DTH
Dishtv, Tata Sky plan schemes for World Cup
MUMBAI: DTH service providers Dishtv and Tata Sky will use the upcoming cricket World Cup to entice their viewers and increase subscription numbers.
Dishtv has come out with a World Cup For Free offer. It has come out with a special world cup promotional pack at Rs 3990, all inclusive with six months subscription free. This also includes dishtv’s sports active services free for the same six-month period. The offer is being introduced by the dishtv mascot who entices the viewer with his histrionics and invites them to this unique experience only on dishtv.
Dishtv is positioning itself as offering active services that enable a better than stadium experience for the viewer. Besides digital picture quality and stereophonic sound, viewers will have value added controls.
The matches can be viewed with multi-camera angles. Subscribers can watch a match through three different camera angles – the main feed, the square leg and the third which will be a mix of stump cam/high wide shot.
Language Feed: The dish subscriber will have the opportunity to hear the commentary from a choice of five languages – English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Bengali along with a live stadium ambient sound.
Highlights: Match highlights, i.e. all wickets and key shots like – 4’s, 6’s will be available to the dishtv viewers at the press of a button whenever they want
Statistics: The dishtv subscriber will have access to a stupendous Amount of cricketing data like team line ups, score cards, in-depth history of the players, their past records and so on again on their TV screens merely at the touch of a button.
The firm says that subscribers will get the Sports Active services at no extra cost that would otherwise cost Rs. 25 per month.
Dishtv CEO Arun Kumar Kapoor says, “Cricket is like religion in our country and the Cricket World Cup being the biggest opportunity to delight the consumers. With the advent
of active services and new consumer offers available in the market, the subscribers have a win win situation. dishtv has always worked towards maximising its viewer’s delight and will continue to do so”.
Commenting on the caricature launched by, dishtv to flag off the World Cup campaign, dishtv VP marketing Anjali Malhotra says, “The mascot lends a face to the brand that is warm, consumer friendly and trustworthy. Moreover he seems to simplify an otherwise perceived technology product apart from adding an element of fun to our communication as we are but, an entertainment provider to Indian homes. We are sure that the consumers will warm up to him.”
As far as Tata Sky is concerned the company’s MD and CEO Vikram Kaushik says, “Tata Sky is offering free subscription for three months and has roped in actor Hrithik Roshan for its new marketing campaign.”
He explains that as part of this campaign select viewers who have subscribed before 15 April will get to watch the World Cup final match with him. In adition the company is extending the free pricing policy to the second, third and fourth television set within a consumer’s household.
“The new marketing campaign is a step to reach one-million subscriber base by the end of this year. We expect phenomenal subscription during the World Cup.”
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.
