DTH
Videocon d2h to phase out SD STB manufacturing by 2016
MUMBAI: Sensing a strong business opportunity, Indian direct to home (DTH) operator Videocon d2h is augmenting a new strategy. With the number of High Definition (HD) channels set to increase in the coming years, Videocon d2h, which also manufactures set top boxes (STBs), will be phasing out its Standard Definition (SD) STBs over the next year or so.
Videocon d2h is looking at 50 to 60 per cent acquisitions in HD STB space from the current 30 per cent.
Speaking at the Asia Pacific Video Operators Summit (APOS) held in Bali, Videocon d2h CEO Anil Khera said, “The cost of difference between SD and HD set top boxes for us is only one and half dollar.”
It may be recalled that as per the 2013-2014 annual report of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), the number of HD Pay TV channels has shot up to 34 in 2014 as compared to three in 2010. Indeed the HD feed is a precious value added service for broadcasters and DTH operators.
Khera also shared some insights and trends that he has been witnessing in the Indian DTH sector. “In terms of gross adds, the market has been consistently growing and we have seen a growth of eight to nine million new additions in a year. Net additions has been a challenge, and the industry has been able to get net addition of five to six million. As far as the rotation churn is concerned how one retains customers and provides additional services, is a big challenge,” shared Khera.
Highlighting the biggest hurdle for the sector, he opined that carrying HD channels with a limited satellite bandwidth posed a grave challenge. Projecting that there would be at least a hundred HD channels over the next one and a half year, Khera said, “All the Hindi and English general entertainment channels and movie channels will have a HD and SD feed.”
A sizeable growth of electronic HD TV sets would compliment this trend further, he said.
Speaking on Over the Top (OTT) platforms, Khera said that they were not to be seen as a threat but rather as something that can compliment TV services. “However, one disturbing fact is that premium content is available free of cost to customers. If it becomes pay, then it will definitely help the industry because we pay a premium to buy the same content,” Khera opined.
He also said that the platform, which currently offers Bollywood movie channels on its video on demand (VOD) service is also in talks with Hollywood studios to offer English movies. However, he said that after rolling out its first 4K channel, it will now add Hollywood movies in 4K on the channel 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.
