DTH
Tata Sky and Visa to collaborate for DTH recharge options
Mumbai: Tata Sky and Visa have collaborated to offer Tata Sky subscribers a unique QR code based mobile payment solution, powered by mVisa. Tata Sky subscribers can now recharge their account by scanning the QR code through their mobile phones directly from the TV screen or online on mytatasky.com.
Visa Group country manager, India and South Asia T.R. Ramachandran said, “Visa is focused on digital innovation to accelerate the development of next generation platforms and solutions that will shape digital commerce. mVisa enables secure, digital commerce through the mobile phone, which today has become the single point of access to technology for consumers. The mVisa solution for Tata Sky subscribers will cater to a large user base across India; we will continue to build more such use cases across online and offline channels to accelerate the adoption digital payments.”
Tata Sky MD and CEO Harit Nagpal said ”One of our most important pillars of business at Tata Sky is that Innovation has to be Simple and Easy to Use for all. Convenience to use any new technology is the key to ensuring its mass utility and success. We believe mVisa will help subscribers across India with this payment solution from the comfort of their homes.”
As an introductory offer, subscribers will get 50% additional credit up to a maximum of Rs. 200 on recharge using mVisa. This offer can be availed three times in a calendar month.
India is currently the 2nd largest smartphone market in the world, with over a billion smartphones expected to be sold in the next five years. The increasing popularity and adoption of mobile devices presents a huge opportunity for the growth of mobile-based digital commerce. The mVisa payment solution on Tata Sky will empower over 17 million subscribers spread across Indian cities, towns and villages, to make payments without having to use cash, debit or credit cards and from the comfort of their homes.
In order to make payments, customers simply need to open their bank’s mobile application, select the mVisa option, which will activate their smartphone’s camera. The unique QR code on the TV screen (appears on clicking the home or yellow button on the Tata Sky remote control) will prompt for the payment amount, followed by entering the mPIN, to complete the transaction. It is a card-less solution which facilitates payments by scanning the merchant/service provider’s QR code. Subscribers can also log on to mytatasky.com and recharge their account online using the mVisa payment option.
India is the first market globally where mVisa has been introduced to support the migration from cash to electronic commerce. mVisa is available on the following apps – Axis Bank Mobile Banking App, Bank of Baroda M CLIP App, Bank of India mVisaApp, Pockets by ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank PayZapp andState Bank Anywhere App. Any bank’s mVisa customer can transact on any mVisa merchant.
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.
