The DD Free Dish 97th MPEG-4 e-auction has concluded, with Prasar Bharati officially announcing that 39 television channels have secured slots on India’s largest free-to-air Direct-to-Home (DTH) platform for the period from 01 April 2026 to 31 March 2027. The results, published on the Prasar Bharati website, mark the completion of the 8th Annual online e-auction cycle — a process that has steadily expanded the breadth and language diversity of channels available to India’s cost-sensitive television households.
For viewers who rely on DD Free Dish, this is a significant refresh. Channels spanning news, devotional content, regional entertainment, and Bhojpuri movies are coming aboard, with at least one brand-new addition — Mandir — making its DD Free Dish debut in this cycle.
39 Channels That Won DD Free Dish MPEG-4 Slots — The Full Official List
Prasar Bharati’s official result document, published at prasarbharati.gov.in, lists all 39 successful channels. The complete allotted list is as follows:
| S.No. | Channel Name | S.No. | Channel Name |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aaj Ki Khabar | 21 | Oscar Movies Bhojpuri |
| 2 | Aastha Bhajan | 22 | Pasand |
| 3 | Aastha Kannada | 23 | Protidin Time |
| 4 | Aastha Telugu | 24 | PTC Punjabi Gold |
| 5 | Bansal News | 25 | Public TV |
| 6 | Bharat 24 Vision of New India | 26 | R. Kannada |
| 7 | Chardikla Time TV | 27 | Rang |
| 8 | Filamchi Bhojpuri | 28 | Sandesh News |
| 9 | GTC News | 29 | Satsang |
| 10 | Gujarat First | 30 | Skyama Daily Post |
| 11 | India Daily Live | 31 | Sudarshan News |
| 12 | K News India | 32 | TNP News |
| 13 | Live Times | 33 | TV9 Bangla |
| 14 | Mandir | 34 | TV9 Gujarati |
| 15 | Manoranjan Prime | 35 | TV9 Marathi |
| 16 | MH ONE | 36 | TV9 Telugu |
| 17 | MH ONE DIL SE | 37 | V TV NEWS |
| 18 | MH ONE News | 38 | Vedic |
| 19 | Network10 | 39 | Zee 24 Kalak |
| 20 | News Live Bangla |
✅ Source: Official result published by Prasar Bharati — prasarbharati.gov.in
What Makes This Auction Cycle Different — New Entrants and Regional Breadth
The 97th e-auction result is notable not just for its numbers but for the language spread it represents. Assamese viewers get two meaningful additions this cycle — Rang and Protidin Time — expanding a segment that had previously seen thin coverage on the free-to-air platform. Mandir is entirely new to DD Free Dish, making this auction its debut on the platform.
The Kannada presence is also stronger, with both R. Kannada and Aastha Kannada making the list. The TV9 network has secured slots across four language editions — Bengali, Gujarati, Marathi, and Telugu — signalling continued investment in regional reach on free-to-air distribution. The MH ONE group has three channels in the list: MH ONE, MH ONE DIL SE, and MH ONE News, consolidating the Marathi broadcaster’s foothold on the platform.
For devotional content viewers, Aastha Bhajan, Aastha Kannada, Aastha Telugu, Satsang, Vedic, and the new Mandir channel collectively represent a strong religious and spiritual segment within the allotted 39. That pattern reflects consistent demand on DD Free Dish’s viewer base, which skews toward Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities and rural India.
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How the 97th e-Auction Was Structured — Buckets, Reserve Prices, and Compliance Rules
The e-auction was conducted under the revised e-Auction Methodology 2025, as amended by Prasar Bharati on 09 February 2026. Channels were categorised into genre-and-language-based “buckets” — designated R1, R2, R3, G1, and G2 — with reserve prices and bid increments varying by tier.
High-Definition (HD) slots carried the steepest entry point at a reserve price of ₹80 lakh per slot, with each bid increment set at ₹1 lakh. Standard definition slots in different genre buckets had lower thresholds, making the process accessible to regional and emerging broadcasters alongside established national networks.
Broadcasters were required to pay a non-refundable processing fee of ₹25,000 and a participation fee of ₹3 lakh. Only channels with valid permissions from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) were eligible to bid, and international public broadcasters could participate subject to applicable regulatory clearances.
⚠️ Compliance deadline: Successful channels must make their allotted MPEG-4 slots operational within one month of 01 April 2026 — the start of the allotment period. Failure to go live within that window can result in cancellation of the allotment and forfeiture of all fees paid. Late payment of dues attracts interest at 14.5% per annum on outstanding amounts.
The timing is not coincidental. Prasar Bharati tightened compliance language in the February 2026 notification, signalling that it intends to hold broadcasters to stricter operationalisation standards than in previous cycles. In past auctions, some channels have delayed activation well beyond allotment dates — the one-month rule with forfeiture consequences is designed to address that.
What This Means If You Watch DD Free Dish — A Viewer’s Perspective
If you use a DD Free Dish MPEG-4 set-top box, you can expect to see the newly allotted channels appear on your platform from 01 April 2026, provided the channels activate their slots within the prescribed window. Viewers with MPEG-2 (SD) set-top boxes will not receive these channels, as MPEG-4 slots are only accessible to MPEG-4 compatible receivers.
