Prasar Bharati has initiated the 90th e-auction for the allocation of vacant MPEG-2 slots on its DD Free Dish platform. The auction, scheduled to begin on August 20, 2025, will allot slots for the period from August 29, 2025, to March 31, 2026, on a pro-rata basis. This move aims to provide private broadcasters with an opportunity to reach DD Free Dish’s extensive audience base, which includes millions of households, especially in rural and underserved areas.
Auction Details and Eligibility(Prasar Bharati)
The auction process will follow the “E-auction Methodology of DD Free Dish Slots to Private TV Channels” and is open to satellite television channels with valid permissions from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB). International public broadcasters with MIB permission are also eligible to participate. Channels are categorized into different buckets based on their genre and language, each with a specific reserve price. These buckets include:
- Bucket A+: Hindi/Urdu GEC channels, with a starting reserve price of ₹9.60 crore.
- Bucket A: Hindi/Urdu movie and music channels.
- Bucket B: Hindi/Urdu sports channels, Bhojpuri channels, and other Hindi/Urdu genres.
- Bucket C: Hindi/Urdu news and current affairs channels.
- Bucket D: Devotional/spiritual/Ayush channels, Marathi & Punjabi channels, English news, and certain regional channels.
- Bucket R: Other regional language channels listed in Schedule 8 of the Constitution (excluding Hindi, Urdu, Marathi, and Punjabi), with a starting reserve price of ₹1.76 crore.
Application Process and Requirements
To participate, broadcasters must submit their applications online, along with a non-refundable processing fee of ₹25,000 and a participation fee of ₹1.5 crore. They are also required to submit an integrity pact and a declaration that at least 75% of their monthly programming will adhere to their declared genre and language. Any violations of this programming commitment can lead to penalties, including the discontinuation of their slot. The deadline for submitting applications is August 18, 2025.
Key Highlights:
- Prasar Bharati is holding its 90th e-auction for vacant MPEG-2 slots on its DD Free Dish platform, with bidding set to start on August 20, 2025.
- The slots are being allotted for the period from August 29, 2025, to March 31, 2026, on a pro-rata basis.
- The auction is open to MIB-permitted satellite TV channels, which are categorized into different buckets based on genre and language, each with a specific reserve price ranging from ₹1.76 crore to ₹9.60 crore.
- Broadcasters must submit an application with a ₹25,000 processing fee and a ₹1.5 crore participation fee, along with a commitment that their channel’s content will predominantly match its declared genre.