DTH
DTH players facing severe transponder shortage
BANGALORE: It is a case of demand outstripping supply. There is a sudden rush to start direct-to-home (DTH) services but space on satellites just isn’t available to meet the requirement.
Take the immediate need from three players, which is 23 Ku-band transponders. The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) has allocated 11 for Tata Sky, the 80:20 joint venture between the Tatas and Star Group, on Insat 4A. This will keep Kalanithi Maran’s Sun Direct waiting till Insat 4C launches in the first quarter of next year. And for Anil Ambani’s Reliance there may be no room even on Insat 4B, which can only launch in May 2006 at the earliest. The space on Insat 4B is reserved for Doordarshan which wants six Ku-band transponders.
The launch of the Tata Sky DTH service branded T-Sky, in fact, is set for further delay. Insat 4A, which was to be up in August-September, now may launch only in November. Though the satellite was ready in May, Arianespace has placed it in queue. “Arianespace has intimated to us about a November launch. We are pushing hard for October as the customers are waiting for it,” says Isro contract management and legal services director SB Iyer.
Space TV, sources say, had planned for a November test run if the satellite had come up in August-September. Now it can only start services next year as the satellite normally takes a month after launch to stabilise. Tata Sky CEO Vikram Kaushik, however, was cautious about commenting on the issue. “We have factored the Isro timings into our schedule,” he says.
Tata Sky will be given 11 Ku-band transponders on Insat 4A which will be pushed to 12 later. “The satellite has 12 Ku-band transponders. It is fully booked by Tata Sky. We have kept one transponder for strategic reserve,” says Iyer.
Reliance has indicated to Isro that it wants to start by mid-2006 with six transponders. If Sun is ready to launch on Insat 4C, Isro would explore options to lease space on other satellite operators before Insat series builds up capacity. Sun Direct plans to start initially with five transponders.
The ramp up plan of DTH operators can further widen the gap which Isro has to gear up fast to bridge. Tata Sky and Reliance want 18 transponders each while Sun intends to stabilise at nine. The demand among the four players including Doordarshan totals up to 51 Ku-band transponders.
And this count does not include Subhash Chandra’s Dish TV, which is on NSS satellite, but has not yet indicated to Isro whether it wants space on the Insat series. BPCL, the other player which is waiting to launch, has also not applied to Isro for transponder space.
“In the past one year, nobody expected DTH to burst out. We are creating capacity and will have 36 Ku-band transponders between November-June. We are fully booked. After that, we are planning to add up another 36 Ku-band transponders which we expect to take us a year from then,” says Iyer.
Isro will have a tough task as there is a burgeoning demand for Ku-band transponders not only from DTH service providers but also other users including telecom operators like Bharti and BSNL.
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.
