DTH
Jio DTH & Airtel ‘hybrid’ reports gain currency
MUMBAI: Although there is no confirmation, Reliance Jio seems to be gearing up to enter the DTH space in India this month after disrupting the telecom landscape.
Jio it seems may not be alone in the new business as Airtel too is reportedly looking to take on Jio’s IPTV based DTH with its hybrid DTH STB service. The impact however will depend on the STB features.
After much speculation over a few weeks, this time some images of Jio set-top-box have surfaced — exposing the box design. Some reports stated that Jio STB, powered through Jio broadband with up to 1 Gbps speed, would have a rounded design and an upgraded version of the available DTH boxes.
The leaked pictures the Jio STBs show a USB port at rear and front side. This presumably will help consumers to connect a pen drive and may be watch stored movies and videos directly — without an internet connection.
This feature exists in smart TVs, but the earlier TV sets do not have it — the market for Jio DTH.
The leaked images also show an RJ45 port that helps connect to Net and have movies, live streaming and listen to music online. The Jio box also seems to have an AV port, HDMI port, a 12-volt power port, and a cable port at the rear.
The Jio STB is expected to be based on Android and Jio will help outdoor customer premise equipment (CPE) connected to a Jio tower and attached to the STB. Jio is also preparing to give wiring via optical fibre cable, instead of CPE, in some areas.
Airtel’s high-tech hybrid too reportedly works on the same principle. Airtel will use the fibre to home (FTTH) service to connect the STBs, allowing viewers to stream content online.
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.
