DTH
Tata Sky unveils its newly revamped music service, Tata Sky Music
New Delhi: Aligned with its new brand purpose to make tomorrow better than today for its subscribers, content distribution, and Pay TV platform Tata Sky on Thursday unveiled its revamped music service offering, Tata Sky Music.
The platform has integrated the strengths of the two earlier portfolios, Tata Sky Music and Tata Sky Music+ at an affordable price. With 20 Audio Stations and five Video Stations, Tata Sky Music plans to bring together a robust offering of mass, niche, Indian, International, Regional, Devotional, Ghazal, Hindustani, Carnatic music among many other genres. The service will be available on TV as well as with Mobile App at Rs 2.5 per day, it said in a release.
Commenting on the offering, Tata Sky chief commercial and content officer, Pallavi Puri, said, “We wanted to offer a one-stop music service with added benefits. With a robust, and curated library for all genres of music, a refreshed Tata Sky Music will give subscribers an elevated music experience. With the help of our partner, Hungama Music, this is a step towards expanding the audience base, and exploring many new cohorts of customers.”
Offering audio and video on one unified platform, Tata Sky Music offers a 360-degree affordable family plan for all music lovers that can be enjoyed anytime anywhere with access on both television and the Tata Sky Mobile App. Active subscribers of the service will continue to enjoy the free Hungama Music Pro subscription plan worth Rs 99 per month, through the Tata Sky Mobile app at no additional cost.
Active subscribers of the Tata Sky Music & Music+ service will be upgraded to this pack automatically. New subscribers can give a missed call on 080 6858 0815 to enjoy the service on 815.
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.
