DTH
Q1-2015: Airtel Digital TV y-o-y revenue grows 21 per cent, subscriber base up 11 per cent
BENGALURU: India headquartered communications giant Bharti Airtel Limited (Airtel)’s digital TV (DTH)segment reported a y-o-y growth in revenue of 21 per cent to Rs 591.5 crore as compared to the year ago revenue of Rs 490 crore. The DTH segment’s contribution to Airtel’s Indian and South Asian (India & SA) revenue of Rs 16201.9 crore in Q1-2015 was 4 per cent. Airtel’s India & SA revenue forms 71 per cent of the company’s global revenue of Rs 22961.6 crore in the quarter.
Note: (1) Rs 100 lakh = Rs100,00,000 = Rs 1 crore = Rs 10 million.
Airtel’s DTH segment reported 11 per cent jump in its net subscriber base to 93.88 lakh in Q1-2015 from 84.52 lakh in Q1-2014 and a 4.2 per cent rise from the 90.12 lakh in Q4-2014. Q-o-q the subscriber base grew by 3.76 lakh says the company.
Airtel’s DTH segment reported average revenue (Arpu) of Rs 214, which was 5 per cent more than the Rs 203 in Q4-2014 and 9 per cent more than the Rs 195 in the corresponding quarter of last fiscal.
Airtel’s DTH segment reported a monthly subscriber churn of 0.6 per cent in Q1-2015 and Q1-2014, as compared to 0.9 per cent in Q4-2014.
The DTH segment’s EBITDA for the quarter increased to Rs 143.7 crore as compared to Rs 76 crore in the corresponding quarter last year. EBIDTA margin improved significantly in Q1-2015 to 24.3 per cent as compared to a margin of 15.5 per cent in the corresponding quarter last year. During the current quarter, the DTH segment incurred a capital expenditure of Rs 262.7 crore for higher procurement of boxes for higher gross adds. The DTH Segment’s cash burn during the quarter at Rs 119 crore has dropped, compared to Rs 147.9 crore in the corresponding quarter last year reports the company.
Bharti Airtel’s consolidated highlights for the first quarter ended 30 June 2014
Overall customer base stands at 29.99 million across 20 countries, up 9.1 per cent y-o-y.
Consolidated total revenues at Rs 22,962 crore, up by 13.3 per cent y-o-y.
India & South Asia (India SA) up 11.8 per cent; Africa up 17.5 per cent (INR terms) y-o-y.
Consolidated Mobile Data revenue at Rs 2,204 crore, up by 73.9 per cent y-o-y; growth across geographies.
Consolidated EBITDA at Rs 7,720 crore, up by 18.0 per cent y-o-y, EBITDA margin up 1.3 per cent y-o-y.
India & SA EBITDA margin at 37.2 per cent, up by 3 per cent y-o-y.
Net Income at Rs 1,108 crore, up by 60.9 per cent y-o-y.
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.
