DTH
Indiantelevision.com’s headlines
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DTH Regulations worldwide
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| Country | Foreign Equity restriction | Cross-media ownership Restriction | Licence period | Domestic uplink requirement |
| Australia | Limited to 35% in total; no individual to own more than 20% | No Restrictions. | Unlimited | No |
| USA | FCC has held that no foreign ownership restrictions apply to DBS licenses | No Restrictions | 10 years for non-broadcast(includes subscription DTH) facilities.
5 Years for broadcast facilities |
No |
| Canada | Limited to 20% foreign ownership and control for broadcast satellite carriers. Foreign ownership through a “qualified corporation ” limited to 33.33% | No Restrictions. M&A reviewed on a case-by-case basis to prevent excess concentration of media ownership | Broadcast license not to exceed 7 years. Exemption from license requirement for Canadian DTH satellite undertaking who meet certain criteria such as public notice using Canadian satellite facilities. |
Canadian programming distributed in Canada must be uplinked in Canada.
Non-Canadian programming may be uplinked using foreign facilities. |
| UK | Non-EEC nationals may not control a license to provide domestic satellite services | No Restrictions |
15 years domestic satellite service. 10 years non-domestic satellite service. |
No |
| France | Limited to 20% | No Restrictions | 10 years for TV broadcasting service via satellite | No |
| Hong Kong | Limited to 49% for for existing DTH licenses. | The Television Ordinance limits cross-media ownership among cable and satellite television on 15%. | 12 years | No |
| Taiwan | Under the Cable Television Law 1993, 20% foreign ownership limitations on DTH licensees have been mooted. | No Restrictions. Broadcast enterprises may not hold cable licenses.; | 2 years | No |
| Japan | Limited to 20% | No Restrictions | 5 Years. | No |
| Malaysia | Not Available | No Restrictions | Not Available | No |
| Indonesia | Not Available | No Restrictions | Not Available | No |
| Source: Indiantelevision.com compilation | ||||
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.
