DTH
Videocon d2h plans to launch IPO by Feb 2015
MUMBAI: A few days ago, Videocon d2h files paper with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) to raise Rs 700 crore through an initial public offering (IPO).
Rs 350 crore will be used to acquire STBs, outdoor units and accessories from TEL, a Videocon Group entity and Rs 175 crore to repay debt.
In a recent interview to CNBC TV18, Videocon Industries CMD Venugopal Dhoot has said that it will launch the IPO in the first quarter of 2015.
“We hope to launch it in January or February maximum, market is good and Videocon d2h has been number one since beginning in customer acquisition from where it started and now it has become number one in customer acquisition,” he said adding that it is looking at doubling its subscriber base within five years. Dhoot highlighted that it currently has 9 million subscribers but will soon become a ‘super profitable company’.
Dhoot also said that the average revenue per user (ARPU) of Videocon d2h was the same as Dish TV, but a little less than Tata Sky. While speaking at a session at indiantelevision.com’s IDOS 2014, Videocon d2h CEO Anil Khera had said that its ARPU in phase III and phase IV cities have touched Rs 220.
This is Videocon’s second attempt at the IPO. It had got SEBI’s approval in 2012 but didn’t go ahead with it due to unfavourable market conditions. Seven banks including UBS, Axis Capital, ICICI Securities, SBI Capital Markets, Yes Bank, IDBI Capital are managing the share sale.
The company is also considering a preferential issue of up to 5,000,000 equity shares, aggregating up to Rs 50 crore with certain investors.
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.
