DTH
DishTV, Shemaroo tie up for ‘Comedy Active’
MUMBAI: DishTV is all set to expand its bouquet of value added services (VAS). DishTV has partnered with Comedywalas, a division of Shemaroo Entertainment, to launch a new service called ‘Comedy Active’.
Comedy Active Service, that aims to take the comedy quotient a notch higher, will connect the subscribers to all genres of comedy ranging from comic shows and gags, on the DishTV platform. Comedy Active offers original content, created especially for this service along with the best of classic comedy television shows like ‘Nukkad’, ‘Ye Jo Hai Zindagi’, and ‘Zabaan Sambhalke’. Segmented in two parts, Comedy Active will air content in the form of ‘Classic comedy shows’ and introduced ‘short format comedy shows’.
Comedy Active Service will be packaged as a 24X7 ad free service which will showcase comedy programs throughout the day. Subscribers will get an opportunity to view some of the most classic comedy shows, Bollywood repurposed shows, Spoofs, Gags, Hidden camera pranks and Stand-up comedy, and be delighted by pure light hearted entertainment.
DishTV chief executive officer Arun Kapoor said, “We have always taken the lead in enhancing the value proposition and provide the best in entertainment to our subscribers. Laughter is infectious as it binds people together and brings happiness. While there are a lot of channels for a variety of entertainment, there are hardly any that offers uninterrupted content for Comedy. Comedy Active service will provide a single destination for comedy catering to all age groups of viewers at a time convenient to them.”
Shemaroo Entertainment director Hiren Gada said “There is lack of good comedy content on television platform. Hence, consumers depend on other platforms.”
DishTV is providing free preview of Comedy Active to its subscribers till 12 October after which DishTV subscribers can avail the service at an introductory price of Rs 39 per month.
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.
