DTH
DTH operators wooing subscribers into HD
MUMBAI: A recent study in the US revealed that nearly 60 per cent of homes in the country have one or more high-definition (HD) TV sets; a significant rise from just 35 per cent five years ago.
In India too, HD TV viewing is on the upswing – though not as big as in the US yet – with two DTH operators having recently added a slew of HD channels to their bouquet to take the total tally of HD channels to over 25. So much so, DTH operators are confident that the demand for HD TV will only grow from here onward.
“More than 50 per cent of new customers are buying HD TVs and the other 50 per cent, who are buying SD boxes, will after a while come and say that they have upgraded to HD TV sets. Would you have thought of this scenario two years ago?” says Tata Sky CEO Harit Nagpal.
Videocon d2h CEO Anil Khera echoes similar thoughts. “Close to 8 per cent of our subscribers have taken HD packs. Interestingly, almost double of these have taken our HD boxes in anticipation of their future transition to HD services,” he says.
Not so long ago, Videocon had declared it crossed 10 million subscribers.
To leverage the growing interest in HD, DTH operators have come up with innovative techniques including advertisements, pricing and packaging of HD channels to make customers opt for their HD service packs
For instance, Dish TV ensures it does not have floating subscribers, so only if a customer opts for an HD pack will he/she be provided with an HD set top box (STB). Customers are not allowed to jump between SD and HD packs.
On the other hand, Tata Sky subscribers have to pay just Rs 125 above the pack price to avail both SD channels and the channels in the pack which have an HD version. From 1 November, 2013, Tata Sky has stopped ordering SD boxes and is offering HD boxes at the same price as SD boxes at Rs 2,000 per piece. Currently, it has about 2 million subscribers with an HD connection.
Like Tata Sky, Videocon d2h too is offering SD and HD boxes at almost the same price. While an SD box costs Rs 1,990 with a one month free view, the HD box costs Rs 2,000 without a free view. “Subscribers are taking to HD viewing very well. They are increasingly opting for bigger screens at home and HD feeds for a better viewing experience. We expect that in the next few years, HD viewing will account for almost 20 per cent of the total viewership,” says Khera.
For Airtel Digital TV, it is about striking a balance between the HD and SD consumers.
More importantly, HD subscribers imply more revenue. “Revenue from an HD subscriber today is almost 10 per cent. However, this has potential to grow up to 35 to 40 per cent of our revenue base in a few years’ time,” says Khera.
According to Nagpal, as and when regional channels start broadcasting in HD, the subscriber base may go up. “HD packs increase as channels get added. Initially, only knowledge and sports channels were available in HD. The next level will be with regional channels. Sun Network has already taken the initiative,” he says.
With Dish TV, currently, 7 per cent of its revenues come from HD subscribers. However, Dish TV CEO RC Venkateish feels that the price of an HD TV set, which is nearly three times that of an SD TV set, could be a deterrent.
While it’s a long road ahead, DTH operators anticipate that the future will see HD TV viewing increase by a substantial amount, thus also increasing Average Revenue per User (ARPU). Khera feels it is possible that in a few years from now, Videocon (like Tata Sky) may stop selling SD boxes altogether.
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.
