DTH
Dish TV, IndiaCast continue to battle it out
MUMBAI: The fight between India’s oldest DTH player Dish TV and newbie aggregator IndiaCast seems to be becoming uglier. Both the parties are fighting it out ferociously, however, on the same playground – the Telecom Disputes Settlement Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT).
It was just last week that the TDSAT dismissed Dish TV’s petition against IndiaCast asking them to come to an agreement that would allow the aggregator to give channels on Reference Interconnect Offer (RIO) basis. However, IndiaCast didn’t seem to be happy with the verdict and thus with the help of newspaper ads informed people about Dish’s ‘on request channels’ scheme.
The issue took an ugly turn, when Dish reacted to it with a legal notice.
Now, IndiaCast has gone a step ahead and has filed a petition with the TDSAT seeking clarification on the terms of the RIO, specifically on the ‘on request channel’ scheme and the scrolls running on the channels from Dish TV.
The IndiaCast contention is that as per RIO agreements, channels can only be given in either as a-la-carte or in the packages. The concept of requesting channels is new and not prescribed as per terms of RIO.
“Dish TV isn’t telling people exactly what this scheme is. Also, how can the number of SMSs that it receives from ‘so-called unsubscribing’ customers be monitored and verified?” asks a source close to IndiaCast. The fear is that the operator might tweak the feedback from customers and say subscribers don’t want IndiaCast channels, and hence charge carriage fees from it.
Dish TV, on its part, isn’t taking things too lightly. While earlier it issued a legal notice to the aggregator for spreading ‘false and malafide information’ through its advertisements on TV and in newspapers, now it has threatened severe action. Now it has also moved to the TDSAT against IndiaCast for the same.
Both the cases will be heard on Thursday.
According to the ‘on request channels’ scheme, viewers will have to individually message each channel that they want to watch to Dish TV. The subscriber also can earn rewards in the form of 100 points worth Rs 100 which can be redeemed to watch ‘movies on demand’ that the DTH operator offers.
As the fight between the two gets fierce, it’s to be seen who bows down? Or, will the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) have to step in to resolve the issue?
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.
