DTH
Tata Sky launches new service for Malayalam cinema
KOLKATA: In a move to further strengthen its regional slate, Tata Sky has launched Tata Sky Malayalam Cinema. To this end, the DTH operator has joined forces with Asianet, the leading Malayalam GEC in Kerala.
With this, Tata Sky has regional cinema offerings in all four major south Indian languages – Tata Sky Telugu Cinema, Tata Sky Tamil Cinema, Tata Sky Kannada Cinema, and now Tata Sky Malayalam Cinema.
Tata Sky Malayalam Cinema will offer an uninterrupted movie-viewing experience to film enthusiasts, capturing the spectrum of genres – action, romance, drama, and comedy on television. The service will showcase the biggest blockbusters of Mollywood with exclusive movie premieres before television. The channel is now available to all subscribers on #1805 (SD) at a minimal cost of Rs 1.5 per day.
Pallavi Puri, chief commercial and content officer said, “Movies contribute more than 20 per cent to the overall TV viewership in Kerala and that itself indicates the tremendous affinity Malayalam speaking audiences have for their cinema. With regional content becoming the key driver of viewership, the launch of Malayalam Cinema is an extension of this trend. Our new service will deliver an uninterrupted flow of the best movies to ensure an enjoyable TV viewing experience for the subscribers. We are delighted to collaborate with Asianet to make this service come alive for our subscribers.”
“Over the years, Asianet has forged a special place in the hearts of Malayalam-speaking audiences. We always strive to identify new ways to take our rich and engaging content offering to newer viewers and are delighted to work with Tata Sky to launch this new service,” Star & Disney India infotainment, kids & regional entertainment channels CEO Kevin Vaz said.
To further spread the word on the launch of this platform service, Tata Sky collaborated with south India’s popular rock fusion band, Masala Coffee. Known for their folk fusion mixes and compositions for films like Uriyadi and Dulquer Salmaan-starrer Kannum Kannum Kollaiyadithaal, Masala Coffee’s original composition for Tata Sky Malayalam Cinema is a peppy and upbeat number that brings out the essence of the offering.
Tata Sky Malayalam Cinema strengthens the bouquet of regional cinema services for Tata Sky that offer uninterrupted and high-quality entertainment, thereby catering to the growing demand for regional movie content. As a part of this endeavour, the regional bouquet already includes eight services.
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.
