DTH
Learn acting on Tata Sky’s Adda for Rs 59 a month
MUMBAI: Tata Sky, India’s innovative content distribution platform, HAS announced the launch of its latest interactive service ‘Tata Sky Acting Adda’ powered by FTheCouch (FTC).
This service priced at Rs 59/- month will be available exclusively to Tata Sky subs on #111 & on Tata Sky Mobile app.
This revolutionary service will not only offer acting lessons to all the Bollywood dreamers but also offer a platform where they can send auditions and try for their big break from the comfort of their homes. Tata Sky has partnered with FTheCouch (FTC), a Suniel Shetty and Mukesh Chhabra initiative, to create exclusive content with the best acting teachers and to source the best job opportunities across Movies, TV shows, Theatre, Advertising and more.
Tata Sky Acting Adda had a star-studded launch with National Award winner Ajay Devgn, Bollywood stalwart Suniel Shetty, the leading casting director of Bollywood, Mukesh Chhabra along with Tata Sky’s Chief Commercial Officer, Pallavi Puri, at a press conference in Mumbai. Its tagline ‘Bade Break Ka Bada Manch’ came to life with an engaging live performance depicting the journey of a Bollywood aspirant and culminating with the launch of an ad campaign featuring the legendary superstar Amitabh Bachchan.
Speaking at the launch, Pallavi Puri, Chief Commercial Officer, Tata Sky, said, “There is a hidden actor in many of us. But, not everyone has the means to hone their talent or the access to find the right opportunities. With Tata Sky Acting Adda, we have tried to bridge this gap. This service will help acting aspirants get a little closer to their dreams of acting on any platform. That too without leaving their homes and landing in Mumbai, the way thousands do today.”
She further added, “For those not keen on facing the camera, there is a lot of exciting original content to keep them entertained like exclusive star interviews, behind the scenes & more.”
An exclusive service for Tata Sky subscribers, Tata Sky Acting Adda is the first service on Indian television to offer acting lessons delivered by experts from FTII, NSD, Barry John School of Acting and more. A unique curriculum has been designed for this service where each day, one can learn different aspects of D.R.A.M.A. – Dialogue, Roleplay, Action & Dance, Makeover and Auditions. There’s even special content like acting workshops for kids and short films over the weekend.
Speaking about his vision, Suniel Shetty says, “The media industry largely depends on new talent, which is the key word to unlock all doors for its growth. Having spent a quarter of a century in front of the camera, I strongly felt the need to streamline the behind-the-scenes processes, to provide new talent, the platform it deserves. Hence Acting Adda, powered by FTC was conceived and curated. To deliver this service, I couldn’t have found a better associate than Tata Sky, with whom we have already successfully partnered, for our ongoing Fitness service. Henceforth those in search of stardom, can start off by just clicking 111, rather than dashing off to Mumbai. From Acting to Auditions, we teach it all.”
Mukesh Chhabra said, “In my professional capacity as a casting director, having given breaks to Sushant Singh Rajput, Richa Chaddha, Fatima Sheikh, Sanya Malhotra, child artiste Harshali Malhotra, amongst many others, it’s a privileged next stop, for me to be associated with AAA and FTC, two fully integrated digital platforms. They are both bound to expand the base of talent, at a click of a button.”
The interactive segment of Tata Sky Acting Adda will offer audition details, a fun Bollywood quiz and exciting video based challenges to test acting skills and reward winners with gratification that may just take them one step closer to achieving their dreams of acting.
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.
