DTH
Tata Sky launches new service Tata Sky Romance
Mumbai: Tata Sky has announced the launch of its latest platform service Tata Sky Romance to offer curated romantic content across Hollywood (dubbed in Hindi), Bollywood, and television to its subscribers. Priced at Rs two per day, the service is completely ad-free and is available for on-the-go viewing on Tata Sky mobile app.
The DTH player has roped in Shaheer Sheikh and Sana Makbulhave to promote the new offering with a quirky campaign.
Tata Sky Romance has a lineup of Hollywood blockbusters “Bold & Beautiful,” “Cedar Cove,” “Ashk,” “Notting Hill,” “No Strings Attached,” “I Could Never Be Your Woman,” “Death Defying Acts,” “Heartbreakers,” “The Good Girl,” and popular Bollywood titles like “Jab We Met” amongst others.
Going ahead, shows such as “A Place To Call Home” and “Juda Na Hona” will also be added to the service along with more film titles, said the DTH brand in a statement.
“Romance is one of the most popular genres in India when it comes to entertainment. We believe Tata Sky Romance is a good destination for audiences preferring to watch content from a different country but in their own language,” said Tata Sky chief commercial and content officer Pallavi Puri. “The service provides the choicest selection of romantic titles across Hollywood and Bollywood on TV screen in Hindi, ad-free, making it a perfect gateway to unwind, this festive season.”
“We at JOP Network are elated to associate with Tata Sky to bring to the audiences a special curation of romantic movies, shows and more from Hollywood and Bollywood that are sure to entertain the romantic chords of every viewer. These titles have been specially curated keeping in mind consumer likings, popularity and ratings of the shows and movies over the years. This first-of-its-kind service is sure to rekindle the heart,” added JOP Network director Urvi Agarwal.
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.
