DTH
DD may offer 30-35% stake in DTH venture
NEW DELHI: India’s pubcaster Prasar Bharati Corporation, which has said that Doordarshan is planning a KU-band direct-to-home (DTH) television service foray, will form a consortium with other semi-government organisations, with the latter holding between 30-35 per cent equity stake in the proposed DTH venture.
Bringing in more than one outside partner has been necessitated because as per the DTH policy guidelines a broadcaster (in this case Prasar Bharati /Doordarshan) and/or a cable company shall not be eligible to collectively own more than 20 per cent of the total equity in a DTH venture.
A source in the Prasar Bharati told indiantelevision.com today,”The exact quantum of the stakeholding would be decided by the Prasar Bharati board, but it has been mooted that outside organisations may hold between 30-35 per cent stake in the proposed DTH venture.”
A clearer picture on the quantum of equity stake and the organisations that will participate in the DTH venture is likely to emerge after the Prasar Bharati board, slated to meet later this week, discusses the issue.
Though India’s Planning Commission, which advises the government on funds allocation on various sectors and to various government-aided organisations, has approved a sum of five billion for Prasar Bharati’s DTH foray to be spent over five years, the Corporation, modelled on the lines of British Broadcasting Corporation, cannot invest in more than 20 per cent shareholding in a DTH venture.
The Prasar Bharati source also confirmed that talks have been initiated with the likes of Mahanagar Telecom Nigam Ltd. (MTNL), Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. (BSNL) and the Tatas-controlled Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd. (VSNL)— all telecom service providers — to participate in the DTH consortium.
India’s information and broadcasting minister Ravi Shankar Prasad recently told a panel of policy makers attached to his ministry that pubcaster Doordarshan was opting for a KU-band DTH scheme at an estimated cost of Rs 6,380 million as terrestrial expansion to cover the whole population would have been much more costly.
As compared to Rs 6,380 million on KU band project, the coverage through the terrestrial method would have required capital investment of Rs 34,560 million and recurring expenditure of Rs 5,190 million annually. Doordarshan is hiring four satellite transponders for the purpose.
The KU-band transmission project is aimed covering the remaining 10 per cent of the population, which at present is unable to get DD transmission due to the lack of reach of the terrestrial system.
To begin with, the KU- band DTH project would have 20 channels uplinked from Delhi. In a year’s time this is likely to be extended to 60 channels. All the channels would be free to air. DD’s director-general S Y Quraishi had earlier told journalists that in future DD’s DTH platform may also include private satellite channels.
According to government estimates, about 200,000 homes in rural, remote, inaccessible mountainous regions and border areas would be covered by DD by providing cable headends and set top boxes.
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.
