DTH
Dish TV announces first weekly lucky draw winner of ‘Dish Ki Diwali’ campaign
India: Dish TV has announced the first Weekly Lucky draw winner of its festive ‘Dish Ki Diwali’ campaign, which is lighting up the festive season for one crore families with assured gifts. Mr. Narendra Singh Dodia, from Rajsamand, a city located in the Mewar district of Rajasthan, has won a brand-new TVS Jupiter Scooter in the first weekly lucky draw, making this Diwali extra special for him and his family.
The ‘Dish Ki Diwali’ campaign started a few days ago and has received participation from across India. It offers exciting rewards for all Dish TV ,D2H and Zing customers. New subscribers can enjoy huge cashbacks and a one-month OTT subscription via the Watcho Max Plan. They are also eligible for weekly and bumper lucky draws with prizes like cars and more at the end of the campaign. Existing customers can win the Watcho Max Plan as an assured gift by simply recharging their accounts and will also be entered into the Weekly Lucky draw and Bumper Lucky draw.
Narendra Singh Dodia is a small-scale businessman who manufactures mithai boxes for delivery throughout Rajasthan. Speaking on his win, Narendra Singh Dodia, said, “I’m so happy to win the TVS Jupiter Scooter through Dish TV’s Diwali campaign – Dish ki Diwali Assured Gifts Waali! It’s something I always wanted, and I can’t believe I won. This has made our Diwali truly special and unforgettable. It’s great to see that brands like Dish TV are thinking about their customers and doing things that bring happiness into our lives. It’s wonderful when companies go the extra mile to bring joy to their customers. My family and I will always remember this Diwali because of this amazing gift. I’m excited to take them for a ride and enjoy this moment together. We’ve been with Dish TV for years, and this just makes it even better!”
Dish TV India Ltd zonal business head North, Amit Bhasin said, “Our ‘Dish Ki Diwali’ campaign is designed to bring joy to every customer connected with us. By recharging their connection with a minimum of ₹100, purchasing a new connection, or upgrading to our new setup box, customers are guaranteed an assured gift of our Watcho Max Plan. Additionally, we’re hosting weekly lucky draws, offering prizes such as scooters, android phones, microwaves, air fryers, TVs, and more, with draws happening five times. At the end of the campaign, we will culminate with a bumper lucky draw featuring spectacular prizes, including cars, bikes, TVs, washing machines, and much more. Our vision is to celebrate this festive season by enhancing family connections and spreading happiness across the nation.”
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.
