DTH
Dishtv selects Scopus Video Networks to increase transponder capacity
MUMBAI: Subhash Chandra’s Dishtv has expressed serious intent to increase its channel offerings on the direct-to-home (DTH) platform. The company has selected Scopus Video Networks, a provider of digital video networking products, to support this expansion.
The technology will help Dishtv pack up 28 channels per transponder, eight more than its current capacity. “We will be implementing this technology within a month. It is a better compression system without sacrificing the quality,” Essel Group director technology Amitabh Kumar tells Indiantelevision.com.
Dishtv has seven transponders on NSS-6, offering a total of 130 channels. “We are building up the capability to offer more channels on our DTH platform,” Kumar says.
Dishtv will use Scopus products to enhance its transponders’ utilization and expand its already fast growing DTH market share throughout the Indian subcontinent. The decision to tie up with Scopus comes ahead of Tata Sky’s DTH launch expected in July.
The deal brings to Dishtv’s headend Scopus’ full line of products including E-1200 encoders, IRD-2900 decoders, IVG-7100 intelligent video gateway (IVG) platforms and network management system software. Scopus is a Nasdaq-listed company.
Scopus’ IVG platform will provide advanced video processing capabilities including joint transrating, grooming and bit rate shaping.
India is beginning its transition to digital TV in which the number of digital subscribers is expected to grow ten-fold within the next five years.
Says Kumar commented, “We operate in a complex web of multiple satellites and multiple carriers and the unique capabilities offered by Scopus’ product line such as the Intelligent Video Gateway will help us optimize operations while minimizing cost and enhancing reliability in our operations. Scopus has also helped Dish TV achieve very high satellite utilization and bring down costs on a per channel basis.”
Scopus VP sales Eitan Koter stated, “We are honoured and delighted to continue doing business with the Essel Group, India’s leading media conglomerate. This achievement is a testimony to our on-going commitment to our customers’ success. Scopus is the only vendor that offers a full product portfolio under one roof, enabling us to provide simple solutions to complex requirements such as the ones posed by Dishtv.”
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.
