DTH
Coke’s Sunil Gupta joins Dish TV as managing director
MUMBAI: Even as Tata Sky DTH service is set for a mid-2006 launch, Zee’s DTH service Dish TV is ramping up to stay ahead of the competition. The company has roped in former Coke India VP External Affairs, South Asia Sunil Gupta as managing director. Dish TV already has Sunil Khanna as CEO.
While confirming his appointment to indiantelevision.com, Gupta said his initial responsibilities would include increasing Dish TV’s subscriber base and penetration of the service across the country. “We will be launching the movie-on-demand service in December,” he adds.
On being queried about the corporate reporting structure, Gupta said he”will be working along with Khanna.” New Era Entertainment Network Limited (NEENL) manages the affairs of Dish TV. Zee Telefilms holds 20 per cent stake in the company.
Gupta started his career with The Times of India and played a significant role in the launch of the Lucknow edition. He went on to become the CEO of Lucknow Times of India and Navbharat Times. Gupta also launched the Jaipur edition of The Times of India. Then he moved on to Dainik Jagaran and worked in the capacity of MD and managing editor, Delhi.
Gupta also had a stint at Jain TV as COO. At Coke, Gupta started off as director and went on to become VP, Indian operations. He has been with the company since the last four years.
Dish TV had 480,000 subscribers till September-end. But it is signing up around 3,500 customers a day and expects to touch one million subscribers by the end of this financial year. The average revenue per user (ARPU) is reportedly running at Rs 200 per month with services subsidised through the provision of a free annual subscription after a one-time charge of Rs 4,000.
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.
