DTH
APOS 24: Tata Play powers Philippines-based Cignal TV’s super app
MUMBAI: Tata Play has added another feather in its cap. Speaking at APOS in Bali this morning, Tata Play managing director & CEO Harit Nagpal announced -alongside Cignal TV’s president & CEO Jane Jimenez-Basas and Akash Digital TV CEO Tariq Alam – that the it had provided its Tata Play Binge app’s platform as a service (PaaS) to Cignal TV. This follows quickly in the footsteps of Akash Digital in Bangladesh also opting for PaaS.
The Cignal Super app is the first ever OTT-aggregation platform to be introduced in the Philippines. Currently in its pilot phase, Cignal Super app will soon give users a unified subscription to access content from various OTT platforms.
“Tata Play’s intuitive user interface makes content discovery easy for our TV customers,” stated Nagpal at APOS. “We have applied the same principle while designing Binge. This will become even more relevant in the future as the number of apps increase. It is all about understanding what today’s viewer really needs: simplicity, choice, and affordability. And with Tata Play Binge’s cloud technology, we are making sure this vision can be scaled globally. The launch of the Akash Go app and now Cignal Super demonstrates the universal appeal of our platform and our rapid delivery times, allowing partners to create their own branded app.”
Cignal Super will launch with partners including VIU, Lionsgate Play, Curiosity Stream, Fuse+, Pilipinas Live, and Cignal Play.
“At Cignal, we’re excited to launch Cignal Super, the first of its kind in the Philippines. With content becoming increasingly fragmented, and streaming subscription prices increasing, we believe this service will be compelling and relevant for our customers as we simplify access to content from multiple apps into one platform – with a single subscription, unified content discovery, and one affordable price. This further establishes Cignal’s continuing commitment to aggregate the best content for our customers, and we thank Tata Play and all our partners for enabling us to bring this product to life”, said Cignal TV’s Jane Jimenez-Basas.
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.
