DTH
Tata Sky expands its news channel offerings in Odisha
MUMBAI: This election season, Tata Sky – the leading Direct-to-Home service provider announced the addition of three news channels in Odisha – Kanak TV, Zee Kalinga and MBC TV.
Along with the Dhamal Mix pack at Rs.220/- pm, subscribers also get 2 free regional packs giving them access to over 100 channels including popular Hindi channels such as Colors, Star Plus,Sony and Zee. Tata Sky subscribers can now enjoy the free Odia regional pack that comprises of 10 popular Odia channels providing entertainment, regional and national news.
Zee Kalinga, a 24×7 news channel will bring in deep election analysis, live discussion programs, current affairs on the table for subscribers. Kanak TV and MBC TV on the other hand will keep the subscribers informed about news not only from the region but also across the country.
On the latest addition to the Tata Sky family, Mr. VikramMehra, Chief Commercial Officer, Tata Sky said, “Expanding our offering with the three news channels is a part of our endeavor to increase our spread of channels across all genres for our Odia subscribers. One of the largest states in the East and an important market for digitization, Odisha has been witnessing positive digital growth over the last few months.”
Apart from Odia channels, Tata Sky also offers 10 Bengali and 20 Telugu channels. With the addition of the Odia channels, Tata Sky continues to reinforce its focus on the Odisha market, further strengthening its position in the east of India.
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.
