DTH
TAM equipped to measure ratings on any platform
MUMBAI: Tam is ready to measure telivision ratings on any delivery platform – direct-to-home (DTH), broadband or conditional access system (Cas).
Once a minimum penetration level is reached, all that remains is the signals that track viewing. Primarily, the analog signals received from the cable operator’s end are changed into digital signals via the set-top-boxes (STB) on any of the above mentioned platforms and hence makes tracking possible.
Nielsen Media Research media technology group director John Hall explains, “The philosophy of measurement is to keep it as simple as possible where one meter technology can cover all platforms. That’s the easiest in terms of maintenance and operations. But from a capability standpoint, what we actually deploy is based on the needs of the market place. In a broadband market, for example, there is interactivity and if the market demands that we report interactive behaviour, we have techniques to do that. That might be a different adaptation of our meter system than just a more simple approach of just channel data collection.”
However, qualitatively tracking ratings for different platforms is more of an engineering in terms of sample, reporting and maintenance for accurately reporting the penetration of any particular platform, Hall says.
Adds Tam media research vice president operations Joydip Kapadia: “Penetration is an important part of measuring but as far as the technology is concerned, all pictures come on television in the form of digital images. So primarily it is a digital signal. Whether the platform is DTH or broadband or Cas, monitoring is the same. Ultimately the picture that comes on the screen is digital. We have the technology that monitors digital picture, what ever the platform is.”
Tam is ready for any platform. Says Tam India CEO LV Krishnan, “Whether it is broadband or Cas, we are moving from an analog system to a digital environment. Our two big technological hubs are Florida and Australia. So if tomorrow, DTH falls into place, we’re ready. If broadband comes in, we’re equally ready. And if Cas falls into place, no problem. That’s our entire focus.”
Nielsen has wide reach in the sophisticated US market where they have the ability to measure Personal Video Recorders (PVR) and time shift viewing. Says Krishnan, “Our country is not yet familiar with the concept of PVRs but you never know when it can come here. Today PVRs have touched 15 per cent penetration in the US and we think India might start looking at it too in due time. So we want to be one step ahead and be prepared for whatever new technology that will come in.”
Once STBs come in, the name of the game will not be analog signals anymore; it will be digital signals only. So keeping that in mind, would there be new peoplemeters? “We have technology available for all kinds of platforms. The basic peoplemeters remains the same,” says Kapadia.
Adds Hall: “A small software change or an additional plug-in would be all that would be required.”
Is Tam tracking the viewership of Zee’s DTH service? “No, we are not tracking Zee’s DTH as yet. That’s because it is in a nascent stage and penetration needs to start happening. When it happens and we reach mass of about three per cent to five per cent of the total 85 million homes, we will start tracking it. It needs to have a good sampling size,” says Krishnan.
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.
