DTH
Airtel Digital TV unveils three-pronged strategy for growth
MUMBAI: The Direct To Home (DTH) arm of Bharti Airtel – Airtel Digital TV has reached the 10 million customer mark. The company has achieved the feat within a period of six years. As part of its growth plans ahead, the operator has decided to chalk out three key strategies.
Firstly, the company is all set to add 12 new channels to its bouquet taking its portfolio up to 500 channels and services. In addition, it will also expand the High Definition (HD) portfolio to over 50 HD channels making it one of the largest HD bouquets in the industry. Last but not the least, the operator has also decided to expand the regional portfolio soon to offer the highest number of channels in Assamese, Gujarati, Kannada and Tamil languages.
Airtel Digital TV CEO Shashi Arora said, “Innovation and customer satisfaction is the core of our DNA. As we look back, we take pride in the product and service innovations that we have brought to the industry. These offerings have not only helped increase customer stickiness but have also made us one of the fastest growing DTH companies today. We will continue to go this path and offer customers world class content and television viewing.”
The operator also claims that it was the first to introduce the Universal Remote to the market along with value added services like Multi-lingual EPG, World’s first USSD-based self-care facility on mobile among others. The recently launched Integrated Digital TV (iDTV) was pioneered in partnership with TV manufacturer, the iDTV technology miniaturized set-top-box into a small yet efficient smart card that fit directly at the back panel of television sets with minimal wiring and a single remote thereby offering customers a superior and world class experience adds the operator.
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.
