DTH
Star India urges Airtel Digital subscribers to switch
MUMBAI: The slugfests were bound to happen in TV distribution. The time for agreement renewal is nigh between distribution platform operators and broadcasters with content contracts coming to an end. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India’s (TRAI) proposed tariff and interconnection agreements are being passed around from the High Court of Chennai to the Supreme Court and back without any resolution.
Earlier this month, the Star Network issued a disconnection notice to one of India’s better-managed DTH operators Airtel Digital in an announcement that made waves in TV distribution circles. Now, with the spat between the two continuing, India’s leading TV network has taken the fight to Airtel’s camp.
It has started a digital campaign-for now at least-asking the DTH player’s subscribers to switch to other distribution platforms. Says the network on its Twitter handle: “Attention Airtel Digital subscribers! Star has not increased channel tariffs. Airtel Digital TV is misleading you and unilaterally increasing the prices of Star channels. To continue watching high quality Star entertainment switch to new DTH/cable operator now.”
Attention Airtel Digital TV subscribers! Star has not increased channel tariffs. Airtel Digital TV is misleading you and unilaterally increasing the prices of Star channels. To continue watching high-quality Star entertainment switch to new DTH/Cable operator NOW. #MakeTheSwitch pic.twitter.com/ny8LmmDmdF
— Star TV Network (@starindia) March 23, 2018
The digital video, which is doing the rounds on social media, has a voiceover that states: “You used to pay Rs 200 for the HD pack on Airtel. Now why are you being charged Rs 1,000? You can still get the same price for the same HD channels at around Rs 200! Change to another service provider. To get Star channels in a packet, make the switch.
The video then lists operators like DEN, Fastway, SUN, Hathway, GTPL and Tata Sky that Airtel subscribers can opt for.
We will have to wait and watch how Airtel responds to this direct attack. Will it buckle and give into the rates that Star India is asking for? Or will it hold firm and wait to see if the broadcaster will blink first?
After all, Star has a lot at stake with the IPL coming up in the next fortnight. And it has to recover the humungous amounts it is pumping into the most prized cricketing property globally!
Keep reading indiantelevision.com for further updates!
Also Read:
Airtel Digital TV disconnects Star India channels
TDSAT tells Airtel DTH, Star to negotiate
Tata Sky woos new customers with free Star Sports channels
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.
