DTH
Colors Rishtey back on DD FreeDish, bringing TV classics to the masses
MUMBAI: Hold onto your remotes, India! JioStar’s Colors Rishtey has slithered back onto DD FreeDish, popping up on channel 50. After a three-year hiatus, the channel is returning with iconic shows, all for free, kicking off on 1 April That’s no April fool’s joke.
The channel management has lined up a string of its hit soaps and drama series in the hope of pulling in the eyeballs.. Expect the serpentine shenanigans of Naagin, starring Mouni Roy and Arjun Bijlaani, and Naagin – Insaaf Ki Jung, featuring Surbhi Jyoti, Anita Hassanandani, and Karishma Tanna. Family feuds and kitchen sink dramas abound in Sasural Simar Ka, with Avika Gor and Dipika Kakar, and Sasural Simar Ka – Ek Naya Adhyay, starring Radhika Muthukumar and Avinash Mukherjee. For a dose of social drama, there’s Doree, featuring Amar Upadhya and Sudha Chandran, and for a laugh, Khatra Khatra Khatra, with Haarsh Limbachiyaa and Bharti Singh. And for those seeking a touch of the divine, Mahakali-Ant Hi Arambh Hein and Mahaveer Hanuman are on hand to deliver some timeless devotional sagas.
Colors Rishtey head of linear TV business Arnab Das is over the moon. “We’re thrilled to reintroduce the magic of iconic shows, all for free!” he exclaimed. “We’re bringing back the golden days of TV – full of drama, family stories, and moments that everyone in the family can enjoy.”
The return of Colors Rishtey is a major win for DD FreeDish viewers, who’ve been missing their fix of classic television. Now, they can settle in for hours of free entertainment, proving that even in the age of streaming, good old-fashioned television still packs a punch. It’s a proper telly tale.
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.
