DTH
Airtel targets Gujarat customers with S-VOD service
MUMBAI: DTH operators are introducing an increasing number of value added services on their platforms in order to increase consumer delight.
The latest to do so is Airtel Digital TV, the DTH arm (11.7 million subs) of India’s largest telecommunications provider Bharti Airtel. It has partnered with Shemaroo Entertainment, India’s leading entertainment content house, to launch “Relamchhel”– a subscription based video on demand service in Gujarati.
Consumers will be able to access a whole new range of jokes, suvichar and traditional stand-up comedy from Gujarat. The new channel will also feature some riveting stage performances from noted actors like Siddharth Randeria, Ketaki Dave, Feroz Bhagat, Sanjay Goradia and many more and blockbuster Gujarati movies as well. Moreover, this service will also give users access to Shemaroo’s repository of some of the finest theatre performances from Gujarat.
This ad free service is available at a nominal fee of Rs39/month and can be accessed on channel number 588 on Airtel Digital TV. To activate the service, Airtel Digital TV customers will have to give a missed call to 9109454545.
Apart from a whole new range of jokes, suvichar and traditional stand-up comedy from Gujarat, the new channel will also feature some riveting stage performances from noted actors like Siddharth Randeria, Ketaki Dave, Feroz Bhagat, Sanjay Goradia and many more and blockbuster Gujarati movies as well. Moreover, this service will also give users access to Shemaroo’s repository of some of the finest theatre performances from Gujarat.
Says Shemaroo Entertainment directo Hiren Gada: “We are glad to launchRelamchhel – a first ever Gujarati DTH service in the country on a DTH platform like Airtel Digital TV. A complete family entertainer, Relamchhel, is not only first of its kind but also gives our Gujarati theatre artists, a platform to be watched by millions. Regional entertainment is the next big thing in India and we’re happy to offer of a library which we have accumulated over the years and comprises of premium entertainment delivered by top artists of the industry.”
Adds Airtel Digital TV chief marketing officer S. Sriram: “We are delighted to announce the launch of Relamchhel for our Gujarati viewers. Our vision is to bring the most compelling content for viewers across India and adapting to their changing requirements. The launch of this new SVOD service is another concrete step in that direction.”
The ad free service has a sticket price of Rs39 a month and can be accessed on channel number 588 on Airtel Digital TV. To activate the service, Airtel Digital TV customers will have to give a missed call to 9109454545.
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.
