DD Freedish e-auction: Top broadcasters out, independents in for high-stakes auction

New Delhi: The scramble for slots begins today as Prasar Bharati begins the seventh annual e-auction for vacant MPEG-2 slots on DD Freedish. However, this high-stakes game of free-to-air (FTA) channels will also see the top broadcasters pulling their channels from the Freedish platform.

As per the RIOs (Reference Interconnect Offers) released by the network broadcasters in India, three channels will no longer remain FTA. The newly formed JioStar has pulled back Star Gold Thrills, while Zee Entertainment Limited has withdrawn Zee Punjabi from the DD Freedish platform.

Also read: DD Freedish e-auction: Separate slots for regional languages; Hindi news pricing to correct

On the other hand, Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI) put an MRP on Sony WAH, making it the only network broadcaster with no free-to-air channel.

The top broadcast networks declared their general entertainment channels – Star Utsav, Colors Rishtey, Zee Anmol and Sony PAL – as pay channels in their RIOs.

This implies that the top four GECs along with Star Gold Thrills, Zee Punjabi and Sony WAH are expected to sit out from the e-auction.

Update: Top GECs return to DD Freedish despite marked as ‘Pay’ in RIOs

However, the movie channels along with a few regional language channels declared FTA by these broadcasters will bid for slots on the free DTH platform.

JioStar will continue broadcasting Star Utsav Movies, Colors Cineplex Bollywood, Colors Cineplex Superhits, and Sports18 Khel. Zee Entertainment will provide, for free, a total of six channels - Zee Chitramandir, Zee Anmol Cinema, Zee Anmol Cinema 2, Action Cinema, Zee Bispoke, and Big Magic.

The top broadcasters in the country released their RIOs in line with the ruling of the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT).

According to the ruling, channels must either be free across all platforms, if free on DD Freedish, or maintain their status as pay channels, ultimately resulting in the withdrawal of channels from Freedish.

Independent broadcasters have a different approach. Most of the small broadcasters have their business model structured around the FTA paradigm, and hence, exit from the DD Freedish auctions is unlikely for independent broadcasters.

Kailash Adhikari, Business Head, Sri Adhikari Brothers Network, said, “Pay TV channels have roughly 35% dependence on ad revenues. Whereas FTA channels have 100% dependency on advertisements.”

Sri Adhikari Brothers Network has one channel named Mastiii on DD Freedish. Additionally, two channels titled Maiboli and Dabangg, although free, are not on DD Freedish. Instead, these channels are broadcast on Prasar Bharati’s WAVES OTT platform.

According to Adhikari, from an HSM (Hindi-speaking market) perspective, staying on DD Freedish is necessary for Mastiii.

“Mastiii is an all-India, Hindi music channel and hence, keeping it on DD Freedish is part of our distribution strategy. We need the reach of DD Freedish for Mastiii,” he told BestMediaInfo.com.

Subsequently, the strategy for Mastiii doesn’t apply to the other two channels owned by the broadcaster.

Adhikari also threw light on how content differs on DD Freedish and other payTV platforms. “The content on Pay TV and DD Freedish are very different. Most GECs (General Entertainment Channels) on DD Freedish play repeat content, except Dangal, which has an entire prime-time of original programming.”

Dangal is part of the bouquet of channels offered by enterr10 Television Pvt Ltd.

According to a broadcast veteran, Dangal, at this point, has a content investment at par with Zee Entertainment. Investing primarily in fictional content, Dangal is one of the very few FTA channels that have original content in their pool.

Clearing the air around the participation of Dangal in the DD Freedish auctions, the broadcast veteran told BestMediaInfo.com, “It is not feasible for them to retract their channels from DD Freedish.”

“The top 10 LCNs (Logical Channel Numbers) on the Pay TV platforms are locked by the top network broadcasters in the country, leaving FTA channels with no other option than putting all their eggs in the basket of DD Freedish,” the broadcast veteran added.