DTH
Videocon d2h named best ‘Pay TV Service’ at Content Innovation Award in Cannes
MUMBAI: Indian direct to home (DTH) company Videocon d2h bagged the ‘Pay TV Service of the Year’ award at Digital TV Europe’s inaugural Content Innovation Awards held in Cannes.
Videocon d2h is India’s fastest growing pay TV operator. For the quarter ended 30 June, 2015, Videocon d2h’s subscription revenue grew 32.2 per cent year on year to Rs 599 crore. On the other hand, the company’s revenue from operations grew 23.3 per cent year on year to Rs 663 crore. Videocon d2h’s gross subscriber base stands at 13.70 million, whereas its net subscriber base is at 10.64 million.
Videocon d2h executive chairman Saurabh Dhoot said, “As the fastest growing Pay TV operator in India and the DTH market leader for the fourth consecutive year in terms of incremental market share, Videocon d2h has worked hard for its success in what can only be described as a strongly competitive marketplace. Our focus of providing superior customer service for each and every single one of our 14 million gross subscribers has served as the foundation for several milestone accomplishments for Videocon d2h, including adding 2.64 million subscribers, growing subscription revenues by 38.3 per cent during this past fiscal year.”
Videocon d2h CEO Anil Khera added, “2015 has certainly been a banner year for Videocon d2h. We started the year with the launch of India’s first 4K Ultra HD channel in January, became the most valued Indian company to be listed on NASDAQ with our successful IPO with a market cap of $1.24 billion as of 30 June, 2015. Being honoured with Pay TV Service of the Year award is a celebration of our customer delight approach.”
Accepting the award, Videocon d2h deputy CEO Rohit Jain said, “Being named Pay TV Service of the Year, especially from a global field of innovative businesses, is truly the icing on the cake.”
On the other hand, Discovery Networks International was named as the Best International TV Networks Group. Discovery Networks CEEMEA also won the Best Series Launch of the Year for Dynamo: Magician Impossible (season 4).
Endemol Beyond was crowned MCN of the Year, whereas the Channel of the Year award went to Eurosport. The award for the Best New Channel launch went to AMC Global.
Some of the other major winners at the awards were Entertainment One, which won International Production Company of the Year, ITV Studios Global Entertainment was awarded as the Best Content Distributor.
BT took home the award for 4K Initiative of the Year for its Ultra HD Service, whereas the Cloud TV Innovation of the Year award went to Easel TV for Curzon Home Cinema. Orange for Watch with Twitter bagged the Social TV Innovation of the Year award.
The Industry Innovation of the Year went to VOO for the .évasion box and Videowall. Rovi bagged the TV Technology Award (content discovery) award for Personalized Discovery Solution
The awards were attended by more than 100 programming and technology industry executives in Cannes.
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.
