Mumbai: The third day of Prasar Bharati’s MPEG-2 Free Dish auction witnessed fierce bidding across multiple categories, with a total of ₹328.60 crore generated from entertainment, movie, regional, and news channels. The auction reaffirmed the strong demand for Free Dish slots, particularly in the General Entertainment (GEC), Movie, and News segments.
GECs Lead the Auction in Bucket A+
The premium Bucket A+ (Hindi/Urdu GECs) saw intense competition, with six slots auctioned, generating a total of ₹109.50 crore.
- Zee emerged as the highest bidder, securing slots for Zee Anmol (₹18.60 crore) and Big Magic (₹17.25 crore).
- Other winning bidders included:
- Sony Pal – ₹18.55 crore
- Colors Rishtey – ₹18.35 crore
- Sun Neo – ₹18.50 crore
- Star Utsav – ₹18.25 crore
Movie Channels (Bucket A) Draw Strong Demand
Six slots were auctioned in Bucket A (Hindi/Urdu Movie Channels), fetching ₹98.6 crore in total.
- Star Utsav Movies secured the highest bid at ₹16.95 crore, while Zee Action won a slot for ₹15.65 crore, the lowest in this category.
- Other channels that won slots include Colors Cineplex Superhits, Sony Wah, Zee Anmol Cinema, and Colors Cineplex Bollywood.
Regional & Music Channels (Bucket B) Secure Key Slots
The regional and music category (Bucket B) contributed ₹77.85 crore with six channels securing slots:
- B4U Bhojpuri, Mastiii, B4U Music, Chumbak TV, Manoranjan Prime, and Zee Biskope.
- B4U Music emerged as the highest bidder at ₹13.40 crore, while B4U Bhojpuri secured a slot at ₹12.50 crore, the lowest in this category.
Hindi News Channels Dominate Bucket C
In Bucket C (Hindi News Channels), NDTV India, Republic Bharat, and News18 India secured prime slots, generating ₹42.65 crore in total.
- NDTV India placed the highest bid at ₹14.35 crore, closely followed by Republic Bharat and News18 India.
Auction Reflects Continued Interest in DD Free Dish
With Bucket A+ leading as the highest-valued category, the auction underscores the continued importance of Free Dish for mass-market reach. Despite growing concerns about OTT competition and declining TV revenues, broadcasters remain invested in Free Dish, recognizing its deep penetration in rural and semi-urban markets.
As the auction progresses, industry stakeholders are closely watching how the remaining category slots will perform in the coming days.
