DTH
Tata Sky paints murals in homage to Gujarati cinema actors
NEW DELHI: Tata Sky is painting the town red, quite literally. The DTH operator has launched a unique mural campaign in Gujarat to bring alive the local flavour by associating with popular regional film stars.
The campaign also embodies the concept of khidki that was introduced in the new brand purpose TVC Iss khidki ko khol dala toh life Jingalala; khidki being the embodiment of entertainment through which Tata Sky aims to provide moments of emotional gratification in everyday lives of people.
The campaign is conceptualised by Ogilvy and executed by Dentsu India, along with Bollywood Art Project (BAP). The ad features Ketki Dave, Rasik Dave, Malhar Thakkar, Deeksha Joshi, Siddharth Randheria and Mamta Soni, and the company believes that the inclusion of popular actors could help to build a deeper connection with the people of the state.
The wall murals pay homage to the Gujarati cinema actors who have been intrinsic in bringing the art and culture of the state to the forefront.
"People’s lives are made better when they connect to quality entertainment. This thought inspired our recent national campaign – Iss khidki ko khol dala toh life Jingalala. We have now taken this thought closer to our customers in Gujarat by celebrating popular faces from Gujarati entertainment through the unique format of wall murals. These murals reinforce Tata Sky’s commitment to be an inherent part of people’s everyday lives, making quality entertainment affordable and accessible to all," said Tata Sky chief communications officer Anurag Kumar.
The wall murals are installed in the Lunawada, Vijapur, and Rajula towns of Gujarat. The company is now planning to expand the art installations in the form of digital wall paintings in Ahmedabad, Panch Mahals, Jamnagar, Kheda, Mahasena; gradually covering 375 walls across 133 towns.
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.
