DTH
Videocon d2h receives shareholder, Competition Commission nod for merger with Dish TV
BENGALURU: The Saurabh Dhoot led Videocon d2h Limited (Videocon d2h) has informed the Security Exchange Commission (SEC) that its equity shareholders have thought it fit and given consent by the requisite majority to the scheme of arrangement for amalgamation of Videocon d2h with Subhash Chandra’s Dish TV India Limited (Dish TV) and their respective shareholders and creditors. In pursuance to the Order of the Hon’ble National Company Law Tribunal, dated 22 March, 2017, the meeting of the shareholders was held on 9 May in Mumbai. The company intends to file the company petition with the Hon’ble National Company Law Tribunal seeking sanction of the scheme.
Further, Videocon d2h has also informed the SEC thaton 9 May 2017 it has received a letter dated 4 May 2017from the Competition Commission of India, approving the proposed combination of Videocon d2h with Dish TV.
Videocon d2h is a Nashdaq listed company, while Dish TV is listed on the NSE and BSE in India and the Luxembourg Stock Exchange in the form of GDRs’. The merged entity, Dish TV Videocon, will have a joint management structure with Jawahar Goel as its Chairman and MD and a vice-chairman and deputy managing director nominated by Videocon D2H shareholders.
According to a Dish TV press release, following the closing of the merger transaction, the merged entity will be renamed as Dish TV Videocon Limited (Dish TV Videocon). Dish TV Videocon shall issue 857.791 million (85.7791 crore) shares as consideration for the Scheme and the Vd2h shareholders shall be allotted 2.021 new shares of Dish TV Videocon for every one share held in Vd2h subject to certain adjustments. This would result in Dish TV shareholders owning 1,066.861 million (106.6861 crore) existing shares or 55.4% of Dish TV Videocon, and Vd2h shareholders owning 857.791 million (85.7791 crore) new shares or 44.6% of Dish TV Videocon.
Dish TV Videocon will be led by Jawahar Lal Goel as Chairman and Managing Director, combining the strength of senior and operating management teams while offering further career growth opportunities for employees of the two merging companies. The Vd2h principals shall have the right to nominate two directors on the Dish TV Videocon Board, one of whom shall be cice chairman and the other a deputy managing director.
The merger is expected to create a leading cable and satellite distribution platform in India. Dish TV Videocon would serve 27.6 million (2.76 crore) net subscribers in India, as of September 30, 2016 on a pro forma basis, out of a total of 175 million (17.5 crore) TV households in India highlighting significant room for growth.
At the close of the merger transaction, the current promoters of Dish TV shall continue as promoters of Dish TV Videocon. The Dish TV principals are also in discussion with the Vd2h principals to purchase some of the Vd2h principals’ shares in Dish TV Videocon post the amalgamation, details of which are likely to be finalised soon.
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.
