DTH
Tata Sky offers critically-acclaimed films in six languages for free
MUMBAI: Tata Sky, a content distribution platform, kickstarted the festive season with its Tata Sky Mumbai Film Festival.
It has all – screening films from both, the remotest corners of India and countries across the globe, award-winning, critically-acclaimed masterpieces, spread over two months.
The films are exclusive and curated films in association with Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival.
Close to 30 films will run for a duration of two months starting from 1 October to 30 November 2017 in languages such as Hindi, English, Punjabi, Marathi, Assamese, Manipuri, International (with subtitles) available on channel number 302 in HD and 303 in SD.
After a successful 2016 Tata Sky Mumbai Film Festival Service, wherein 20+ films were available to subscribers at no additional charge, the company announced a bigger and better festival catering to connoisseurs on 4 October 2017.
Tata Sky chief content officer Arun Unni said, “The response last year indicated that there is a sizeable audience for high-quality and critically-acclaimed cinema, encouraging us to further explore and bring forward these hidden gems. Our scale allows us to support great art and good talent an all-India platform, especially to regions outside the major cultural centres, where access to film festivals is difficult.”
MAMI festival director Anupama Chopra said, “There are so many wonderful filmmakers who narrate compelling stories. This unique platform enables these to reach new and varied audience. The festival serves both, story-tellers and movie-lovers.”
Let the celebration of cinema begin!
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.
