DTH
D2H brand increases focus on South, launches new customer awareness TVC campaign
MUMBAI: D2H, brand of Dish TV India Limited, the world’s largest single-country DTH Company, has launched a 360-degree TVC campaign for its southern market, highlighting the maximum number of entertainment offerings by the brand. Titled “Go for Highera”, the campaign is urging customers to not settle for less, but ask for more. Conceptualized by Lowe Lintas, the TVC campaign is now live and is being rolled out in the three southern languages across the three southern states.
With an aim to connect with potential customers in South India, D2H’s ‘Go for Highera’ a 360-degree TVC campaign is being promoted on social media & digital platforms, cinema and print media to reach out to larger audience.
The TVC opens with a simile of splashing water to wake up the viewer by the protagonist to bust the myth about the content provided to customers in the name of highest channels offerings. The TVC ends with urging the viewer to wake up and go for the “higher than the highest” number of channels in his language.
Commenting on the campaign launch, Mr. Anil Dua, Group CEO – Dish TV India Limited said, “In the south, our D2H brand is a strong player. We have ramped up our distribution, strengthened our service network and enhanced our product, both in terms of content and attractive entry-level offerings. With our new campaign “Go for Highera”, we are aiming to take D2H brand to a leadership position. The campaign aims at highlighting our value proposition of providing best of regional content and establishing our content leadership in the market. The campaign brings out assertively that when it comes to content offerings in regional languages, D2H platform is clearly the best.”
Speaking on the new advertising campaign, Mr. Sugato Banerji, Corporate Head- Marketing, D2H brand, said, “According to our in-house research and consumer insights, consumers are choosing DTH service basis the content offerings before any other factors come into play. This insight led us to strengthen our channels in each of the four south languages and bring ‘Go for Highera’ campaign for the south market to create an awareness among customers on content offerings. The campaign’s objective is to bust the myth about content leadership and translate that to favourable gains of market share.”
Mr. Sajid Khan, Unit Creative Director, Lowe Lintas said, “The core idea of ‘Go for Highera’ campaign was to awaken the customers to not settle for anything that they’re being offered in the name of entertainment. With our collaboration with D2H, a brand of DishTV India Ltd, we’re creating awareness for the brand’s maximum entertainment offerings in the regional languages for its South subscribers. With this campaign, we’re hoping to make the brand more appealing to the target audience.”
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.
