DTH
Kotwali Police Station in Ludhiana busts illegal STB racket
KOLKATA: A store in Ludhiana, PAL Electronics, was raided by Kotwali police station on 16 March, after Sony-appointed raiding agency Mediasoft Legal Solution’s service manager Harminder Singh complained that pay channels of Sony, Star, Zee and other major broadcasters were being sold via unauthorised set-top boxes (Pagaria Boxes) without the proper licence or any distribution agreements.
The store was selling the illegal boxes at Rs 1,500 on the false pretence that the buyer can watch all the leading pay channels like SET, Sony SAB, Star Plus, Zee TV etc without any fee for a period of six months. Once the initial free subscription period would be over, the buyers could recharge it at Rs 200 for another six months, the store informed users.
When the representative of Mediasoft Legal Solutions led by the Sony Pictures Networks Team, along with the Kotwali Police Station raided the store, the team recovered 11 pre-programmed Pagaria STB boxes, which are currently in police custody. The police is investigating the matter and will be filing the FIR today.
These illegal boxes work with the help of an internet connection and receive pay channels. These Pagaria STBs are being sold to the subscribers with the aforementioned false promises. Of late, there has been a significant rise in piracy of TV channels causing much concern to broadcasters and large multi-system operators (MSOs).
Naïve users fall prey to this false claim as authentic cable and DTH operators charge around Rs 300 to 350 per month for the popular pay channels. Now with many more such raids in the pipeline by all the leading broadcasters and local MSO’s, it is a matter of time before the TV screens of the users of such illegal STBs are going to go blank suddenly one fine day, with no one to approach for any complaints or servicing. Sony Pictures Networks team has scheduled many raids across Gujarat, Punjab and other states along with other broadcasters.
TV piracy is becoming big business in India where the miscreants are giving access to multiple premium channels at lower costs with the help of emerging technologies. But with regulators now on the heels of this form of piracy, it is only a matter of time before stringent action is taken against all such players.
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.
