DTH
ARY’s two channels begin tests on Sky Digital
MUMBAI: Pakistani broadcaster ARY Digital TV Network, which already runs the hugely successful ARY Digital channel has begun tests of two new channels ARY One World & QTV (Qurani TV) on Sky Digital.
After the launches of these two channels will be the debut of the UK’s first Pakistani TV music channel The Muzik, states a news report in Biz Asia.
One World, a news channel and QTV, the religious channel are looking at launching officially on the Sky EPG later this month. The third offering The Muzik has been delayed due to Sky’s long wait in offering new EPG slots.
In October 2005, ARY had revealed the price package for these new channels even before they had even launched. The broadcaster had said that it will not be selling the three new channels One World, Muzik and QTV separately. They will be bundled together.
Dubai-based ARY Gold has been in the news recently as many cricket fans around the world will be deprived of the live telecast or radio broadcast of the India-Pakistan Test series.
Indian pubcaster Prasar Bharati, which controls Doordarshan and All India Radio, will also have to do without the radio rights, which are with ARY Gold. ARY’s asking price was $200,000 for the rights, while Doordarshan was not willing to cough up more than $80,000. The series begins tomorrow.
ARY Digital has six region specific beams broadcasting as ARY Digital – Pakistan, ARY Digital – Middle East, ARY Digital – UK, ARY Digital – Europe, ARY Digital – India and ARY Digital – USA.
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.
