DTH
Get Fit with Dish TV’s new ‘Fitness Active’ service
MUMBAI: Dish TV India Limited, world’s largest single-country DTH Company announce the launch of ‘Fitness Active’ service on its DishTV & d2h platforms. ‘Fitness Active’, a unique offering along with a strong strategic partnership with Brilliant Living TV, country’s largest content provider in fitness and wellness, will help Dish TV bringing value added services into this space. This fitness service will be available on channel number 132 on DishTV & d2h.
DishTV’s subscribers and fitness enthusiasts will get up close and personal with the celebrity fitness trainers to gain insight on fitness and nutrition. These fitness trainers come from diverse fields of Yoga, Nutrition, Meditation, Martial Arts, Pilates, who are responsible for training and coaching of famous celebrities like Katrina Kaif, Kareena Kapoor, Aamir Khan, and the likes. Grand Master Shifuji- world’s best commando trainer, Shivoham from Shivfit, Yasmin Karachiwala – celebrity Pilates coach are few of the trainers who will share tips to become fit offering a holistic fitness regime to DishTV and d2h subscribers.
‘Fitness Active’, a 24×7 service will be available at just Rs.40 per month in both Hindi and English language. Additionally, the service will be available for a free preview till September 18th, 2018.
Announcing the new service, Mr. Anil Dua, Group Chief Executive Officer, Dish TV India Limited, said, “We’re excited to offer our customers personalized solutions to their wellness regime in the comfort of their homes. With rising awareness about fitness among Indians, we at Dish TV will offer a simple platform and guide to all their fitness queries and requirements. Our ‘Fitness Active’ service will provide best of fitness and wellness content on both our platforms, providing our customers with an easy access to world-class health and fitness trainers.”
Speaking on the partnership Mr. Adarsh Gupta Founder and CEO of “Brilliant Living TV”, said, “Brilliant Living TV is excited to be associated with Dish TV to bring ‘Fitness Active’ to many households with the help of Dish TV’s reach across India. We’re focused on creating unique fitness content to guide Indians through their workout regime with work-out videos including yoga and meditation. With our partnership with Dish TV, our aim is to encourage users to preach healthy living in the comfort of their homes. We’re sure that the new offering will thoroughly be enjoyed by the viewers of both DishTV and d2h platforms.”
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.
