DTH
Airtel DTH Q3-2014 yoy EBITDA up fivefolds; revenue up 26%; improved Arpu
BENGALURU: The DTH segment of India’s largest mobile services provider Airtel DTH reported earnings before interest taxes, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA) of Rs 97 crore for Q3-2014, 560 per cent more than the Rs 14.7 crore during Q3-2013 and 50.4 per cent more than the Rs 64.5 crore during the immediate trailing quarter.
Airtel’s DTH segment reported a 25.8 per cent growth in revenue during Q3-2014 at Rs 538.4 crore as compared to the Rs 428 crore during Q3-2013 and 6.15 per cent more than the Rs 507.2 crore during Q2-2014.
Overall, Arpu (Average revenue per user) improved by 11.29 per cent to Rs 207 during Q3-2014 as compared to the Rs 186 during Q3-2013 and was 4.55 per cent more than the Rs 198 during the immediate preceding quarter.
The segment reported a 11.57 per cent y-o-y growth in total number of subscribers during Q3-2014 to 88.07 lakhs (100 lakhs = I crore = 1,00,00,000) with a net addition of 2.35 lakh new subscribers and a monthly churn of 0.8 per cent. During the corresponding period of last fiscal, the DTH segment had reported a subscriber base of 78.94 lakh with a net addition of 4.39 lakh and a monthly churn of 1.3 per cent. Corresponding figures for Q2-2014 were q-o-q growth of 2.74 per cent as compared to the 85.72 lakh customers in Q2-2013, with net addition of 1.2 lakh and a monthly churn of 1 per cent.
Airtel DTH segment’s EBIT figures, though negative, also improved. The segment reported a Q3-2014 EBIT of Rs (-108.1) crore, which was 46.9 per cent better than the Q3-2013 EBIT of Rs (-182.8) crore and 26.7 per cent better than the Q2-2014 EBIT of Rs (-147.3) crore.
Though the DTH segment contributed just 3.73 per cent to Bharti Airtel’s India revenues of Rs 14,443 crore during Q3-2014, the company invested 6.37 per cent of its capex spends of Rs 1742 crore in India.
The company invested Rs 110.9 crore in capex for the DTH segment during Q3-2014, this figure was 17.91 per cent lower than the Rs 135.1 crore during Q3-2013, but 6.43 per cent more than the Rs 104.2 crore invested on capex in Q2-2014.
Consequently, the company’s Operating free cash flow (EBITDA-Capex), though negative, improved more than eight fold (8.66 ties) to Rs (-13.9) crore in Q3-2014 as compared to the Rs (-120.4 crore) in Q3-2013 and by almost three times (2.85 times) the Rs (-39.7) crore during Q2-2014.
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.
