DTH
Airtel DTH services y-o-y growth 23%, EBIDTA up 226%, ARPU up 10% in Q4-2014
BENGALURU: Indian and international mobile services giant Bharati Airtel Limited’s DTH (Airtel DTH) services business total revenue has grown 23 per cent to Rs 541.5 crore in Q4-2014 as compared to the Rs 441.9 crore in the year ago quarter (Q4-2013). During FY-2014, total revenue at Rs 2077.1 crore was 27 per cent more than the Rs 1629.4 crore in FY-2013.
Airtel DTH has reported higher EBIDTA at Rs 96.3 crore in Q4-2014, 226 per cent more than the Rs 29.6 crore in Q4-2013. During the current financial year, EBIDTA was even higher (by 638 per cent) at Rs 333.8 crore as compared to the Rs 45.2 crore in FY-2013.
Airtel DTH’s operating margin (EBIT) loss reduced by 38 per cent to Rs (-111.1) crore in Q4-2014 from Rs (-178.4) crore in Q4-2013. Over the year EBIT reduced by 41 per cent to Rs (-482.1) crore in FY-2014 from Rs (-810.5) crore in FY-2013.
Capex at Rs 177.9 crore went up 34 per cent in Q4-2014 from Rs 132.6 crore y-o-y. However the company’s capex in FY-2014 was (-18) per cent lower at Rs 617 crore as compared to the Rs 754.8 crore in FY-2013.
The company’s DTH business’s cumulative investments in Q4-2014 and FY-2014 went up 15 per cent to Rs 4646.8 crore from Rs 4036.6 crore in Q4-2013 and FY-2013.
Airtel DTH q-o-q customer base went up 2 per cent in Q4-2014 to 90.12 lakhs from 88.07 lakhs, with net additions of 2.05 lakhs new subscribers during Q4-2014. This is (-13) per cent lower than the 235000 net additions the company had declared during Q4-2013. Y-o-y the customer base was 11 per cent more than the 81 lakhs subscribers in Q4-2014, but net new subscriptions during Q4-2014 was less by (-1) per cent than the 207000 net new subscriptions in Q4-2013.
Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) in Q4-2014 has gone down (-2) per cent to Rs 203 in Q4-2014 as compared to the Rs 207 in the immediate trailing quarter, but was 10 per cent more than the Rs 184 in the year ago quarter (Q4-2013).
Airtel DTH’s monthly churn was also higher at 0.9 per cent in Q4-2014 as compared to the 0.8 per cent in Q3-2014, but was lower than the 1.1 per cent in Q4-2013.
It became the first DTH player in the country to showcase a feature film on the same day of its theatrical release with the showcase of Telugu movie ‘Minukumanna Minugurulu’ on its Pay Per View (PPV) platform.
In line with company’s initiatives to associate with events, shows and initiatives that resonate well with the preferences of today’s India, Bharati Airtel co-sponsored the popular TV show ‘Satyamev Jayate’ again this year. The brand integration with the show included innovations like in-show calls on Airtel 3G and use of Airtel money for donations along with access to exclusive show content to customers.
In an effort to provide a world-class experience to the customers, the company launched Airtel ‘Pocket TV’ – a mobile app which will enable customers to watch their favourite TV programs on the move while also being the first player to release a feature film on digital TV platform.
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.
