DTH
DD FreeDish e-auction: MPEG4 slots saw highest bid of Rs 57.1 lakh
MUMBAI: The first annual e-auction for MPEG4 slots on Doordarshan’s FTA DTH platform FreeDish witnessed an intense competition that was held from 27 to 29 March. According to reports, the highest bid during the e-auction was Rs 57.1 lakh, a premium of almost 1150 per cent over the reserve price of Rs 5 lakh and the average bid was at Rs 44.17 lakh per slot.
A total of 15 MPEG4 slots were successfully sold to channels across genres that will be available on the platform with effect from 15 April 2019.
The public broadcaster stated that the response to the 39th e-auction was overwhelming, as almost four times applications were received against the vacant MPEG-4 slots. Also, there was no genre based restrictions or reservations for participating in the e-auction.
Among the 15 channels, five of them are Hindi devotional channels including Aastha Bhajan, Arihant, Satsang, Subh TV and Vedic TV. Apart from that, only three are non-Hindi channels while the rest are Hindi channels. Three MPEG-4 slots have been reserved for public broadcasting purposes.
Home Shop18 and NT1 have won slots in the teleshopping genre. Enter 10 Bangla, Oscar Bhojpuri, Sky Star Bangla, Sky Star Telugu and WoW Cinema One have bought the slots in the movie genre. In the news genre, ABP Ganga, Chardikala Time TV and Aryan TV National have won the slots.
Prasar Bharati CEO Shashi Shekhar had tweeted, “Happy to share that the first annual e-auction for MPEG-4 slots (39th e-auction) on DD Free Dish saw robust bidding with 15 successful slots sold to channels across genres and languages.”
“The e-Auction saw slots being taken at an average price that was nearly 8 to 9 times the invitational price underscoring the high competition. With this overall projected annual revenue from DD Free Dish will cross 400 cr between MPEG2 and MPEG-4 slots,” he said.
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.
