Growing importance of Free Dish in India—a universe larger than what we measure
DD Free Dish, India’s only free-to-air direct-to-home (DTH) service, has grown into the largest TV platform in India by reach, surpassing pay DTH and cable operators. It reaches an estimated 50–60 million households, largely in Hindi speaking markets, possibly even higher when factoring in shared television viewing in rural areas like shops, public places, and untracked community consumption. Its offering of wide range of TV channels without a monthly subscription fee, has made it a lifeline for rural and low to middle income households.
With the recent return of major broadcast networks—JioStar, Zee, and Sony, to the platform, one may ask: What makes Free Dish so compelling?
First, Free Dish allows broadcasters to reach tens of millions of viewers, who lie outside the pay TV ecosystem. With this reach, the advertising revenues from Free Dish can rival or even surpass earnings from subscriptions in some cases. It is also a strong mitigation strategy to the steadily declining reach of pay households. With OTT platforms and mobile data consumption on the rise, pay DTH growth has plateaued, pushing broadcasters to tap into free platforms to maintain and grow their reach.
Second, often seen as a ‘rural-first’ platform, Free Dish today reaches 41% of rural TV homes and 15% of urban TV homes in Hindi speaking markets —a number that challenges long-held assumptions. The urban number proves that viewers across segments are embracing content that is accessible, relatable, and free. It also means advertisers can no longer overlook the platform when planning for urban reach. Advertisers, who ultimately chase reach—not distribution model—are beginning to take note. FTA is now delivering scale across Urban and Rural markets, often at a lower cost than pay platforms.
A Second Entry, But a Very Different Market
This isn’t the first time the major broadcasters have exited and re-entered DD Free Dish. Their earlier exit in 2022 had left FTA audiences disconnected and viewership fragmented. But it also created opportunity.
Between 2022 and 2024, over 16 new channels stepped in to fill the void—from general entertainment to movies and youth-centric programming. Smaller and regional broadcasters found new shelf space and audience attention. Viewership recovered. A new balance emerged.
But the market these major broadcasters returned to in 2025 wasn’t the one they left.
This time, their return did not expand the pie—it merely reshuffled it. Despite the nostalgia and marketing around the returning channels, ad inventory remained subdued—often under 11 minutes per hour—indicating that advertisers were waiting for ratings stability.
A new kind of competition—and collaboration
The growing relevance of FTA has also redrawn the playing field. As more premium content becomes available on Free Dish, content once exclusive to pay subscribers, even pay TV networks are feeling the heat. It’s no longer just about exclusivity; it’s about access, timing, and relevance.
But this isn’t a zero-sum game. For broadcasters already invested in FTA space, this is a moment to evolve—by sharpening differentiation, reducing genre overlap, and innovating with intent.
How Shemaroo Entertainment carved a niche in the clutter
At Shemaroo Entertainment, we’ve been early believers in the power of the FTA model. Our approach has always been simple: understand the pulse of our audiences and serve them with consistency and creativity.
Shemaroo TV is a great example of this. It has carved out a distinctive identity in the mythological and historical storytelling space. In a crowded GEC landscape, it offers cultural depth and genre clarity—attributes that have helped us stand apart in both metros and heartland markets.
Chumbak TV, on the other hand, offers a unique mix of children’s content and family-favourite movies during the first half of the day, catering to the evolving tastes of India’s multi-generational households. Its programming is curated not just for entertainment, but for shared viewing moments that build habit and brand loyalty.
In an increasingly competitive space, this genre-level clarity has helped us build a defensible audience—viewers who come not just for the content, but for the context. And that’s what drives long-term stickiness.
The future is not fixed—it’s flexible
FTA is no longer a fallback platform; it’s a strategic space. But navigating it requires agility. That means:
- Re-evaluating content niches to reduce genre overlap and avoid cannibalization.
- Strengthening Pay distribution to offset Free Dish volatility.
- Doubling down on storytelling and audience differentiation to stay relevant in a fragmented landscape.
At Shemaroo Entertainment, we’ve started rebalancing our portfolio—building stronger distribution on platforms like Dish TV, Siti, GTPL, Hathway and ICNCL, while also repositioning content offerings. As consumption habits shift, and the lines between digital and television blur, we’re focused on reaching the audiences wherever they are, rather than force them into fixed platforms or formats.
Strategic Implications for the Ecosystem
- Advertisers will need to rethink GRP planning and platform allocation to maximize urban + rural reach.
- Pay TV networks are facing increasing pressure, not just in terms of viewership but also on pricing and advertiser preference. They now face a strategic dilemma – gain short-term ad revenue from massive Free Dish reach vs. long-term risk of eroding their brand value and pricing power in urban, premium markets.
- FTA broadcasters will have to diversify revenue streams, rethink content investment, and possibly reimagine partnerships.
“This isn’t just a programming shuffle, it’s a recalibration of Indian television economics. With a plethora of affordable GRPs now available even in urban markets, advertisers and agencies are gaining more for less. But this shift also means, the demand and pricing for expensive paid GRPs may drop, further putting pressure on the pricing of these expensive channels. In the pursuit of wider reach, broadcasters may have inadvertently pushed TV pricing and eventually revenues into a vicious downward spiral!”
In Closing: A Reset Moment for FTA
FTA television is no longer a monopoly game. It’s a diversified, high-stakes playing field where agility, innovation, and audience understanding will determine long-term success—not just brand legacy.
We’re all navigating a new balance:
Reach vs Retention. Tradition vs Reinvention. Free vs Pay. TV vs Digital.
And in this balancing act, the winners will be those who focus not just on audience volume—but on audience value.
