DTH
DD Freedish readies for 18th online e-auction with reserve price of Rs 3.7 crore
NEW DELHI: Aiming at a target of 112 television channels in the next few months, Doordarshan has set a reserve price of Rs 3.7 crore per slot for the 18th online e-auction to be conducted on 28 November.
However, it is learnt that the bid amount went up to Rs 4.2 crore in the last e-auction held on 12 November. This came shortly after the 16th e-auction on 28 October.
The e-auction will be conducted by Synise Technologies, Pune on behalf of Prasar Bharati.
The reserve price in the 15th e-auction was Rs 3 crore and was raised to Rs 3.7 crore in the 16th auction.
Prior to the sixteenth auction, the total number of channels on Freedish was 58.
Meanwhile, a Doordarshan official declined to give the number of successful bids on 28 October as engineers of the pubcaster had to test these channels before verifying any numbers.
A Prasar Bharati official told indiantelevision.com that DD had decided not to disclose the number of slots to be e-auctioned to prevent bidders forming consortia to bid or resort to other malpractices.
The eligibility terms and conditions including other relevant details for this e-auction are displayed on DD website: www.ddindia.gov.in.
However, the participation amount (EMD) in the e-auction is Rs.1.5 crore which has been deposited in advance on or before 11 November evening along with processing fee of Rs.10,000 (Non-refundable) in favour of PB (BCI) Doordarshan Commercial Service, New Delhi.
Applicants have also been asked mandatorily to deposit a demand draft of Rs 5,500 registration amount favouring M/s. Synise Technologies Ltd., payable at Pune at the time of submission of the application. The time for every slot e-auction will be of fifteen minutes duration.
The applicants must provide details of the uplink/downlink permission documents received from the concerned Ministries with the Applications to ensure they are not rejected.
The demand drafts of unsuccessful bidders will be returned immediately or within a week after the e-auction process is completed.
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.
