Zee Wins Prasar Bharati's MPEG-2 Auction with Rs 329 Cr Bid

HIGHLIGHTS:

• Zee emerged as the highest bidder in Prasar Bharati's MPEG-2 auction, securing Zee Anmol for ₹18.60 crore and Big Magic for ₹17.25 crore.
• The auction raised ₹328.60 crore across categories, with intense bidding for entertainment, movie, regional, and news channels.
• Zee and JioStar each secured two slots in the high-demand Bucket A+, while Sony and Sun Neo acquired one each.
• In Bucket A (Movie Channels), the highest bid of ₹16.95 crore was for Star Utsav Movies.
• Bucket A+ was the highest-valued category, demonstrating strong demand for general entertainment and news channels.

On the third day of Prasar Bharati's MPEG-2 slot Free Dish auctions, intense bidding occurred across various categories, raising a total of ₹328.60 crore from entertainment, movie, regional, and news channels.

Six slots were sold in Bucket A+, with Zee securing two, JioStar acquiring two, and Sony and Sun Neo each obtaining one.

Zee appeared as the highest bidder in the Free Dish premium category, securing Zee Anmol for ₹18.60 crore, while Big Magic was acquired for ₹17.25 crore. Other leading bidders such as Sony Pal (₹18.55 crore), Colors Rishtey (₹18.35 crore), Sun Neo (₹18.50 crore), and Star Utsav (₹18.25 crore). The total bid value for Bucket A+ reached ₹109.50 crore.

In Bucket A (Movie Channels), six slots were filled by Colors Cineplex Superhits, Star Utsav Movies, Sony Wah, Zee Anmol Cinema, Colors Cineplex Bollywood, and Zee Action, with a total contribution of ₹98.6 crore. The highest bid in this category was ₹16.95 crore for Star Utsav Movies, while Zee Action secured the lowest bid at ₹15.65 crore.

In Bucket B (Regional & Music Channels), six channels secured slots, including B4U Bhojpuri, Mastiii, B4U Music, Chumbak TV, Manoranjan Prime, and Zee Biskope. The highest bid was ₹13.40 crore for B4U Music, while B4U Bhojpuri received the lowest bid at ₹12.50 crore. The total bid for this category amounted to ₹77.85 crore.

In Bucket C (News Channels), three leading Hindi news channels of NDTV India, Republic Bharat, and News 18 India secured their spots. The bidding amounts ranged from ₹14.10 crore to ₹14.35 crore, with NDTV India being the highest bidder. The overall bid total for this category amounted to ₹42.65 crore.

With Bucket A+ emerging as the highest-valued category, the auction underscores the robust demand for general entertainment, movie, and news channels, emphasizing their pivotal role in the Indian television landscape.