DTH
Tata Sky offers Reliance DTH consumers migration deal, Dish TV too in play
MUMBAI: Tata Sky reportedly is offering consumers of Reliance Digital TV a limited time offer till middle of November 2017 to migrate to its platform at no extra cost. Reason: Reliance is not renewing its DTH licence that expires in November 2017.
Though no official confirmations are forthcoming from any of the companies involved, a message being flashed on TV sets of consumers of Reliance Digital TV informs people to call a designated number or give a missed-call after which the consumer receives a call back from its new DTH service provider.
The message mentions a number 9237092370 that has to be called. When the number was called by this reporter, a recorded message said, “Thank you for showing interest in Tata Sky. We will get in touch with you within 72 hours.”
According to a possible deal hammered out between the two companies, Tata Sky will offer to Reliance consumers a mechanism involving installation of free STBs and dish antennas for a painless migration in an offer that is valid till 18 November 2017.
Tata Sky is also promising the approximately one million Reliance Digital TV consumers — mostly pre-paid — their Reliance credit money will be transferred to the new Tata Sky accounts.
However, industry sources indicated that India’s first private sector DTH operator Dish TV too has, reportedly, told its distributors that any Reliance Digital TV consumer who has not migrated to a competitor’s platform should be targeted for acquisition after paying that consumer a one-time fee of approximately Rs. 1,000. Dish TV is in the process of amalgamating the ops of Videocon d2h DTH with itself pending some regulatory clearances.
Few days back Reliance Communications, parent of Reliance Digital TV, had informed Bombay Stock Exchange: “DTH operation is a non-core business of the company provided through Reliance BigTV Limited (RBTV), a subsidiary of the Company. RBTV’s DTH license is expiring by end of November 2017and the company is currently working with three leading DTH operators for seamless migration of customers to enjoy uninterrupted services”.
Whether some regulatory clearances by other satellite TV operators in India need to be taken for customer acquisition of soon-to-be-shuttered DTH ops of Reliance is not yet clear.
When indiantelevision.com had got in touch with regulator TRAI and Ministry of Information and Broadcasting last week, officials at both the organizations said they were unaware of Reliance Digital TV’s future plans and also the reason as to why it was not renewing its DTH licence as no official communications had been received by them till then.
(With additional inputs from BB Nagpal in New Delhi)
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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.
