DTH
Dish TV India joins hands with JOP Network for dubbed movie service “Hits Active”
New Delhi: Dish TV has joined hands with content house, JOP Network Pvt Ltd to re-introduce dubbed movie service– Hits Active, in a new Avatar to broadcast International and South Indian hit movies dubbed in Hindi.
Hits Active is an ad-free service showcasing all genres of blockbusters. The service will go LIVE from 1 June.
JOP Network Pvt Ltd, director, Urvi Agarwal said “We are glad to associate with Dish TV India, India’s leading DTH Company and offer our rich bouquet of hit South Indian and International movies to Dish TV and D2H viewers on ‘Hits Active’. The service is targeted at the Indian masses for all age groups who enjoy watching regional and international content across the world but in their preferred language – Hindi.”
Dish TV India Ltd, executive director and group CEO, Anil Dua said, “Keeping consumer interests at core during these challenging times, we at Dish TV India, aim to bring best-in-class entertainment to customers while sitting in the comfort of their homes. Our collaboration with a like- minded brand JOP Network resonates with our ideologies and is sure to help us make content viewing an enriching and engaging experience for all our subscribers. With addition of dubbed movies on our value added channel ‘Hits Active’, we further intend to take the entertainment quotient a notch higher and entertain a massive set of audience across India.”
To avail HITS Active service, subscribers can give a missed call from their registered Mobile Number on 18005682536 for Dish TV & 18003150217 for D2H platform.
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.
