DTH
Dish TV reports higher op profit for FY 2020 and Q4 2020
BENGALURU: Indian DTH major Dish TV India Ltd (Dish TV) reported 30.9 percent year-over-year (y-o-y) growth in consolidated operating profit (EBITDA) for the quarter ended 31 March 2020 (Q4-2020, quarter under review) as compared to the corresponding year ago quarter. Consolidated EBITDA for the year ended 31 March 2020 (FY 2020) was 3 percent higher than the previous year (FY 2019).
Dish TV reported operating revenue of Rs 3,556.34 crore for the year under review. For FY 2019, Dish TV had reported operating revenue of Rs 6,166.13 crore and programming and other costs of Rs 2,278.83 crore. Hence Dish TV’s adjusted operating revenue (operating revenue minus programming costs) works out to Rs 3,887,30 crore. With programming cost becoming a pass-through item in the new tariff regime, subscription and operating revenues for the quarter and fiscal are not comparable with the corresponding period last year says the company in its FY 2020 and Q4 2020 earnings release. For FY 2020 and FY 2019, consolidated operating EBITDA numbers were Rs 2,105.97 crore (59.2 percent of operating revenue) and Rs 2,044.27 crore (33.2 percent of operating revenue and 52.6 percent of adjusted operating revenue) respectively.
Dish TV reported operating revenue of Rs 869.06 crore for Q4 2020 and Rs 1,398.75 crore for Q4 2019. Dish TV ‘s consolidated EBIDTA for Q4 2020 and Q4 2019 was Rs 543.22 crore (62.5 percent of operating revenue) and Rs 414.97 crore (29.7 percent of operating revenue) respectively.
Profit before tax and exceptional items for FY 2020 was Rs 128.15 crore and for FY 2019 profit before tax and exceptional items was Rs 26.85 crore. For Q4 2020 PBT without exceptional items was Rs 55.53 crore, while Dish TV had reported a loss before tax and exceptional items of Rs 82.34 crore for Q4 2019.
The company has reported exceptional items for FY 2020 in the standalone financial results which included (a). Impairment of goodwill: R. 1,91,5.50 crore (FY 2019 – Rs 1,543 crore) and (b). Impairment of loans/advances to Dish TV Lanka Pvt Ltd (a subsidiary Company): Rs 3.66 crore (net) (FY 2019 – Rs 141.99 crore). Dish TV says that the goodwill acquired pursuant to merger of the company with the erstwhile Videocon d2H Ltd is periodically tested for impairment to ensure that it is carried at no more than its recoverable amount.
Due to these exceptional items, Dish TV reported a loss of Rs 1.654.84 crore for FY 2020 and a loss of Rs 1,163.41 crore for FY 2019. Losses due to exceptional items in Q4 2020 and Q4 2019 were Rs 1,456.25 crore and Rs 1,361.30 crore respectively.
Let us look at the other numbers reported by Dish TV for FY 2020 and Q4 2020
For FY 2020, total expenditure was Rs 3,441.80 crore. The major expenses in FY 2020 were operating expenses of Rs 787.30 crore; employee benefits expense of Rs 193.11 crore; finance costs of Rs 565.22 crore and other expenses of Rs 466.51 crore.
For Q4 2020, total expenditure was Rs 816.49 crore. The major expenses in Q4 2020 were operating expenses of Rs 172.10 crore; employee benefits expense of Rs 58.13 crore; Finance costs of Rs 143.30 crore and other expenses of Rs 95.32 crore.
Though y-o-y, finance costs in Q4 2020 were down 2.9 percent as compared to Rs 147.62 crore in Q4 2019, they were up 4.7 percent higher quarter-on-quarter (q-o-q) as compared to Rs 136.91 crore in the immediate trailing quarter Q3 2020. Dish TV said in its earnings release for FY 2020 and Q4 2020 that it has paid balance of the overdue loan amount of Rs. 250 crore during the quarter. The company paid Rs. 445.90 crore in total during the quarter thus reducing its overall debt to Rs. 1817.50 crore at the end of fiscal 2020 as compared to Rs. 2769.50 crore at the close of fiscal 2019.
Company Speak
Dish TV group CEO Anil Dua said, “Though our revenues were positively impacted
by the higher number of win backs and recharges during the initial days of the lockdown, we could not be complacent during such trying times and went all out to scan every cost-centre for greater operational efficiencies. Our all-time high EBITDA and EBITDA margin recorded during the quarter was a result of operational resilience demonstrated by the business.”
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.