If you are in Assam and have been waiting for Assamese news and entertainment on free-to-air, Rang and Protidin Time are coming. If you follow Punjabi content, PTC Punjabi Gold and Chardikla Time TV are both in the list. Kannada viewers get R. Kannada alongside Aastha Kannada, adding to the language’s presence on the platform.
💡 If your current set-top box is an older MPEG-2 model, this is a good moment to consider upgrading. An MPEG-4 compatible receiver gives you access to the full slate of privately allotted channels — currently 170-plus — compared to the 94 channels available in MPEG-2 mode.
For viewers who have been watching devotional content on the platform, the Mandir channel joins what is already a well-represented segment. It is the first new channel to debut on DD Free Dish in this cycle, which is worth noting given that many channels in the list are returning from the previous year’s allotment.
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The Bigger Picture — Why DD Free Dish Still Matters in 2026
DD Free Dish remains India’s largest free-to-air DTH platform, reaching tens of millions of households that are either unable or unwilling to pay monthly subscription fees for private DTH or cable services. For broadcasters, a slot on DD Free Dish is effectively a direct line into price-sensitive households across Bharat — without the carriage fee negotiations that define pay-TV distribution.
The annual e-auction process has matured considerably since its early cycles. The 97th auction is the 8th to follow the “Annual” format, which consolidates most slots into a single annual allotment period (April to March) rather than distributing them piecemeal through mid-year vacancies. This predictability benefits both Prasar Bharati, which can plan platform capacity, and broadcasters, who can align their distribution budgets around a known annual schedule.
Read alongside the broader Prasar Bharati agenda — which includes the ongoing expansion of WAVES OTT and digital initiatives — the DD Free Dish auction results suggest that India’s public broadcaster is simultaneously managing its legacy free-to-air platform and building digital infrastructure for a connected future. DD Free Dish serves rural and semi-urban India; WAVES OTT targets urban connected viewers. The two are not competing — they are serving different segments of the same national audience.
📌 Also Read: WAVES OTT Preinstall on Smart TVs — What It Means for Viewers
Frequently Asked Questions
Which new channels are joining DD Free Dish from April 2026?
Thirty-nine channels have been allotted MPEG-4 slots on DD Free Dish for the April 2026 to March 2027 period. Notable additions include Mandir (a first-time entrant), Rang, Protidin Time (for Assamese viewers), TV9 Bangla, TV9 Gujarati, TV9 Marathi, TV9 Telugu, and several Aastha devotional channels. The full list is provided above.
What is the DD Free Dish MPEG-4 e-auction?
The DD Free Dish MPEG-4 e-auction is an annual online bidding process conducted by Prasar Bharati, India’s public broadcaster, to allot carriage slots to private television channels on its free-to-air DTH platform. Channels bid competitively for slots valid from April to March each year. The 97th e-auction is the 8th annual edition of this process.
Do I need a new set-top box to watch the newly allotted channels?
Yes, if you have an older MPEG-2 (SD) set-top box, you will not be able to receive MPEG-4 channels. You need an MPEG-4 compatible set-top box to access the new channels allotted through this auction. An MPEG-4 box gives access to 170-plus channels compared to 94 in MPEG-2.
When will the new channels start appearing on DD Free Dish?
Allotted channels are required to operationalise their slots from 01 April 2026. Prasar Bharati has stipulated a one-month activation window — channels that fail to go live by 01 May 2026 risk cancellation of their allotment and forfeiture of paid fees
What happens if an allotted channel does not go live on time?
If a successfully allotted channel fails to activate its MPEG-4 slot within one month of the allotment start date (01 April 2026), Prasar Bharati may cancel the allotment and forfeit all fees paid by the broadcaster. Late payment of instalments also attracts interest at 14.5% per annum.
Is Mandir a new channel on DD Free Dish?
Yes. Mandir is making its DD Free Dish debut through the 97th e-auction. It is identified as a first-time addition to the platform in this allotment cycle and will be accessible to MPEG-4 set-top box users from April 2026.
Which Assamese channels are now on DD Free Dish through this auction?
Two Assamese channels — Rang and Protidin Time — have secured MPEG-4 slots in the 97th e-auction. This represents a welcome expansion of Assamese language content on the free-to-air platform, which had limited Assamese representation in previous cycles.
Summing up…
The DD Free Dish 97th MPEG-4 e-auction results confirm that India’s public free-to-air platform continues to draw strong broadcaster participation across news, regional entertainment, devotional, and Bhojpuri content genres. Thirty-nine channels will begin or continue their presence on the platform from 01 April 2026, with compliance and activation timelines now more strictly enforced than in previous years.
For viewers in smaller towns and rural areas who rely on DD Free Dish as their primary TV service, the April 2026 refresh brings a genuine expansion of choice — particularly for Assamese, Kannada, Marathi, and Gujarati audiences.
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Disclaimer: This article is based on the official result notification published by Prasar Bharati on its website. Readers are advised to check prasarbharati.gov.in for the most current and authoritative information. Govtserviceinfo.com is not affiliated with Prasar Bharati or the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
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