DTH
Dish TV announces fresh Videocon d2h Nasdaq delisting date
BENGALURU: Dish TV India Limited (Dish TV), as successor to Videocon d2h, announced a revised timetable for the anticipated delisting of Videocon d2h American depositary shares (ADSs) from the Nasdaq Global Market (Nasdaq). The timing of the global depositary shares (GDS) effective date (as defined below) has been revised and will no longer occur on 5 April 2018.
A Dish TV filing says that it is intended that the Videocon d2h ADSs will be voluntarily delisted from Nasdaq following the close of trading on 11 April 2018. As such, the last day of trading of Videocon d2h ADSs on Nasdaq is expected to be on 11 April 2018 and the delisting of the Videocon d2h ADSs from Nasdaq is expected to take effect on 12 April 2018. As soon as practicable following the effectiveness of the delisting from Nasdaq, Dish TV will file a Form 15F with the SEC to deregister with the US Securities and Exchange Commission and terminate its reporting obligations under the SEC Act of 1934. It is currently anticipated that, subject to approval by the UK Listing Authority, the new Dish TV GDRs issued in exchange for the Videocon d2h ADSs will be admitted to trading on the Professional Securities Market of the London Stock Exchange plc on or about 13 April 2018.
As per the second updated mandatory Exchange notice, effective as of 12 April 2018 (the GDS Effective Date):
(i) all outstanding equity shares of Videocon d2h as of the scheme effective date, including equity shares underlying Videocon d2h ADSs, will be mandatorily exchanged for new equity shares of Dish TV. In such mandatory exchange, 857,785,766 new equity shares of Dish TV will be issued in exchange for the outstanding equity shares of Videocon d2h as of the scheme effective date. The number of outstanding equity shares of Videocon d2h as of the scheme effective date was 424,997,937. Accordingly, the share exchange ratio will be 857,785,766 divided by 424,997,937 (the share exchange ratio), which is approximately 2.01832925 new equity shares of Dish TV for every 1 equity share of Videocon d2h (rounded to eight decimal places);
(ii) holders of Videocon d2h ADSs will be entitled to receive on a mandatory basis such number of new Dish TV GDS that equals the share exchange ratio multiplied by four, which is approximately 8.07331699 new Dish TV GDSs for every 1 Videocon d2h ADS (rounded to eight decimal places).
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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.
