DTH
Subscribers’ DTH/Cable bills to go down by 14% for a-la-carte channels: ICRA
MUMBAI: The recent Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) amendments over tariff charges could potentially lower the direct-to home (DTH)/ cable bills of the subscribers up to 14 per cent from the present levels, a credit rating agency ICRA said in an analytical report.
According to a press statement, ICRA said that the amendment encourage subscribers to exercise their right to choose and opt for a-la-carte channels. TRAI on 1 January 2020 amended some provisions of the Telecommunication (Broadcasting and Cable) Services (Eight) (Addressable Systems) Tariff Order, 2017.
The amendments are slated to come in effect from March 1, 2020.
The Tariff Order released in 2017 had allowed the subscribers to choose the nature of channels as free to air (FTA) or pay channel as well as declare a-la-carte pricing of all channels.
However, contrary to TRAI’s expectations, the rating agency said, given the high channel pricing of the popular general entertainment channels (GECs) and sports channels (with 66 of the 330 existing pay channels being priced at the ceiling rate of Rs. 19 per month).
This move by broadcaster had tarnished the very purpose of the Tariff Order, resulting in up to 23% surge in bills for subscribers, ICRA estimated, and continued the dominance of bouquets in the subscription patterns.
ICRA’s vice president Kinjal Shah said, “The recent amendments will adversely impact the broadcasters, revenues, the subscription revenues are also expected to reduce (as subscription charges for a-la-carte channels will reduce and due to the expected shift of subscribers from bouquets to a-la-carte selection).”
Shah further said, “Furthermore, given the reduction in the number of channels that can be offered in a bouquet (for a given price), bundling of non-popular channels with established ones will reduce, thereby impacting their reach and thus advertisement revenues for the broadcaster. This, however, would eventually lead to an increased focus on content quality.”
TRAI in the amendment of 2017 tariff order has also increased the channel offerings for the network capacity fee (NCF) of Rs. 130 (excluding taxes) per month to 200 standard definitions (SD) (pay or FTA) channels from the present 100 SD channels.
The amendments are expected to be a mixed bag of positives and negatives for DPOs. The overall reduction in NCF and the cap on NCF to be charged for additional TVs in a multi-TV home is negative for the DPOs.
TRAI has, however, allowed DPOs to offer different NCF across geographical regions (state / district / towns) as well as offer promotional schemes (on NCF / Distributor Retail Price – DRPs), up to 90 days at a time, twice in a calendar year. DPOs are additionally allowed to offer discounts on NCF / DRPs for long-term subscription plans.
ICRA’s assistant vice president Sakshi Suneja, said, “After the recent changes in the tariff, the prices of popular GECs and sports channels are expected to reduce from Rs. 19 per month to Rs. 12 per month, given the revised ceiling rates for a-la-carte channels, to be included in bouquets.”
“The amendments also seek to improve the attractiveness of a-la-carte channels, by reducing discounts that can be offered on bouquet pricing to 33% (vis-a-vis a-lacarte prices, from the existing average levels of discounts of 40-54%),” Suneja said.
She pointed out that through the introduction of two new conditions: i) capping the maximum retail price (MRP) of a-la-carte channel that can be included in a bouquet to up to three times of the average MRP per month of a pay channel of that bouquet and ii) MRP, per month, of a pay channel to not exceed the MRP, per month, of the bouquet containing that pay channel.
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.
