12 news channels picked up DD Freedish slots in the ongoing e-auctions for the financial year 2024-25 with News24 returning to the Prasar Bharati-owned free-to-air DTH platform.
The auction is still in the third round with 5 slots yet to go under the hammer in comparison to the number of slots sold in the annual e-auctions held last year in March.
The e-auction is being held in Bucket A with a base price of Rs 13 crore.
In total, the ‘cash-strapped’ news channels have paid Rs 215 crore so far.
Excluding News24, the 11 news channels paid around 10% more than the last year’s auctions.
Good News Today bagged a slot against the lowest bid of Rs 16.35 crore while News18 India and ABP News made the highest bid of Rs 18.95.
The news channels that bought slots on Saturday, the sixth day of the e-auctions, are – Good News Today (Rs 16.35 crore), Times Now Navbharat (Rs 17.1 crore), TV9 Bharatvarsh (Rs 16.85 crore) and News Nation (Rs 17.6 crore).
Channel |
2024-25 (Rs in crore) |
2023-24 (Rs in crore) |
News18 India |
18.95 |
19.55 |
ABP News |
18.95 |
17.1 |
Aaj Tak |
18.85 |
15.1 |
Zee News |
18.75 |
15.5 |
NDTV India |
18.75 |
16.55 |
Republic Bharat |
18 |
16.55 |
News24 |
17.85 |
NA |
India TV |
17.5 |
18.65 |
Good News Today |
16.35 |
17.9 |
TV9 Bharatvarsh |
16.85 |
14.55 |
Times Now Navbharat |
17.1 |
15.35 |
News Nation |
17.6 |
15.05 |
Total |
215.5 |
181.85 |