DD Free Dish e-auction to kick off Feb 16 after Prasar Bharati revises eligibility norms

India’s public service broadcaster, Prasar Bharati, has officially invited applications for the allotment of vacant MPEG-2 slots on its DD Free Dish Direct-to-Home (DTH) platform. This 8th annual (94th) e-auction is set to determine the lineup of private satellite TV channels for the upcoming financial year, spanning April 1, 2026, to March 31, 2027. This also marks first auction after the pubcaster amended its acution policy.

The online e-auction process is tentatively scheduled to begin on February 16, 2026. The auction remains a critical event for broadcasters seeking to tap into DD Free Dish’s massive reach, which is estimated to serve between 43 and 45 million households across the country.

Recently, Prasar Bharati, India’s public service broadcaster, had notified the first amendment to its E-auction Methodology for allotment of television channel slots on the DD Free Dish platform, introducing tighter eligibility conditions for broadcasters and a revised reserve price structure for MPEG-2 slots.

One of the significant changes relates to eligibility conditions for private satellite TV channels applying under Buckets R1, R2 and R3 for MPEG-4 slots. As per the amended clause 3.2.4, channels must now be operational and available in the concerned language at the time of issuance of the e-auction notification.

Additionally, such channels must already be present on at least one private direct-to-home (DTH) platform or DD Free Dish and/or be carried by at least one registered multi-system operator (MSO). The move is expected to curb speculative bidding and ensure that only operational broadcasters with existing distribution reach participate in the auction process.

Prasar Bharati has also revised the reserve prices for MPEG-2 slots, particularly impacting broadcasters participating in successive auction rounds.

For Round 1, the starting reserve price has been fixed at ₹15 crore for Bucket A+, ₹12 crore for Bucket A, ₹10 crore for Bucket B, ₹7 crore for Bucket C, and ₹6 crore for Bucket D.

Framework and Eligibility

The proceedings will be governed by the E-auction Methodology 2025, which was notified on January 3, 2025, and includes a recent amendment (Amendment No. 1) dated January 9, 2026.

Who can bid: Participation is restricted to satellite channels that hold a valid permission and license from the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (MIB).

Authorized Bidders: Only companies holding these MIB permissions, or their authorized distributor partners, are eligible to apply.

International Participation: The window is also open to international public broadcasters, provided they are permitted by the MIB.

The Bucket System and Reserve Prices

To ensure a diverse content mix, Prasar Bharati categorizes channels into "Buckets" based on genre and language, each with its own starting reserve price. While the specific reserve prices for the 2026-27 cycle were not fully detailed in the notice, historical data and existing methodology provide a clear roadmap:

Bucket A+: Reserved for Hindi General Entertainment Channels (GEC), historically commanding the highest reserve price of approximately ₹15 crore.

Bucket A: Hindi Movie channels, with a base price typically around ₹12 crore.

Bucket B: Includes Hindi Music, Sports, and Bhojpuri (GEC/Movies) channels, starting at ₹10 crore.

Bucket C: News and Current Affairs (Hindi, English, and Punjabi), with a reserve price of ₹7 crore.

Bucket D: Remaining genres and languages, starting at ₹6 crore.

Financial Stakes and Market Significance

The DD Free Dish auction is a significant revenue driver for the public broadcaster. In the previous year’s MPEG-2 auction, Prasar Bharati netted approximately ₹1,157 crore from the sale of 64 slots, marking an 8% increase in revenue.

Broadcasters view the platform as a vital tool for maximizing reach, particularly in rural and semi-urban markets where free-to-air (FTA) consumption remains high. The competition is expected to be fierce in the News and Hindi Movie categories, which traditionally lead in bidding intensity.

Compliance and Integrity

Participants are required to adhere to a strict Integrity Pact. For successful bidders, this pact remains valid for one year from the start of the allotment or until all rights and obligations under the post-auction agreement are fulfilled. Unsuccessful bidders will see their pacts expire six months after signing.

Successful channels will be placed on vacant Logical Channel Numbers (LCNs) as per the established "Procedure for Allotment/Change of LCN".

Broadcasters interested in participating must submit their applications through the official Prasar Bharati portal, adhering to the deadlines and technical requirements specified in the latest notification.