DTH
The Last Mile Channel Carriage
Satellite channels have driven growth in C&S households from only four channels in the early 1990s to around 100 today. And going by present indications, with a C&S growth rate of around 17 per cent per annum cable penetration is expected to reach 67 million households by 2005.
Improving socioeconomic conditions, rapidly falling TV prices, increasing relevance of TV in household entertainment, are some of the drivers to increase penetration.
In declared terms the industry has been growing at the rate of 10 to 12 per cent and the size of the industry today in revenue terms is Rs 38 billion. Of this subscription revenue makes up RS 36 billion, local advertising revenue RS 1.25 billion and Internet over cable RS 60 million.
There are some key issues which govern an industry still in its nascent stage of development. These are: mushrooming growth of mom-and-pop operations, lack of addressability in the traditional cable business, subscriber base for pay channels becoming a point of negotiation.
The battleground in broadcasting business today has shifted from the skies to the ground. Effective distribution and efficient addressability is paramount to the success of a channel.
And in this scenario – HE WHO DISTRIBUTES WELL IS KING.
And it is the cable operator who is the critical cog in this equation. For it is he who decides on:
a)channels to be shown to subscribers;
b)frequency at which the channel is transmitted;
c)in case of pay channels, he decides how he gets reimbursed from the subscriber and at times the broadcaster faces a huge under-reporting of actual subscribers with disclosure ratios as low as 10-20 per cent.
As for broadcasters, their primary targets are producing, acquiring quality content, maximising advertising revenue through higher reach and viewership.
And for this, the relationship with the cable operator is the single most important factor in deciding the success of any channel.
Because a channel’s carriage ultimately depends on availability to both the cable operator and consumer as well as viewability at the subscriber end.
When discussing viewability, the type of television set also has to be considered. TVs receive signals on three major frequency bands. The Prime Band which is available to all TVs including B&W TVs; the tunable S-band viewable on all CTV’s and the non-tunable S -band or Hyper band viewable on new colour TVs.
Statistics culled from surveys in 48 cities show that of an estimated 8.62 million subscribers, only 3.81 million can receive the hyper band signal which automatically excludes 4.81 subscribers from a broadcaster’s list if he is transmitting on the Hyper band.
This means that efficiency of distribution is more important and critical than width of distribution. With the majority of TV sets lying within the 300MHz band (ie 36 channels) it is obvious that everyone is jostling for this space. Effective distribution therefore implies not only the ability to better place but also maintain the space for the channels.
This can easily be understood if we look at what sort of viewability was achieved by three channels covered in the survey. Of the 8.62 million subscribers in 48 cities, 1.53 million subscribers couldn’t view Star Plus; 2.49 million couldn’t see SAB TV and a whopping 6.15 million subscribers had no access to Aaj Tak.
Efficiency of Distribution:
In terms of channel carriage, the criticality of distribution cannot be underestimated. With the majority of the TV sets lying within the 300MHz band (i.e. 36 channels) it is obvious that everyone is jostling for this space.
Effective Distribution is not only about being able to get a better place for your channel but also maintaining the space for those channels.
This means that efficiency of distribution is more important and critical than width of distribution.
Cable v/s DTH:
DTH will penetrate 3 million homes in a span of three years. Revenues in this period would be approximately RS 18 billion.
However, investments required would include Rs100 million up-front as an entry fee and a 10 per cent share of subsequent revenues with the government. A bank guarantee of RS 400 million for a 10-year license.
Cost to the consumer – Capital expenditure of RS 10,000 to RS 15,000 towards set top box and dish antennae. Subscription fee of RS 500 to 600 per month.
Cable on the other hand, is well entrenched in India and poised for a leap into another plane. The sheer cost efficiency added to the fact that it is already present in 35 million homes across the country cannot be wished away. And upgradation of the current network can itself provide other value added services.
Cable is clearly a more economically accessible system and therefore, likely to remain predominant at least in the foreseeable future.
In conclusion: Efficient and effective channel carriage and monitoring capability with LAST MILE INFLUENCABILITY is the real key to higher TRP’s and by extension higher advertising revenues.
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.
