DTH
Neo Sports soon available on Tata Sky
MUMBAI: Neo Sports inked a deal with Tata Sky, the channel will now be available on Tata Sky.
This mutual and resurgent association will see a major value addition to the sports viewers in India.
Neo Sports distribution platforms EVP Dilip Sharan said, “Having had a great working relationship with Tata Sky in the past, we are extremely delighted to have Tata Sky as our strong business partner! We look forward to engaging with them in creating much greater value for the industry as a whole. We now propose to flash fabulous sports content that shall be covered by Tata Sky. This will indeed mean tremendous value addition to the viewer”
Neo Sports with its extensive coverage of both popular as well as premium sports offerings and Tata Sky with its deep penetrative reach in every part of the country shall fulfill the appetite of the avid sports enthusiast.
With this formidable combination of Neo Sports and Tata Sky, there should be exciting times in the sports broadcast arena. It is a win-win for Tata Sky subscribers & avid fans following their sport on Neo Sports network to watch some fantastic events like the evergreen grand slam tennis tournament – French Open; top notch football championships like Copa Italia, French Cup and the biggest of all FIFA Club World Cup along with the weekends Dutch league Eredivisie would now have a wider reach.
Cricket’s new excitement BPL (Bangladesh Premier League), the Afghanistan & Zimbabwe cricket series and premium Gold PGA tours add to the world class tourneys.
This entire development will add another dimension to Neo Sports & Tata Sky which will be whole heartedly welcomed by the viewers.
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.
