DTH
TATA Sky ShortsTV acquires much acclaimed short films from Terribly Tiny Tales
MUMBAI: TATA Sky ShortsTV, the world’s only TV channel dedicated to short films, has acquired 18 shorts from Terribly Tiny Tales (TTT).
The service features the best short movies from India and around the world, including hours of award-winning movies. This acquisition will further bolster ShortsTV’s repertoire of Indian shorts and offer an opportunity for the burgeoning audience of short films in India to enjoy some of the commended films such as ‘Kheer’ and ‘El’ayichi’, among others, on television for the first time.
Sharing details on the same, Mr. Carter Pilcher, Chief Executive of Shorts International Ltd said, “TTT is one of India's largest and most celebrated storytelling platforms and we are delighted to partner with them. Each film is a simply narrated beautiful story and I am confident that they will receive a warm response from our audience.”
He further added, “We are the largest curator of short form content in the world and aim to help viewers easily find the best short movies by packaging them in a viewer-friendly manner and a commercial free environment. This acquisition of films from TTT is a step towards our endeavour to feature the best short films from India on our service.”
Anuj Gosalia, CEO of Terribly Tiny Tales said, "Partnering with ShortsTV is a great way for TTT to bring our memorable short stories to a new and relevant audience. ShortsTV is a reputed curator of the world’s finest shorts and for our films to find a place in their catalogue is a win for the stories we choose to tell. We see this as a long standing and meaningful partnership as we move ahead."
Watch ‘Kheer’, starring Anumpam Kher on Monday 14 January at 21:00; ‘Deuce’, starring Mandira Bedi on Monday 21 January at 21:00; and ‘El’ayichi, starring Nimrat Kaur on Monday 28 January at 21:00. All on TATA SKY ShortsTV – channel HD 112 and SD 113.
About ShortsTV:
· ShortsTV is operated by Shorts International Ltd, the world’s leading short movie entertainment company
· With over 5,000 titles, Shorts International has the world’s largest library of shorts available on TV, online and in theatres, including award-winning and star-studded live action, animated and documentary shorts from around the world
· ShortsTV is the world’s only 24/7 HD TV channel dedicated to short movies. It is available in approximately 70 million households across the US, India, Latin America, the Netherlands, Belgium and Serbia
· In 2018, ShortsTV launched the ShortsTV App which marries the linear ShortsTV feed with the functionality of the Internet, at the click of a button on a viewer’s remote control. Using advanced machine-learning algorithm technology, the ShortsTV App enables viewers to either watch TV or to create, control and personalize their own TV channel, engineered to their desired genres or moods
· Online, ShortsTV offers hundreds of the world’s best independent shorts for download on iTunes in 92 countries, as well as on Amazon Instant Video (UK, US and Germany), Google Play (US and Canada) and Verizon and Frontier (US)
· Since 2006, Shorts International has exclusively presented the ‘Oscar Nominated Short Films’ theatrical release in cinemas across the US, South America, Europe, Australia and South Africa
· Shorts International is headquartered in London, England with offices in Los Angeles and Mumbai. The company is led by Carter Pilcher, Chief Executive, and is owned by Shorts Entertainment Holdings, with AMC Networks as a significant minority shareholder
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.
