DTH
Dish TV partners with Kaltura to power its OTT platform ‘Watcho’
MUMBAI: Dish TV India Limited, the world’s largest single-country DTH Company has partnered with Kaltura, the leading video technology provider for its OTT platform Watcho. Kaltura TV Platform powers Watcho’s multiscreen access to linear, VOD and time-shifted TV along with third-party content.
The partnership will cater to satisfying the evolving entertainment needs of Indian audiences by continuously learning about their content consumption habits. Kaltura TV Platform will ensure smooth operation of Watcho on multiple devices with its high-end technology.
“It is a great honor for us to be the partner of choice for Dish TV, the largest DTH operator in India, and the latest addition to our growing customer base in APAC and India specifically,” said Ron Yekutiel, Kaltura Co-founder, Chairman and CEO. “Watcho goes way beyond a “TV everywhere” service providing a personalized TV experience. We are proud to be the backbone that powers this new Cloud TV service for Dish TV’s existing subscribers and new users as well and look forward to working closely with Dish TV as Watcho continues to evolve.”
Watcho includes live, VOD and time-shifted TV content. It is also the first OTT service to feature user generated content allowing users to create and upload their own content to Watcho. The flexible service is designed to address the large base of over 23 million subscribers of DishTV and d2h and is open to new users. Watcho provides access to a large VOD content library of originals, movies and popular shows, and not just linear TV service.
“Watcho is an exciting new offering that caters to the evolving demands of today’s consumers on how they want to consume content,” said Anil Dua, Executive Director and Group CEO, Dish TV India Limited. He further added, “The Kaltura TV Platform combined with our team’s deep expertise has helped us to pace up our TV transformation journey, and today we are thrilled to offer our users a flawless and personalized viewing experience on the device of their choice.”
With HORIZON BROADBAND LLP part of the Horizon group, a long term SI partner of Dish TV and preferred partner for Kaltura serving as the prime integrator of the project; 99Array providing Product engineering and Application development, the Watcho OTT service features advanced capabilities from Kaltura designed specifically for the Indian markets, including Kaltura’s recently launched Cloud TV Platform SDK and unique playback optimization solution for mobile, supporting iOS and over 6,000 Android devices.
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.
