DTH
Dish TV Partners with Shemaroo to bring Bhojpuri regional active service on its two platforms
MUMBAI: Dish TV India Limited, world’s largest single-country DTH Company, expands its value added services and launches ‘Bhojpuri Active’ service on its DishTV& d2h platforms. This value-added service is being offered in partnership with Shemaroo Entertainment Ltd, one of India’s leading filmed entertainment content house. ‘Bhojpuri Active’- a 24-hour service is now available at channel number 1556 on DishTV and channel number 861 on d2h platform.
As an inaugural offer, ‘Bhojpuri Active’ will be available on free preview of 15 days on both the platforms. Post free preview, the viewers can continue to enjoy amazing Bhojpuri content with a nominal subscription price of Rs 40 + GST. Now customers can enjoy complete ad-free 24X7 Bhojpuri entertainment content. ‘Bhojpuri Active’ offers more than 200 movies and over 1000 songs of super-hit Bhojpuri movies. In addition to this, every month there will be a premier of a latest released Bhojpuri movie.
Announcing the new service, Mr. Anil Dua, Group Chief Executive Officer, Dish TV India Limited, said, “In regional markets, language content is preferred by viewers. With an overall bouquet of more than 655 channels & services, our focus has always been on innovative content, best value proposition and novel entertainment initiatives. The launch of Bhojpuri Active service on our Dish TV and d2h platforms reiterates our commitment to bring handpicked quality content for our audience from all regions. We are sure this new regional offering will successfully cater to non-stop entertainment needs of our customers in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand who prefer entertainment options in their native language.”
Hiren Gada, Director – Shemaroo Entertainment Limited said, “We are pleased to extend our partnership with Dish TV to bring Bhojpuri Active, a premium Bhojpuri regional content service that will showcase the best of Bhojpuri films and songs. It will be fueled by Shemaroo’s rich and exhaustive library of content and programming prowess. We are sure
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.
