DTH
DTH players roll out festival offers
MUMBAI: Brands are bursting Diwali offers. As the festive season draws closer, all the D2H players, one after the other, are extending lucrative offers to consumers to buy their products and subscribe to their service. Tata Sky had run a promotional offer between 8 and 21 August on its tenth anniversary, under which it allowed subscribers to watch all its 500 plus channels at no extra cost.
DishTV has now come up with a special Diwali HD offer. Customers can opt for a high-definition set-top box at minimal additional cost just by paying Rs. 120 extra. The subscribers can also view HD channels via DishTV’s small HD entertainment add-on packs.
DTH operator Videocon d2h has hopped on to the bandwagon of the promotional offers. Videocon boasts of a 11-12 million active subscriber base and has branded the promotion as “Khushiyon kee Diwali.”
New Videocon subscribers will have to pay only Rs 1820 for HD or Rs 1620 for a standard definition connection. On choosing a monthly subscription plan, the newbie can instantaneously upgrade themselves to the next higher upgrade plan for two months at no cost. Additionally, existing subscribers can also avail of the free two month upgrade by coughing up just Rs 10 extra on their monthly plan. The DTH operator had upped its prices by a minimum of about Rs 20 a month across subscription packges on account of the rise in service tax, various levies and other input costs.
Says Videocon d2h executive chairman Saurabh Dhoot: “The festive season is all about mega enjoyment. This year our Diwali offer covers everyone from our existing subscriber to the potential subscriber opting for a new connection from Videocon d2h. This offer blends perfectly with our brand promise of providing wholesome entertainment for the family.”
Adds Videocon d2h CEO Anil Khera: “Our Khushiyon kee Diwali promotion from 1 October to 30 November h Nov gives our existing consumer to enjoy the festive season with an upgrade to the next higher monthly plan for 60 days. We strongly believe that this attractive offer will create waves in the market in this festive season.”
Videocon d2h offer subscribers 570 channels and services, including a host of regional channels. It offers a wide range of active services like smart services including smart English, smart games.
DishTV’s HD sachets capture the interest of consumers towards HD viewing by offering them the channels at a nominal price of Rs.75 for one. This offering enables DishTV subscribers to select these small packs as per their preferences and needs. “With users aspiring for HD channels, this move is to encourage them to embrace HD channels at a minimal cost,” said DishTV CEO Arun Kapoor.
For new HD connections, customers will now have to pay an introductory price of Rs. 1990 which will include subscription of one-month super family pack or jumbo pack and one HD add-on for one month at no extra cost. The new connection will also include a universal remote. DishTV has a complete offering and mix of 51 high-definition entertainment, music, news and regional language channels. The offer is available across all parts of the country.
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.
