New Delhi, August 11, 2025 - Prasar Bharati has officially announced the 90th e-auction for vacant MPEG-2 slots on its free-to-air platform, DD Free Dish. The auction, scheduled to begin on August 20, 2025, will determine channel placements for DD Free Dish TV channels from August 29 to March 31, 2026, providing broadcasters—especially regional and genre-specific channels—a significant opportunity to reach millions of homes across India.
Prasar Bharati has announced the vacant MPEG-2 slots of DD Free Dish for the 90th e-auction.
Key Details and Important Dates -
This 90th e-auction for MPEG-2 slots is primarily for private TV channels.
Start of e-auction -
This 90th e-auction for online MPEG-2 slots is likely to start from August 20, 2025.
Last date to apply -
Last date to apply is August 18, 2025.
Channel categories -
Channels are placed in different 'buckets' based on their language and genre. For example, Hindi/Urdu general entertainment channels are in 'bucket A+', while other regional language channels are in 'bucket R'.
Special rules -
- Participating channels have to ensure that at least 75% of their monthly programs are in the declared language and genre.
- Only genuine satellite TV channels can participate, which have valid permission from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB).
Why it matters -
This is a significant opportunity for broadcasters who want to expand their reach across the country through DD Free Dish. DD Free Dish remains India's largest free-to-air DTH platform, which is particularly important for rural and economically weaker audiences.
This auction is therefore not just a business opportunity—it is an opportunity for broadcasters to shape the cultural and linguistic landscape of Indian television, where their TV channels can be viewed without any subscription from the hills of Kashmir to Kanyakumari.
DD Free dish Online 90th E-Auction Results -
You will start receiving 90th online e-auction results or information about the new TV channels joining DD Free Dish from August 20, 2025, on this page.
You can check the official source of information of the 90th e-auction for MPEG-2 slots from here.
