DTH
Star, CODA meet over Tata Sky push in colonies
MUMBAI: Senior Star India executives and representatives from Cable Operators and Distributors Association (CODA) met today to resolve issues relating to Star One and direct-to-home (DTH) marketing methods of Tata Sky.
Star assured the cable TV operators that it would try and arrange a meeting with Tata Sky executives in an effort to patch up differences. Cable operators have been perturbed by the way Tata Sky has been approaching housing societies in Mumbai with the proposal of offering residents a central dish antenna through which it can connect individual installations and offer DTH service.
“We made them understand that we had nothing to do with the Tata Sky distribution system. We assured them that we would take up the matter with Tata Sky and arrange for a meeting with their senior executives,” said Star India distribution head Tony D’Silva. Also present in the meeting were Star India CEO Peter Mukerjea and COO Sameer Nair.
Regarding Star One, CODA representatives told Star that the operators would take a decision after they meet on Tuesday. “We are meeting tomorrow to decide on whether we should withdraw our stance against Star One. We will also decide when we will take our complaint to Tdsat (Tribunal Dispute Settlement and Appellate Tribunal) against Tata Sky,” CODA vice president Ravi Singh said.
Cable operators in Mumbai have pushed Star One into a higher frequency, forcing the channel to move out of its prime band location in all networks across the city.
“We want the Star logo to be out of the leaflet that Tata Sky is distributing in housing societies to rope in DTH subscribers. We put this up in the meeting with Star executives today. We also wanted Star to arrange for a meeting with Tata Sky CEO Vikram Kaushik next week,” said Singh.
The Star Group has a 20 per cent stake in Tata Sky with the balance being held by the Tatas.
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.
