DTH
Jump Games inks deal with Honest Ent for ‘Fido Dido’
MUMBAI: Games publishing company, Jump Games has acquired exclusive mobile gaming rights for the Fido Dido, aerated drink 7 Up’s brand mascot.
Jump Games has signed a two-year worldwide contract with Honest Entertainment to create and distribute mobile game titles based on Fido Dido across the world.
The game features Fido Dido in his cool avatar that has to brave all hurdles to reach as far ahead in the game as possible. Fido’s journey is made exciting with loads of zany powerups and bonuses for sporting his cool factor. The first Mobile game Fido Dido is ready for release and will soon be out on leading networks worldwide, states an official release.
Speaking about the license, Jump Games CEO Salil Bhargava said, “Fido Dido is a name well-known all over the world. Fido’s character has a lot of fun associated with it, which can be spun around to develop exciting titles. Our first arcade game is going to be out shortly and we’re on our way to creating a few more games including a 3D Fido Bowling title. We look forward to a valuable relationship with Honest Entertainment and Fido in developing some remarkable Mobile content.”
Commenting on the alliance, founder, president and creative director Honest Entertainment and creator of Fido Joanna Ferrone said, “This is a good time to bring Fido to the Wireless gaming market, which is on a rise. Jump Games is a leader in the Indian gaming space and has created some world-class content for their existing licenses. They have done a brilliant job with Fido’s first game and we are sure the audiences will love Fido in his new Mobile avatar!”
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.
