DTH
Tata Group’s Cyrus Mistry plans Rs 2,000 crore IPO for Tata Sky
MUMBAI: In 2012 Tata Group chairman Cyrus Pallonji Mistry is believed to be offering Rs 2,000 crore for the Tata Sky’s amount of issue, according to a report.
Mistry had had initiated the process to sell part of Tata Sky in his first initial public offering (IPO) move after becoming the group chairman and a recent report by Times of India says Tata Sky will also be the 30th publicly listed company from the Tata Group which currently has a combined market cap of nearly Rs 7.2 lakh crore.
Early next week, the company’s investors, management, underwriters and counsel will hold the kickoff meeting to thrash out the red herring prospectus, Times of India reported.
To take matters forward, Morgan Stanley, Citi and Kotak Mahindra Capital will manage the DTH provider’s offering in which Tata Sons owns 51per cent, media mogul Rupert Murdoch’s 21st Century Fox has 30 per cent, Singapore state investor Temasek 10 per cent, and Tata Opportunities Fund holds 9 per cent.
Mistry has revived the plan to list Tata Sky on the domestic stock market, which will help the 47-year-old to part-monetize the asset by bringing in fresh funds to fuel the conglomerate’s growth plans and trim its debt. In fiscal 2015, its loss stood at Rs 267 crore.
The report also stated that there are prospects of sale of new shares as well as of existing shares held by promoters including Tata Sons and Temasek, which has remained invested in Tata Sky since 2007. According to the report, Temasek wants to encash some of its holdings in the 12-year-old Tata Sky, which will have a gross profit of Rs 1,000 crore in fiscal 2016. Murdoch’s 21st Century Fox intends to retain its ownership, while Tata Opportunities Fund is undecided whether it wants to sell a stake in the IPO, the person added.
Tata Sky intends to use the proceeds from the share sale to beef up its balance sheet. The company, which has emerged as the leader in the DTH field, will break even this financial year.
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.
