Good News for Private Channels, 88th e-Auction open for MPEG-4 slots

Prasar Bharati has issued a notice inviting applications for the 88th e-auction of MPEG-4 slots on its free-to-air DTH platform, DD Free Dish. This auction aims to allocate vacant MPEG-4 slots for the period from June 13, 2025, to March 31, 2026. The e-auction will be conducted per e-auction Methodology 2025 for allotment of DD Free Dish slots to private TV channels, notified by Prasar Bharati on 03.01.2025, which is available on the Prasar Bharati website, http://prasarbharati.gov.in.

Please note that only satellite channels permitted and licensed by the Ministry of I&B would be allowed to participate in the e-auction. Only companies holding valid permission from the Ministry of I & B can apply for participation in the e-auction for allocation of DD Free Dish slot. International Public Broadcasters permitted and licensed by the Ministry of I&B can also participate in the e-auction.

Key Details -

Auction Date -

Tentatively scheduled for June 6, 2025

Application Deadline -

June 4, 2025, by 3:00 PM IST

Eligible Participants -

Private satellite TV channels licensed by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB), including international broadcasters with MIB permission, are eligible to participate. Channels must be in Standard Definition (SD) format and possess valid downlinking permission in Bharat.

Slot Allocation Period -

Successful bidders will be allotted slots from June 13, 2025, to March 31, 2026.

How many slots are vacant?

There are over 20+ MPEG-4 slots available on DD Free dish platforms, so this is good chance for every satellite channel to join the DD Free dish platform and reach every corner of Bharat.

Channel Categorization -

Channels will be categorized into buckets based on genre and language -

Bucket H -

All genres of HD channels in all languages.

Bucket R1 -

In this category, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam channels will be added.

Bucket R2 -

In this category, Punjabi, Marathi, Gujarati, Bengali, and Odia channels will be added.

Bucket R3 -

Other regional languages are listed in Schedule 8 of the Indian Constitution (excluding Hindi and Urdu).

Bucket G1 -

News and current affairs channels.

Bucket G2 -

Non-news and current affairs channels.

All Genres -

All remaining genres.

Good News for Private Satellite TV Channels, 88th e-Auction open for MPEG-4 slots so they can Join DD Free dish Platform to Join India's Biggest Netwo

Applicants must ensure that at least 75% of their content aligns with the declared genre and language. Clear evidence supporting the channel's genre and language classification is required.

Interested broadcasters can apply through the official DD Free Dish e-auction portal: fdslots.prasarbharati.org. Detailed guidelines, including the e-auction methodology and bucket rates, are available on the Prasar Bharati website.

The Last Date for submission of applications and proof of deposit of Participation fees through original Demand Draft is latest by 04T° June 2025 (Wednesday) by 03:00 p.m.