DTH
DishTV introduces Cooking Active with celebrity chefs
NEW DELHI: Asia’s largest DTH platform DishTV , in association with One Take Media Co, has launched a new active service — Cooking active.
Cooking Active will have classic and innovative recipes catering to meals and snacks. It will have both, vegetarian and non-vegetarian cuisines.
The Chef Special section is powered by the celebrity chef Ranveer Brar. The other sections would have recipes handpicked by the chefs. Under Smart Cooking, India’s known and most enjoyed culinary dishes, desserts and the signature spicy curries etc. will be on display.
The launch of Cooking Active seeks to position DishTV as a service which not only provides entertainment but also opportunities to learn. Valued subscribers of DishTV can subscribe to Smart Cooking by sending a missed call to 18002700283 from their registered calling number.
With features like Smart Cooking, DishTV Cooking Active Service will put up classic recipes ranging from full course meals to snacks. Under this service, India’s most celebrated preparations, desserts and spicy curries will be showcased.
The Chef Special section is powered by celebrity chef Aditya Bal, Vicky Ratnani, Ajay Chopra, Bhairav Singh, NileshLimaye and many more further other sections would see handpicked recipes across the regions that are sure to tingle one’s taste buds.
Dish TV Group CEO Anil Dua said: “With the launch of Cooking Active, we are strengthening our proposition of being more than a provider of regular TV channels. It is our constant endeavour to offer the widest range of content and services to our subscribers. We are pleased to join hands with One Take Media for launching cooking active on the DishTV platform and we are sure that this service will surely add to their element of delight.”
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.
