DTH
Dish TV bets on ThinkAnalytics to supercharge Watcho’s AI discovery
LONDON: Dish TV India has tapped ThinkAnalytics to power personalised recommendations and search across its Watcho streaming platform, a super-aggregator that bundles more than two dozen OTT services alongside live television.
The deal gives Watcho access to ThinkAnalytics’ ThinkMediaAI suite, covering metadata enrichment, real-time viewer profiling, dynamic user interfaces, rail positioning, editorial curation, A/B testing and business intelligence. The system promises to surface both global hits and niche regional dramas with equal ease, in 12 languages, for millions of paying subscribers.
Dish TV chief technology officer V K Gupta said the partnership delivers “the precision and scale to delight every subscriber,” adding that Watcho’s editorial teams will gain faster decision-making and the ability to experiment rapidly. “Our teams can innovate at speed, maximise audience engagement and unlock new value in today’s dynamic OTT landscape,” he said.
ThinkAnalytics co-founder & CTO Peter Docherty called Watcho “a pioneer in super-aggregating streaming services,” noting that two-thirds of India’s population are millennials or younger. “Dish TV recognises the need to engage these viewers. With ThinkMediaAI, it can monetise that opportunity while delivering a superior viewing experience,” he said.
The agreement underscores Watcho’s shift from a simple content aggregator to a full-fledged entertainment platform with curated, immersive experiences. As the library expands with more international and regional titles, the AI engine is expected to ensure high-quality recommendations even for hyper-local interests.
Dish TV’s wider footprint is formidable: more than 587 channels and services, including 89 HD feeds, four international channels, 19 value-added services and 21 leading OTT apps. Its distribution network stretches across 9,500 towns via 2,334 distributors and about 158,000 dealers, supported by 24/7 call centres in 14 cities handling queries in 12 languages.
For ThinkAnalytics, whose technology already powers discovery for global heavyweights, the tie-up offers a showcase in one of the world’s fastest-growing streaming markets, where competition for attention is as fierce as the appetite for content.
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.
