DTH
With d2h merger, Essel Group will have world’s largest subs base
BENGALURU: The Essel group is one of the largest media and entertainment industry players in India. Its flagship company is Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (Zeel) that has a weightage of 45 per cent on the National Stock Exchange’s Nifty Media Index.
Its group company, Dish TV Limited (Dish) is also is the largest DTH player in the country in terms of number of subscribers. Along with DTH services, the group also has one of the largest cable operators or multi-system operators (MSO) in Siti Networks Limited or Siti (the erstwhile Siti Cable Network Limited). Amongst the major MSOs in India, Siti is the only one that has added 1.5 million (15 lakh) subscribers over the past few quarters, while its peers have had stagnating subscriber numbers.
On combining the number of subscribers, the two carriage industry players are already a force to reckon with – a fact that the Essel Group recognised, and will leverage. In an industry first, the two formed a content negotiating joint venture (JV) called Comnet. Both Dish and Siti are equal partners in the JV that came into existence on 1 July, 2015. As part of the JV, both companies said that they would hold joint discussions with broadcasters post which separate direct contracts between the broadcaster and distribution platform will be signed. Further, the JV’s intent is to bring together the industry on contentious taxation issues like the hike in entertainment tax in Delhi.
Let us look at what we have on the table — Siti had 12.2 million (1.22 crore) subscribers — of which 8.4 million (84 lakh) were digital as per its Q1-17 report, and Dish has reported a subscriber base of 15.1 million (1.51 crore) – totalling 27.3 million(2.73 crore). Now the merger with Videocon d2h will bring in another 12.5 million (1.25 crore) subscribers into the Essel fold for a grand total of 39.8 million (3.98 crore), hence about 2 million (20 lakh) more than the 37.8 million (3.78 crore) subscribers reported for DIRECTV.
Zeel’s channels have been regularly making it to the top five or 10 in the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) ratings across various genres, be they Hindi general entertainment (GEC), regional channels, movies, English entertainment, etc. Another group company, Zee Media Corporation Limited (ZMCL), offers general news and business news across its television channels.
The fact that a number of the top rated channels are Essel group companies as well as a huge slice of the Indian television subscription market is indeed huge leverage – bear in mind that the group will probably control more than 25 percent of the carriage industry in the country. And what with the sunset date for DAS phase IV nearing with no let-up in sight from the government, subscription numbers will only grow.
With this merger, synergies of the two match perfectly. Dish is more of a value player with offerings for all markets including rural, while Videocon d2h is a premium player.
DTH
Free Dish serves fresh slots as Prasar Bharati rings in e Auction 97
MPEG 4 slots for 2026–27 open with bids from March 16 and applications due March 9.
MUMBAI- When the Free Dish menu changes, broadcasters sharpen their forks. Prasar Bharati has formally opened applications for vacant MPEG-4 slots on its DD Free Dish direct to home platform, setting the stage for the 97th e-auction, scheduled to begin on March 16, 2026. The allotment will cover the broadcast period from April 1, 2026, to March 31, 2027, continuing the public broadcaster’s annual auction cycle.
The notice, issued on February 9, 2026, lays out a familiar but finely sliced structure, with channels grouped into genre and language based “buckets”, each carrying its own reserve price and bidding dynamics. The aim is simple: widen content choice on DD Free Dish while keeping the playing field regulated and competitive.
At the premium end of the table, HD channels (Bucket H) will open with a reserve price of Rs 80 lakh, with bid increments of Rs 1 lakh.
Regional language channels are split across multiple rounds. Bucket R1, covering South Indian languages, and Bucket R2, which includes Marathi, Gujarati and Bengali, will both start at Rs 5 lakh in round one, moving up to Rs 15 lakh in the second round.
News and current affairs channels under Bucket G1 will begin at Rs 30 lakh, escalating to Rs 50 lakh in the next round, while the General Open round (GO) meant to mop up unfilled slots across categories carries a reserve price of Rs 70 lakh.
Eligibility remains tightly controlled. Participation is limited to satellite television channels licensed by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, with international public broadcasters holding valid MIB licences also allowed to bid. Prasar Bharati has also reiterated strict content compliance norms, making genre and language declarations more than just paperwork.
To qualify as “predominant”, at least 75 percent of non advertising content must align with the declared genre and language. In overall terms, this means such content cannot fall below 60 percent of a channel’s total monthly telecast. Complaints will trigger a review by a designated committee, and persistent violations could result in the channel being taken off the platform.
Applications must be submitted online via the Prasar Bharati portal by 9 March, 2026, at 15:00 hours. Broadcasters will need to pay a non refundable processing fee of Rs 25,000 and a participation fee of Rs 3 lakh, along with submitting mandatory documents such as MIB permissions, channel logos and proof of carriage on other DTH or MSO platforms.
Successful bidders will be required to stick to a strict payment calendar. Delays will attract interest at 14.5 percent per annum, and repeated defaults could lead to forfeiture of the participation fee and removal from DD Free Dish.
As India’s only free to air DTH platform with massive reach, DD Free Dish continues to be a crucial gateway, especially in regional markets. With e-Auction 97, Prasar Bharati is once again reshuffling the platter and the industry is watching closely to see who gets served next.
