DTH
Apollo’s 3% stake sale in Dish TV earns it a profit of Rs 135 crore
MUMBAI: US based alternative assets manager Apollo Global Management part sold its three per cent stake in direct to home (DTH) operator Dish TV for Rs 262.5 crore, through an open market transaction on 10 April.
The stake comprising 32 million shares of an average price close to Rs 82, as compared to their original purchasing price of approximately Rs 39, was picked up by an investment unit of Citigroup and a mutual fund under Birla Sun Life.
With the sale purchase, Apollo will see a profit of Rs 135 crore. The Private Equity (PE) firm is now left with eight per cent stake in the company through its outstanding global outstanding depository receipts (GDR). This stake is valued at Rs 721 crore.
It was in 2009 when the PE firm invested $100 million to gain an 11 per cent stake in the company, which was the firm’s first investment in the country. Dish TV is part of the Subhash Chandra owned Zee Network with approximately 12.5 million net subscribers. With a strong range of 470 television and audio channels, it has 43 High Definition (HD) channels under its kitty. For the quarter ending 31 December, 2014 the company’s net loss stood at Rs 2.9 crore.
Meanwhile the ESSEL group through its continuation of an earlier intimation dated 26 August last year, informed the BSE that the Board of Directors of the Company at their meeting held on August had considered and approved to transfer the Company’s non-core business (including set top boxes, dish antenna, and related services) to its Wholly Owned Subsidiary – ‘Xingmedia Distribution Private Limited’ (presently known as ‘Dish Infra Services Private Limited), subject to necessary approvals and as per the applicable provision of the Companies Act, 2013.
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.
