DTH
Tata Sky Binge app now available on smartphones
New Delhi: Leading Pay TV platform Tata Sky has extended the benefit of its pioneering OTT content aggregator service, ‘Tata Sky Binge,’ to mobile with the introduction of Tata Sky Binge Mobile app.
The OTT aggregation app curates’ content from multiple streaming services into categories such as new releases, popular movies, Trending Now to make content discoverability easy. Content surfing using language, genre, app rails etc., makes search and recommendations faster and convenient. The tab bar at the bottom of the screen gives easy access to Home screen, Search and Watchlist. Single subscription, single payment and single sign-on to view content on one unified platform makes viewing immersive and enjoyable, said the company on Wednesday.
The company has introduced the Tata Sky Binge Mobile app with two attractive plans. Subscribers opting for a Tata Sky Binge 299 plan will be able to access content from 10 OTT apps on one TV screen (through Amazon Fire TV Stick – Tata Sky Edition or Binge+ STB) and three mobile screens. The 149 mobile-only plan gives access to Binge services on three mobile screens with content from seven premium OTT apps. All new Binge users downloading the Mobile app enjoy a seven-day free trial, it said.
Commenting on the launch, Tata Sky, chief content & commercial officer, Pallavi Puri said, “The launch of Tata Sky Binge Mobile app is in sync with our endeavour towards making our products available to a larger audience base. Our subscribers can now access their choice of OTT content, on large and small screens, at home or on-the-go, all with a unified interface, single subscription and sign-on.”
She further added, “Tata Sky Binge on Amazon Fire TV Stick – Tata Sky Edition was our first step into OTT. With the next step we wanted to combine the best of both worlds on one interface, i.e. linear TV + OTT through the introduction of Android enabled smart Set top box, Tata Sky Binge+.”
Tata Sky Binge aggregates content from as many as premium OTT apps. Single subscription and a unified user interface gives access to partner apps such as Disney+ Hotstar Premium, ZEE5, SunNxt, Hungama Play, Eros Now, ShemarooMe, Voot Select, Voot Kids, SonyLIV and CuriosityStream. Amazon Prime Video can be accessed on the large screen with an additional Prime subscription.
Tata Sky Binge service was first launched through- Amazon Fire TV Stick – Tata Sky Edition. The next extension was the launch of Tata Sky Binge+ Android enabled smart set-top box and now the same promise is available on Mobile (Android and iOS). Tata Sky Subscribers with a Tata Sky Binge subscription on Fire TV Stick – Tata Sky Edition or Binge+ Set Top Box can login and access content on the Binge mobile app by using their Subscriber ID or Registered Mobile Number. Customers also have the option to choose a mobile-only plan.
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.
