DTH
Dish TV unveils VOD movie service DishFlix
NEW DELHI: Dish TV has launched a video on demand service that – unlike IPTV – works without the Internet and offers a choice of fifty English and Hindi films to choose from at any time.
While conceding that it was akin to the Internet Protocol Television (IPTV), which had been introduced without much success almost a decade earlier, Dish TV CEO R C Venkateish said that the difference was that DishFlix would work without the internet.
The new technology would require a small box costing Rs 5990 that will be attached to the set top box. Viewers can avail the service for a monthly fee of Rs 100. One film will be added every second day, making it a total of 15 new films every month. However, the total number of films would remain the same on the service.
Dish TV executive vice president Anjali Malhotra tells Indiantelevision.com that the company will be spending approximately Rs 20 – 25 crore in marketing the new product. DishFlix will be promoted on Zee and other channels as well as across theatres chains like PVR and INOX. Movie portals will also be seen sporting DishFlix ads.
While at launch the ratio of Hindi and English film on the service would be 70:30, other language films would be brought in at a later stage. The films were divided across five genres on DishFlix, informs Malhotra.
Dish TV MD Jawahar Goel informs that the new service would help curb piracy as lesser people would be templed to download films from the internet. Moreover, consumers could also bid goodbye to the problem of buffering caused by the slow Internet rate.
Venkateish added that this VOD version puts the power in the hands of the consumer. “It is a plug in service with films that would be completely free of advertisements,” he said.
Viewers will be able to pause, play, fast forward and rewind movies or TV shows at their own convenience. The service works sans any internet connection as the content will be pushed to the customer’s STB through satellite. Customers need to buy a DishFlix Box that comes preloaded with 50 movies. Out of these, 15 movies will be refreshed every month on first in first out basis so that the viewable movie library is always updated.
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.
