On the third day of the DD FreeDish MPEG-2 slot auction, six news channels collectively spent Rs 112.25 crore. Zee News and NDTV secured the first two slots, each costing Rs 18.75 crore. Aaj Tak acquired the third slot for Rs 18.85 crore.
The remaining three slots were claimed by ABP News, News18, and R Bharat at Rs 18.95 crore, Rs 18.95 crore, and Rs 18 crore, respectively. These slots were part of Bucket C, focusing on Hindi/Urdu news and current affairs, with a base price of Rs 7 crore.
The allocation of slots is for a one-year period, spanning from April 1, 2024, to March 31, 2025.
On the third day of the auction, the proceedings began with Bucket B, encompassing music, sports, all Bhojpuri language channels, and other remaining genres of Hindi/Urdu, with a base price of Rs 10 crore. Chumbak, Showbox, Flimchi Bhojpuri, B4U Music, Sports18, and Manoranjan Prime secured the six slots in the bucket, generating a total revenue of Rs 103.1 crore.