DTH
DishTV introduces Dance Active Service
Mumbai: DishTV, Asia’s largest DTH player, has set the stage for millions of aspiring dancers of the country to pursue their passion by launching the new ‘Dance Active’ service on their platform. With this introduction DishTV will enable its strong subscriber base of 15.7 million (Net) to actively follow their interests and go beyond conventional TV Entertainment. DishTV continues its legacy of enhancing subscriber experience by providing such unique services.
Dance Active, the latest addition to DishTV’s exciting pool of active services will provide dancing lessons to all the dance enthusiasts and enable them to learn different dance forms in the comfort of their living rooms.
Powered by ‘Dance with Madhuri’, Dish TV’s Dance Active service will provide 100+ hours of dance content. Subscribers can choose any dance form as per their choice and preference from a repertoire of Dance styles ranging from Indian Classical like Kathak, Bharatanatyam, to Western forms like Jazz, Contemporary, Hip Hop, Salsa, Bachata and freestyle Bollywood. With the support from gurus such as Pt. Birju Maharaj, Saroj Khan, Terence Lewis, Remo D’Souza and other renowned choreographers from India, Dance Active aims at becoming a one stop destination for learning all kinds of dance forms giving it a truly global appeal.
“Speaking about the new active service, Mr. Anil Dua, Group Chief Executive Officer DishTV said “DishTV stands for quality and commitment, and being the largest DTH brand in the country, we believe in providing a wide range of content and services to our subscribers and enriching their experience. The launch of Dance Active service is yet another step by us to enhance our value added services (VAS) portfolio and cater to a wider audience set. Having received very positive response from our earlier active services, we take immense pleasure in announcing the launch of this service which will offer an opportunity to the subscribers to learn and indulge in the magic of dance simply through their television screens”
Commenting on the launch of Dance Active, Mr. Sukhpreet Singh, Senior Vice President, DishTV said “Dish TV is the largest platform which enables subscribers to go beyond entertainment and actively pursue their passions. DishTV’s partnership with ‘Dance with Madhuri’ provides a fascinating opportunity for subscribers to learn from and match their steps with some of the best choreographers in the country. We are happy to have collaborated with Ms. Madhuri Dixit and her magnificent team as Madhuri Dixit is a renowned personality of Bollywood and an iconic dancer in India.”
Commenting on Dance with Madhuri’s association with DishTV’s Dance Active Service, Madhuri Dixit said, “Our vision for ‘Dance with Madhuri’ is to take the passion of dance to everyone and we believe our collaboration with Dish TV will ensure that millions of people can now learn how to dance right in their living rooms. We put in a lot of effort to create an amazing team of choreographers who help us bring this vision to life. So excited to launch this service!”
Dance Active will be available on Channel No. 454 at an attractive price of just Rs.45 (All inclusive). The service will be available for free preview from 14th Nov’17- 28th Nov’17. Valued subscribers of DishTV can avail Dance Active service by a simple missed call on 18002700214 from registered telephone number.
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.
