs 690.08 crore and 2.5 per cent more QoQ as compared to Rs 752.42 crore.
Note: 100,00,000 = 100 lakh = 10 million = 1 crore
The company reported 39.1 per cent EBIDTA growth in the current quarter at Rs 265.4 crore as compared to Rs 190.8 crore in the corresponding year ago quarter and 4.1 per cent more than the Rs 255 crore in the immediate trailing quarter. The company reported PAT in Q3-2016 at Rs 68.49 as compared to a loss of Rs 2.63 crore in the corresponding prior year quarter, but decline 21.3 per cent as compared to Rs 86.96 crore in the previous quarter.
Dish TV managing director Jawahar Goel said, ““We witnessed steady growth in the third quarter and our key metrics strengthened further. Subscription revenues grew 12.6 per cent while EBITDA margin improved to 34.4 per cent. Churn was lower at 0.7 per cent per month. PAT was Rs. 68.5 crore compared to a loss of Rs.2.6 crore in the corresponding quarter last fiscal. Free cash flow for the quarter stood at Rs. 129.6 crore. With a focus on Balance Sheet strength, Dish TV further pruned its debt by Rs 300 crore. The net debt is now around Rs 561 crore and likely to reduce substantially going forward.”
Goel added, “Efforts towards 100 per cent village electrification and 24×7 power supply in urban areas have a direct correlation with our business. Improved power quality is likely to increase the consumption of pay-tv and within that, pre-paid platforms like Dish TV. Further, financial inclusion initiatives like the ‘Jan Dhan Yojna’ have also facilitated ease of recharge for DTH subscribers by giving them universal access to banking facilities. Rising income levels, growing urbanisation and favourable population dynamics instil confidence that India would be able to sustain high growth over a long period of time. Such positive indicators are catalysts for consumption driven sectors like DTH.”
Talking about digitisation and Dish TV’s positioning, Goel said, “We continued to build our pan-India reach during the quarter. However, as expected, despite analogue sunset there was no real spike in consumer demand from Phase III markets thus making it an ordinary quarter from that perspective. Later, changing gears to align with the current industry trend, we tweaked our subscription packages to a more versatile and seemingly economical offering. Mandatory digitisation however is expected to pick up speed and our key focus going forward would be to gain market share both in terms of subscribers and profitability.”
DTH
DD Free Dish e-auction revenue dips to Rs 642 crore as slot sales fall
Revenue dips as revised norms reshape bidding in 94th round
NEW DELHI: Prasar Bharati’s DD Free Dish has closed its 8th annual, and 94th overall, e-auction for MPEG-2 slots with total collections of Rs 642 crore for the period April 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027.
That is lower than last year’s Rs 780 crore haul, with 55 slots sold compared with 61 in FY25–26. The softer topline reflects both a slimmer inventory and a recalibrated auction framework.
This was the first auction conducted after amendments to the e-auction methodology, including tighter eligibility norms and a revised reserve price structure for MPEG-2 slots. The stated aim was greater transparency and more serious participation. The immediate outcome appears to be more measured bidding in certain categories.
Day one set the tone. Eight slots were sold, six in the premium Bucket A+ and two in Bucket A. The strong early action in A+, which typically houses Hindi GECs and movie channels, reaffirmed the enduring appeal of mass Hindi programming on the platform.
Among the broadcasters securing slots in the initial rounds were Zee Entertainment Enterprises, Sony Pictures Networks India, Viacom18’s Colors network, Sun Network and Shemaroo Entertainment. Their continued presence signals that, despite the pull of digital platforms, Free Dish remains a strategic must have for legacy networks chasing scale in price sensitive markets.
The final bouquet of 55 channels leans heavily towards Hindi news, movies, devotional fare, Bhojpuri and regional programming.
In Hindi news, familiar heavyweights such as Aaj Tak, ABP News, India TV, News18 India, Republic Bharat and Zee News made the cut. Entertainment and movie offerings include Colors Rishtey, Star Utsav, Dangal TV, Sony Pal, Shemaroo TV, Goldmines, B4U Movies and Zee Biskope. Devotional viewers will find Aastha, Sanskar and Sadhna Gold among the selected channels.
Regional representation includes Sun Marathi, Fakt Marathi, PTC Punjabi and GTC Punjabi.
Equally telling were the absences. Broadcasters such as Big Magic, Filamchi Bhojpuri, India News, Bharat Express, Movieplex Maithili, TV9 Marathi, Shemaroo Marathibana, Zee Chitra Mandir and Satsang did not participate. The pullback is particularly visible across Marathi, Bhojpuri, Maithili and spiritual programming. Industry observers point to the revised reserve prices, tighter eligibility norms and a reassessment of commercial viability as possible factors.
DD Free Dish continues to beam into over 40 million homes, largely in rural and semi urban India. For advertisers and broadcasters alike, it offers efficient access to Bharat markets where pay TV penetration remains uneven and OTT subscriptions are limited.
The moderation in revenue this year may be read as a pause rather than a retreat. Fewer slots, a reworked auction playbook and evolving broadcaster strategies have clearly shaped outcomes. Yet premium Hindi entertainment retains its pull, and the platform’s mass reach remains hard to ignore.
As the FY26–27 line-up settles in, the mix of winners and walkaways will define the private satellite channel landscape on DD Free Dish for the year ahead.
