DD Free Dish to hold new e-auction for MPEG-4 slots starting March 16

Prasar Bharati has announced a new round of e-auction to allocate vacant MPEG-4 television slots on its free-to-air DD Free Dish platform.

The online bidding process is set to begin on March 16, 2026, according to a notification released by the public broadcaster.

This round represents the 8th annual and 97th e-auction for MPEG-4 slots and will be conducted under the revised 2025 e-auction framework, including amendments introduced earlier this month. Slots awarded through this process will remain valid for one year, from April 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027.

Television channels with valid approvals from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting are eligible to take part. International public broadcasters can also participate, subject to necessary regulatory clearances. Applicants must complete their online submissions, including required documents and fees, by March 9, 2026.

As part of the application requirements, Prasar Bharati has set a non-refundable processing fee of Rs 25,000, payable online, along with a participation fee of Rs 3 lakh to be paid through designated banking channels.

The available MPEG-4 capacity has been organised into several language- and genre-specific buckets, each with defined reserve prices, bid increments and slot counts.

Regional language channels have been placed in separate buckets covering South Indian languages, key regional languages such as Punjabi, Marathi and Bengali, and other scheduled languages. Reserve prices for these segments start at Rs 5 lakh in the first round and rise in later rounds. General entertainment and news channels have been assigned dedicated buckets with higher reserve prices, reflecting their wider audience base. An HD category has also been announced, featuring a higher entry threshold and limited slot availability. Additionally, Prasar Bharati has made provisions for open rounds to allocate any unsold inventory after the completion of category-based bidding.

Bid increments have been set at Rs 50,000 for regional categories and Rs 1 lakh for general and HD segments. Channels that win slots must launch their services within the prescribed timeline and comply with language and genre regulations. Failure to adhere may lead to penalties, including interest on delayed payments and possible removal from the platform.

DD Free Dish remains the country’s largest free-to-air DTH service and continues to be an important distribution avenue for broadcasters aiming for nationwide reach without subscription fees.