New Delhi: The 2026 DD Free Dish MPEG-4 slot e-auctions continued to moderate on Day 3, with prices stabilising close to reserve levels across most buckets and cumulative allotments reaching 41 channels after three days of bidding.
The second round of the premium Bucket A+ closed in a tight ₹16.30–₹16.35 crore band—barely 2 % above the ₹16 crore reserve price—reinforcing a softer pricing environment compared with previous cycles. Seven channels secured A+ slots in this round, adding to the high-value general entertainment cluster that already includes Sony Pal, Star Utsav, Shemaroo TV, Zee Anmol and Colors Rishtey.
Overall, 15 additional MPEG-4 slots were sold on Wednesday (Day 3), following a relatively strong start on Day 1 and broader participation across categories on Day 2.
Prices cool across buckets
The most pronounced correction remains in Bucket C (Hindi news). The first six slots in this category closed earlier at ₹8.60–₹8.65 crore, a steep fall from the ₹13.4–₹14.35 crore range recorded for comparable slots in the 2025 auctions. Major Hindi news channels including Zee News, India TV, ABP News and Times Navbharat are clustered in this lower band in 2026.
Bucket D also softened on Day 3, with devotional and regional services closing between ₹8.05 crore and ₹7.35 crore. Channels such as Aastha, Sanskar, Sadhna TV, PTC and Sun Marathi occupy this tier, which typically represents the lowest-priced Free Dish slots.
In Bucket A, Round 3 added two more movie channels—B4U Movies at ₹13.30 crore and Goldmines Bollywood at ₹13.05 crore—keeping bids in the low-to-mid ₹13 crore zone after the higher clearances seen on Day 1. The bucket otherwise includes Sony Wah, Zee Anmol Cinema, Star Utsav Movies and Zee Action Cinema in the ₹13.15–₹13.95 crore band.
Auction progression across three days
Day 1 had opened briskly with eight winners across Buckets A+ and A—unlike earlier years when the first day was largely procedural. Day 2 expanded activity into Buckets B and D while continuing allocations in A and A+. By Day 3, pricing had eased across lower tiers even as A+ stayed just above reserve.
Across the first three days, slot pricing has broadly aligned with the established Free Dish hierarchy:
- A+ (premium Hindi GEC): ~₹16.30–₹16.95 crore
- A (movies & upper-tier entertainment): ~₹13.05–₹13.95 crore
- B (regional & Bhojpuri): ~₹10.15–₹10.60 crore
- C (Hindi news): ~₹8.60–₹9.75 crore
- D (devotional & regional): ~₹7.35–₹9.10 crore
Mature pricing phase for Free Dish
The clustering of A+ bids just above reserve and the sharp reset in news-channel pricing suggest the DD Free Dish market has entered a more mature phase after the inflationary spikes of recent years. While premium Hindi entertainment rerun channels continue to command the highest valuations, news and niche segments have reverted to significantly lower equilibrium levels in 2026.
With 41 MPEG-4 slots already allotted and multiple rounds completed across buckets, the current auction cycle indicates stable demand but disciplined bidding, particularly outside the top entertainment tier.
