DTH
Airtel Digital TV, Dish TV merger talks on
MUMBAI: Sunil Bharti Mittal-led Bharti Airtel is not only scaling up its business in the broadband segment but is also trying to cement its presence in the DTH sector. Mittal has started talks with Dish TV to merge Airtel Digital TV with the leading DTH player.
According to a report by Economic Times, the talks are now at an exploratory stage. The report also added quoting a source that the idea is to consolidate operations for facing the Jio onslaught. If the talk reaches a positive conclusion, the combined entity will be the world’s largest TV distribution company with over 38 million subscribers along with 61 per cent DTH market share in India.
The consolidation in DTH space started with mega merger of Dish TV and Videocon d2h. Earlier, Airtel was in talks with another leading DTH player Tata Sky also but the parties could not reach any agreement.
According to TRAI data, Dish TV combined with Videocon d2h leads with a 37 per cent market share as of September 2018 followed by Tata Sky’s 27 per cent and Airtel Digital TV stood with 24 per cent.
In the third quarter, Dish TV had 23.6 million subscribers and it reported operating revenue of Rs 1,517.4 crore while Airtel Digital TV had 15 million subscribers with revenue of Rs 1,033 crore. However, Airtel Digital TV’s ARPU was higher at Rs 231 compared to Dish TV’s ARPU of Rs 200.
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.
