DTH
CCEA okays DD’s DTH foray; sanctions Rs 1.65 bn assistance
NEW DELHI: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) today evening okayed pubcaster Doordarshan’s forays into KU-band direct-to-home (DTH) television service and gave a nod to government assistance amounting to Rs 1,650 million in the first phase.
The assistance, according to government officials, would be disbursed over a period of three years starting the current financial year.
DD’s DTH service, which is slated to be launched around April next year, would not cost the subscriber any monthly subscription The one-time cost of installation of hardware would be approximately Rs 6,000, which is also expected to come down to Rs 3,000 as the service gains popularity, government officials said.
According to Prasar Bharati CEO KS Sarma, “We are happy that the government has approved the DTH proposal and we are on the road to launch the service by April.”
The CCEA also approved, in principle, a proposal that after three years DD can “go pay” with its DTH service to generate additional revenue for keeping up the service. By “going pay”, it means that the subscribers would have to pay a monthly subscription for the service as they would pay for any other DTH service in the country.
Initially DD’s DTH platform would have 30 channels with 20 of them being DD’s and the remaining free-to-air (FTA) satellite channels. “Many FTA channels have evinced interest to be on our DTH platform,” Sarma said.
The transponders on INSAT satellite has already been leased and the uplink infrastructure is expected to be ready by early next year. To cater to people not serviced by cable or terrestrial television services, DD’s DTH service would target the remote and hilly areas, but that would not mean neglecting urban and semi-urban areas.
DD also plans to distribute 10,000 TV sets and dish antennas free of cost to public institutes like village panchayats initially.
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.
