DTH
Dishtv expands channel offerings
MUMBAI: Zee Telefilms’ direct-to-home (DTH) solutions provider Dishtv has expanded its line up by adding three more channels.
While Malayalam channels Asianet News and Asianet Plus became the latest entrants on DishTV from the regional front, Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s (ABC) international television service ABC Asia Pacific launched its India beam on the DTH platform today.
Dishtv bouquet presently offers eight channels in Malayalam including Asianet, Indiavision, Jeevan TV, SS Music, DD Malayalam, Kairali and the newly added Asianet Plus and Asianet News. According to an official release, the new additions are made at no extra cost.
Dishtv CEO Sunil Khanna says, “Inclusion of these two channels from Asianet, strengthens the Malayalam entertainment on Dishtv for the city viewer, as well as for Keralites spread across the country. Dishtv makes for a complete entertainment solution for the people in Kerala, giving them an opportunity to upgrade to a superior entertainment experience with wholesome Malayalam entertainment.”
ABC Asia Pacific, meanwhile, has been available on Dishtv since the last seven months as part of the basic package. “The free-to-air English entertainment channel has now launched a dedicated beam for India, by re-arranging its programming schedule according to Indian television’s primetime,” says Khanna.
It is learnt that, ABC Asia Pacific India will now telecast its primetime programmes in India from 8 pm onwards as per the new schedule.
Khanna added that ABC was in talks with Zee Turner to launch the channel on cable as well. “The discussions are on. Both the parties are yet to reach on an agreement,” he said.
Meanwhile, Distv is also in active discussions with the UK-based media firm Eicom to get its two channels – Performance Channel & Science and SciTech TV – on board. It is learnt that Performance Channel will receive US$0.07 per subscribing home per month in an English language premium package. The subscription level for SciTech TV will be set after pricing trials. Reportedly, SciTech TV will be broadcast in Hindi, Tamil and English language versions on Dishtv’s main platform.
However, when quereid, Khanna refused to confirm the developments. “The final deal is yet to be done. We haven’t reached any agreement on the pricing and package. Regarding the content, we are waiting for Eicom to finalise the details,” he said.
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.
