KOLKATA: Public broadcaster Prasar Bharati has seen a significant jump in the overall sales of MPEG-2 slots at the 52nd e-auction of DD Free Dish. It has raked in Rs 731.34 crore from the sale of 57 MPEG-2 slots, compared to Rs 594.25 crore collected from the sales of 53 slots in March 2020.
The third annual e-auction was conducted from 22 February and ended on 27 February. Applications were received for e-auction under six different buckets. 57 channels were allocated slots on various buckets after multiple rounds of robust bidding.
The channels will come on air on the free-to-air DTH platform from 1 April, subject to completion of all formalities.
Under A+ bucket, 10 Hindi general entertainment channels (GEC) have been allotted slots. The genre has spent Rs 156.75 crore with Rs 15.675 crore average slot price, and Rs 16.50 crore emerging the highest bid price. The Q, Big Magic, Colors Rishtey, Dangal, Shemaroo TV, Sony Pal, Star Utsav, Zee Anmol, Azaad, ABZY Cool are the successful bidders in the genre.
15 Hindi movie channels have been allocated slots under A bucket. The winners have collectively paid Rs 194.85 crore; average slot price and highest bid price stood at Rs 12.99 crore and Rs 13.35 crore respectively.
Aaho Music, ABZY Movies, B4U Kadak, B4U Movies, BDM, Bflix Movies, Dhinchaak, Enterr10 Movies, Maha Movie, Manoranjan TV, Movie Plus, Rishtey Cineplex, Sony Wah, Star Utsav Movies, and Zee Anmol Cinema have won the auction.
At the e-auction, the channels under the B bucket — reserved for music (Hindi), sports (Hindi), movies (Bhojpuri), GEC (Bhojpuri), and teleshopping (Hindi) channels — have made Rs 143.78 crore in bids for 13 slots. The average slot and the highest bid price are Rs 11.06 crore and Rs 11.5 crore respectively.
The winning channels are 9XM, ABZY Dhakad, B4U Bhojpuri, B4U Music, Bhojpuri Cinema, Big Ganga, Dabangg, Filamchi, Manoranajn Grand, Mastii, MTV Beats, Zee Biskope, Zing.
Under the C bucket, the news and current affairs channels have bid Rs 190.3 crore for 11 slots with Rs 17.3 crore average slot price and Rs 22.05 crore highest bid price.
Hindi news channels Aaj Tak, Aaj Tak Tez, ABP News, India TV, NDTV India, News18 India, News Nation, Republic TV Bharat, TV9 Bharatvarsh, Zee Hindustan, and Zee News have won the slots.
All other remaining genre in regional languages fall under D bucket. Five slots have been sold in this bucket for Rs Rs 31.05 crore. The winning channels are Fakt Marathi, Manoranjan Movies, Shemaroo Marathibana, Zee Punjabi, and Zee Zabardast.
Three religious or devotional channels — Aastha, Sadhna TV, and Sanskar TV — have won bids in R1 Bucket for Rs 14.61 crore. The average slot price stood at Rs 4.87 crore and the highest bid price was Rs 5 crore.
