DTH
Tata Sky Binge adds Amazon Prime Video to its streaming bouquet
New Delhi: In a bid to bolster its OTT game, Tata Sky on Monday announced that it has extended its integrated content offering on the Tata Sky Binge Mobile app by bringing onboard the streaming giant, Amazon Prime Video.
The partnership will enable Tata Sky Binge subscribers to subscribe to Prime Video via Binge and explore its vast content library including the Amazon Originals as well as its vast portfolio of international and regional movies and web series. Subscribers will be able to opt for a Prime Video subscription directly through their Tata Sky account at the cost of Rs 129 per month. Access to the Prime Video app can commence either by clicking on the Prime Video banner on the home page or by clicking any Prime Video asset on the content rail, it said on Monday.
Further, Tata Sky has also integrated the Amazon Prime Video metadata within its Android enabled smart set-top box, Tata Sky Binge+.
Tata Sky’s OTT aggregator service, Tata Sky Binge currently offers interface to 11 of the OTT apps including Disney+ Hotstar Premium, ZEE5, SonyLIV, SunNxt, Hungama Play, Eros Now, ShemarooMe, Voot Select, Voot Kids, CuriosityStream and now Amazon Prime Video. Viewers can access Tata Sky Binge service on their screens of choice via two plans to choose from – Rs 149 & Rs 299, said the company on Monday.
Tata Sky, chief commercial and content officer, Pallavi Puri said, “We are glad to further fortify our collaboration with Amazon Prime Video to bring to our subscribers its premium content both on our hybrid set-top box Binge+ as well as the Binge mobile app. We believe our continuous effort to scale up our offerings on Tata Sky Binge will make Binge an even more desirable proposition for our subscribers.”
Tata Sky Binge users can now enjoy exclusive Amazon Originals as well as popular movies and TV shows. Some of the new movies include Sherni, Cold Case, The Tomorrow War, Asuran, Wonder Woman 1984, and The Great Indian Kitchen. Among Amazon Original TV shows, subscribers can watch new seasons of The Family Man, Mirzapur, Comicstaan and new Originals including DOM among others.
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.
