Prasar Bharati’s MPEG-2 auction sees Rs 329 cr in bids, Zee emerges as top bidder

On the third day of Prasar Bharati’s MPEG-2 slot Free Dish auctions, fierce bidding took place across multiple categories, with a total of ₹328.60 crore secured across entertainment, movie, regional, and news channels. 

Six slots were sold in Bucket A+, with Zee securing two, JioStar acquiring two, and Sony and Sun Neo obtaining one each.

Zee emerged as the highest bidder in this Free Dish premium category, paying ₹18.60 crore for Zee Anmol, while Big Magic was secured at ₹17.25 crore. Other top bidders included Sony Pal (₹18.55 crore), Colors Rishtey (₹18.35 crore), Sun Neo (₹18.50 crore), and Star Utsav (₹18.25 crore). The total bid value for Bucket A+ amounted to ₹109.50 crore.

In Bucket A (Movie Channels), six slots were taken by Colors Cineplex Superhits, Star Utsav Movies, Sony Wah, Zee Anmol Cinema, Colors Cineplex Bollywood, and Zee Action, contributing a total of ₹98.6 crore. The highest bid in this category was ₹16.95 crore for Star Utsav Movies, while Zee Action had the lowest bid at ₹15.65 crore.

Bucket B (Regional & Music Channels) saw six channels secure slots, including B4U Bhojpuri, Mastiii, B4U Music, Chumbak TV, Manoranjan Prime, and Zee Biskope. The highest bid was ₹13.40 crore for B4U Music, while B4U Bhojpuri secured the lowest bid at ₹12.50 crore. The total bid for this category stood at ₹77.85 crore.

In Bucket C (News Channels), three prominent Hindi news channels—NDTV India, Republic Bharat, and News 18 India—secured slots. The bidding ranged between ₹14.10 crore and ₹14.35 crore, with NDTV India emerging as the highest bidder. The total bid amount in this category was ₹42.65 crore.

With Bucket A+ leading as the highest-valued category, the auction highlights the strong demand for general entertainment, movie, and news channels, reinforcing their significance in the Indian television landscape.