DTH
Free Dish MPEG-2 slots to be allotted on pro-rata basis in 59th e-auction: Prasar Bharati
Mumbai: Prasar Bharati has invited applications for allotment of vacant MPEG-2 slots of DD Free Dish DTH platform on a pro-rata basis for the period from 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023. The e-auction process will be tentatively held on 23 March.
The TV channels have been categorised into six buckets namely ‘R1,’ ‘A+,’ ‘A,’ ‘B,’ ‘C,’ and ‘D’ in accordance with the genre/language of the channel. Bucket R1 is reserved for devotional i.e, spiritual Aayush channels with a starting pro-rata reserve price set at Rs 20 crore. A+ is reserved for Hindi GEC channels with a reserve price starting at Rs 15.45 crore. Bucket A is reserved for Hindi movie channels with starting reserve price of Rs 13.05 crore. Bucket B is reserved for Hindi music channels, Hindi sports channels, Bhojpuri GEC channels, Bhojpuri movie channels, and Hindi teleshopping channels with a starting reserve price of Rs 11.10 crore. Bucket C is reserved for Hindi, English and Punjabi news and current affairs channels with a starting reserve price of Rs 10.05 crore. Bucket D is reserved for remaining language/genre channels with a reserve price of Rs 7.05 crore.
Prasar Bharati has said that the e-auction will be bucket-wise starting with the bucket having the highest reserve price i.e, from ‘Bucket R1’, and will progressively go down in the order of reserve price.
The e-auction will be conducted in accordance with policy guidelines for allotment of DD Free Dish slots notified on 15 January 2019 and amended from time to time.
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.
