DTH
Tata Sky launches pay-per-view service
MUMBAI: Tata Sky has announced the launch of Showcase, its dedicated pay-per-view movies service. With this service, Tata Sky promises to offer new Hollywood and Bollywood blockbusters to the customers.
Showcase, the pay-per-view will launch with the movie Taxi No. 9211, screening on multiple channels, offering subscribers a number of convenient viewing options. The movies will be screened without any ad breaks.
Priced at Rs 75 per movie, the service will provide viewers with a convenient and economical alternative to watching movies in cinema halls, according to an official release.
The original prints of all the films will be sourced directly from their producers and digital satellite television transmission will ensure DVD quality picture and CD quality sound throughout the movies.
Also, another advantage for subscribers is that they can chose to watch the movies at a convenient time, when they are free from household responsibilities.
Tata Sky Ltd MD and CEO Vikram Kaushik said, “The launch of Showcase helps us propel our objective to provide our subscribers with maximum convenience. This service can be enjoyed equally by every family member and undoubtedly will recreate the experience of watching a movie in the theatre, in the comfort of the home. The freedom to choose the time of viewing and the liberation from advertisements while watching one’s favourite movies will be universally welcomed.”
To purchase a movie, a subscriber will need to call the Tata Sky helpline and make a request for the movie, indicating the desired time slot. Orders can be placed up to five minutes prior to the film’s start, informs the statement.
Tata Sky’s satellite television service currently offers viewers 61 popular television channels including Star, Sony, Discovery, Disney, MTV, NDTV, ESPN Star Sports, National Geographic, Eenadu, TV Today, Asianet and many more.
In addition, the service offers a total of six interactive services including Actve Khabar, Actve Newsroom, Actve Star News, Actve Games, Actve Sports and an on-screen guide. The service is available at a special price of RS 200 per month, inclusive of all taxes.
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.
