DTH
VZY makes a star turn as TOIFA 2025’s special partner
MUMBAI: Lights, camera, integration, that’s the script VZY seems to be chasing as it steps into the spotlight as special partner of The Times of India Film Awards (TOIFA) 2025. For a brand built on next-generation entertainment, partnering with one of India’s most credible film honours feels less like a surprise and more like a scene waiting to be shot.
VZY, the new entertainment brand from Dish TV India, is fast positioning itself as a future-ready force, and its flagship offering VZY TV is central to that push. Designed for digital-first households who refuse to juggle convoluted remotes and scattered content, VZY TV blends smart tech, a sleek interface, live TV, OTT apps, and personalised recommendations into one easy, intuitive screen. The pitch is clear: simplicity, speed, and seamless discovery.
That promise makes its partnership with TOIFA 2025 a natural alignment. Known for its credibility and sharp evaluation standards, TOIFA stands apart in an awards landscape that often gets muddied by popularity metrics. The platform is backed by the TOIFA Academy and guided by an elite Advisory Council, with a multi-layered screening process that covers both OTT and theatrical Hindi cinema. In a move that reinforces transparency, every stage is audited by Ernst & Young, a rarity in the awards space and a reminder of why TOIFA continues to be one of Hindi cinema’s most respected honours.
For VZY, the association extends beyond branding, it is a statement of intent. As Indian audiences demand faster, smarter, and more integrated entertainment experiences, the brand wants to sit at the intersection of technology and culture, a positioning TOIFA helps amplify.
Dish TV India CEO & executive director Manoj Dobhal framed it as a strategic bridge between technology and storytelling. “VZY TV stands at the forefront of our vision to redefine how India experiences entertainment, smart, seamless, and deeply immersive,” he said. “Our association with TOIFA 2025 adds a meaningful cultural dimension to that journey.”
Echoing the sentiment, The Times of India CEO Sivakumar Sundaram emphasised TOIFA’s widened canvas this year. With its renewed focus on both OTT and theatrical brilliance, TOIFA 2025 is set to recognise “the full spectrum of India’s storytelling talent,” backed by a process rooted in credibility and inclusion.
This year’s ceremony is expected to bring together leading actors, filmmakers, and industry powerhouses for an evening dedicated to cinematic excellence. As Special Partner, VZY will help expand the event’s reach and enrich the viewer experience, reinforcing its ambition to shape the next chapter of Indian entertainment.
With VZY TV pushing smarter ways to watch and TOIFA celebrating the finest films of the year, the partnership feels like a coming-together of two worlds, one redefining how stories are told, the other redefining how they’re experienced.
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.
