For private TV channels and their Distribution Platform Operators (DPOs) like cable networks and DTH services, Prasar Bharati’s free-to-air DTH platform DD Free Dish is a no-win. DD Free Dish, the only unencrypted DTH platform in the country, has queered the pitch for private DTH operators, cable networks and broadcasters who encrypt or code their signals as per the cable law, distorting the regulatory and commercial landscape for them. The problem has got compounded with the decline in private DTH and pay TV services as viewers move either to subscription streaming services or to DD Free Dish which offers news and entertainment channels for free. Besides the 20 plus Doordarshan channels, Free Dish offers more than 60 private channels.
DPOs and broadcasters have been seeking encryption of Free Dish signals for a while. This old conflict resurfaced recently when a top Prasar Bharati official said DD Free Dish signals will not be encoded. This comes despite the July 2024 recommendation by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) for Free Dish to transition to an encrypted addressable system. “The friction arises because DD Free Dish is a free, unencrypted, government-backed platform competing with paid, regulated private TV platforms. Private players have been arguing that this creates an uneven playing field, impacting subscriptions and advertising revenues. In essence, the argument is that a state-backed platform competing in the same market, under a different regulatory regime, creates a structural bias,” said Tony Verghese, partner, JSA Advocates & Solicitors.
Broadcasters want encryption to regain control over distribution and monetization. Encryption would prevent signal leakage, enable addressability, and bring Free Dish closer to the pay TV regulatory framework, Verghese said. Encryption refers to coding channel signals which can be decrypted or decoded by an addressable set top box.
Prasar Bharati, in turn, views Free Dish as a public service platform and claims keeping it unencrypted ensures universal, low-cost access for low-income homes.
However, TV Today Network’s former group chief technology officer Piyush Gupta, said at the core of this age-old fight is money. Currently, Free Dish is estimated to be in 42 to 50 million households, although the exact number cannot be ascertained in the absence of encryption. “If Free Dish is encrypted, this number is likely to fall which may not be palatable to advertisers who currently pick Free Dish channels for its much-touted wide reach,” Gupta said. If the Free Dish universe shrinks, broadcasters can negotiate better ad rates for their mainstream pay channels, he said.
Private channels want to be on Free Dish because of its said reach and the ensuing advertising revenue. Last year, free-to-air channels Star Utsav, Zee Anmol, Sony Pal, Colors Rishtey and Sun Neo bid between ₹12 crore and ₹18 crore each, for a slot on Free Dish for a year. Industry estimates suggest that a popular channel can make ₹400-500 crore in advertising revenue on Free Dish.
To be sure, the big broadcasters boycotted the platform briefly for its high slot fees as well as lack of transparency. However, they promptly returned when an obscure channel clocked ₹1,000 crore in ad revenue from its allegedly large market. “It’s a rat race and no one wants to miss out on that revenue,” said a broadcast sector expert, declining to be named.
He said Prasar Bharati is unlikely to make Free Dish addressable as it will show its actual reach which may affect its auction revenue: Last year it made ₹1,100 crore from 64 channels.
DPOs ask for Free Dish encryption as they resent that they are faced with a non-level playing field. Unlike Free Dish, DPOs make investments in addressable set top boxes and subscriber management systems. DTH operators also pay a license fee to the government. Yet DTH’s active user base has declined from 56.07 million in June 2025 to 52.78 million in September 2025. Pay cable TV subscriptions dropped from 83 million in 2018 to 54 million in 2025.
So, what is the way forward in case of this encryption impasse? “Prasar Bharati can maintain status quo or seek policy backing from the Government. Broadcasters and operators can approach TRAI, challenge decisions before the TDSAT or High Courts, or raise competition law concerns. Ultimately, resolution is likely to be policy-led rather than court-driven,” Tony Verghese said.