DTH
Q3-2015: Dish Network net income up 34.2%; ARPU up 2.7%; subscriber base down
BENGALURU: Dish Network Corporation reported revenue totalling $3.73 billion for the quarter ending 30 September, 2015 (current quarter, Q3-2015), compared to $3.68 billion for the corresponding period in 2014. Subscriber related revenue increased to $3.7 billion from $3.65 billion in the year-ago period.
Net income attributable to Dish Network totalled $196 million for the current quarter, compared to net income of $146 million from the year-ago quarter. Diluted earnings per share for Q3-2015 were $0.42, compared with $0.31 during Q3-2014.
For Q3-2015 and 9M-2015, Dish has included all of its Sling TV live, linear streaming over-the-top Internet-based television services in the company’s total Pay-TV metrics, including in the Pay-TV subscriber, Pay-TV ARPU and Pay-TV churn rate numbers set forth below. Sling TV subscribers are included net of disconnects.
In the current quarter, Dish activated approximately 751,000 gross new Pay-TV subscribers, compared to approximately 691,000 gross new Pay-TV subscribers in Q3-2015. Net Pay-TV subscribers declined approximately 23,000 in Q3-2015, compared to a loss of approximately 12,000 in the third quarter of 2014.
The company closed Q3-2015 with 13.909 million Pay-TV subscribers, compared to 14.041 million Pay-TV subscribers at the end Q3-2014. Pay-TV ARPU for the third quarter totalled $86.33, compared to the year-ago period’s Pay-TV ARPU of $84.39. Pay-TV subscriber churn rate was 1.86 per cent versus 1.67 per cent Q3-2014.
Dish claims that its added approximately 13,000 net broadband subscribers in the current quarter, bringing its broadband subscriber base to approximately 608,000.
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.
