DTH
The History Channel’s ‘Great Battles of Rome’ to be adapted as a video game
MUMBAI: US video game developers Slitherine Software and Black Bean Games have partnered with US broadcaster The History Channel to deliver a gaming experience, The Hustory Channel Great Battles of Rome.
Combining gameplay, historical footage and battle simulation, the product allows players to fully immerse themselves into history as never before. The game will begin to roll out worldwide in the second quarter of this year.
Merging action and strategy in a setting that replicates the atmosphere of the period, the game allows players to take control of a series of campaigns against Barbarian hordes, while carving out the Roman Empire.
Over 100 battles are available for play including the Punic and Samnite Wars, and Julius Caesar’s conquest of Britain. Players can customize and control massive armies with an array of soldiers including legionaries, archers, cavalry and even mighty war-elephants. The game delivers battle realism in various environments, including steppe, forest, desert and coastline, with both day and night lighting.
Players can also choose to either plan their own battle tactics by selecting an army to suit a gameplay situation, or they can leave strategy decisions to the AI, freeing them to be involved in nothing but action.
The game also features 3D special effects and instant control response.
In addition, 30 programme clips from the archives of The History Channel have been specially blended and narrated to match the game and guide the player through the greatest story of all time.
Black Bean marketing head Marco Minoli says, “We are proud of this collaboration between The History Channel, Slitherine and Black Bean enabling us to publish a licensed video game with excellent graphics and realism. The endorsement of such a prestigious brand, reinforces and confirms Black Bean’s global credentials as one of the most innovative and respected publishing houses in the business.”
Slitherine’s Iain McNeil says, “We have been working with The History Channel and our partner Black Bean to bring the highest quality and exciting historical video games to our audience. Our relationship with The History Channel has enabled us to use material from their archives that we could only dream about. This builds on our previous range of historical strategy games and brings a new dimension to the genre”
The History Channel director licensing Carrie Trimmer says, “We are very pleased to be working with Slitherine and Black Bean on the development of The History Channel Great Battles of Rome, the first international console game to be released under our brand. The History Channel is always looking for ways to make history experiential for our viewers, and by giving them the power to build their own armies and plot battle strategy, this game truly allows players to be a part of the building of the Roman Empire.”
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.
