Prasar Bharati Tightens DD Free Dish E-Auction Rules, Hikes Reserve Prices

• Prasar Bharati amended its E-auction Methodology for DD Free Dish, effective January 9, 2026, introducing stricter rules and revised reserve prices.
• Eligibility for MPEG-4 slots now requires channels to be operational and present on at least one private DTH platform or MSO, curbing speculative bidding.
• MPEG-2 slots are reclassified into five buckets (A+, A, B, C, D) based on genre and language, with specific categories for Hindi, Urdu, regional, and English channels.
• Reserve prices for MPEG-2 slots have been increased, with Round 1 prices ranging from ₹15 crore for Bucket A+ to ₹6 crore for Bucket D, escalating in subsequent rounds.
• The changes aim to favor established broadcasters and ensure only operational channels with existing distribution participate, impacting smaller or new channels.

Why It Matters: Prasar Bharati's new e-auction rules for DD Free Dish raise entry barriers and reserve prices, favoring established broadcasters.