DTH
Tata Sky Kids’ Showcase service launched; features films from across globe
MUMBAI: Tata Sky, pioneer of innovative services in the DTH industry, will be launching an exclusive array of kids-based cinema from multiple countries with the launch of Tata Sky Kids’ Showcase service.
Launched on 21 May, Kids’ Showcase features films from across the globe; including Denmark, Norway, France, Japan, Russia, Czech Republic, Finland, United Kingdom and United States of America apart from Indian movies. The bouquet of over 40 kids film on Kids’ Showcase will feature Indian, English, foreign feature & short films.
Tata Sky chief content and business development officer Paolo Agostinelli said, “With Kids’ Showcase, Tata Sky aims to create an opportunity for our kids to enjoy some unique, mostly unseen, high quality content, coming with different perspectives from India and around the world. Not just as some fun times, this could be an opportunity for them to share some quality time with their parents, hopefully stimulating reflections and discussions around a broad range of beautiful, diverse and meaningful stories.”
Children can look forward to an exciting mix of award winning and nominated films, features and shorts from renowned studios such as Celluloid Dreams, Ghibli, Trust Nordisk, Folimage, Entertainment One and many more. Some of the movies acquired for the platform are The Nut Job, Labrinthus, Giraffada, Secret of Kells, Gattu, Jalpari, La Cage and many more.
This new showcase service will air children’s films selected with the help of eminent children’s content curator, Monica Wahi, who is the founder of South Asian Children’s Cinema Forum and curated kids content at festivals such as The Mumbai Film Festival.
Kids Showcase will run movies all day back-to-back and children can watch what they like on both the television and the Tata Sky Mobile App. With a bouquet of 21 kids channels, and 4 unique interactive services, Tata Sky has been continuously bolstering offerings for children.
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.
