Prasar Bharati invites bids for 99th DD Free Dish MPEG-4 slot auction

The 99th e-auction is scheduled to begin on 26 May 2026

by e4m Staff
Published: May 20, 2026 10:07 AM | 1 min read

Prasar Bharati has announced its 99th mid-year e-auction for vacant MPEG-4 slots on the DD Free Dish platform, scheduled from 26 May to 31 March 2027.
The auction is open to private satellite channels and international public broadcasters with valid licenses from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
Starting reserve prices vary by category, with news channels set at Rs 61.65 lakh and regional language channels at Rs 4.94 lakh.
Participants must comply with content rules, ensuring 75% of monthly broadcasts align with declared language and genre, with applications due by 3 PM on 25 May 2026.

Prasar Bharati has invited applications for its mid-year e-auction to allocate vacant MPEG-4 slots on the DD Free Dish platform. The 99th e-auction is scheduled to begin on 26 May 2026, with successful bidders set to be placed on the platform from 5 June 2026 to 31 March 2027.

The opportunity is open to private satellite television channels and international public broadcasters, provided they hold a valid licence and permission from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

Bidders will compete across different categories or “buckets” based on language and genre. Starting reserve prices vary by category, with news and current affairs channels set at the highest level at Rs 61.65 lakh. Regional language channels (excluding Hindi and Urdu) have a lower starting reserve price of Rs 4.94 lakh.

Prasar Bharati has set content compliance rules for participating channels. At least 75% of monthly broadcast content (excluding ads and promotions) must match the declared language and genre. Overall, declared-category content must account for at least 60% of total monthly airtime.

Broadcasters found breaching these rules will face a review by a dedicated committee. While default channels will initially be given a chance to officially request a change in their genre or language classification, failure to rectify the issue will lead to the channel being removed from the platform.

Broadcasters looking to participate must submit their applications online via the official portal by 3 PM on 25 May 2026.