After expanding its presence in Marathi and Bengali markets, Sun TV is all set to enter the Hindi General Entertainment Channel (GEC) space. The network has recently secured a slot for Rs 21 crore on DD FreeDish under Bucket A+ category which consists of Hindi GECs. 

Experts believe that, while the Hindi GEC industry is highly competitive, launching as a free-to-air (FTA) channel may benefit the network. It is important to note that in the ongoing DD FreeDish auction, the top four broadcasters—ZEEL, Disney Star, Viacom18, and SPNI—did not bid for the slots.   

According to Karan Taurani, SVP, Elara Capital, FTA is a very big opportunity for broadcasters as it's the only segment growing in terms of households and ad revenues. He said that the market is already crowded with existing players like Dangal TV and other players. “There is ample opportunity here because the market growth is so high there is a potential for Sun TV to make inroads here,” said Taurani.

He further said, “Since it will be Sun TV's first time in the Hindi market, it makes more sense to go FTA because the costs are under control here. It's more cost-efficient as a proposition in terms of the content cost.”

According to the FICCI EY 2023 report, 60% of channels were free-to-air as compared to 64% in 2020, reflecting the impact of the NTO, where many broadcasters converted FTA channels into pay. The four large broadcast networks—Star India, Viacom18 Media, Zee Entertainment Enterprises and Sony Pictures Networks India—pulled out their content from DD FreeDish in early 2022.  

An industry observer on the condition of anonymity, shared that since big four broadcasters have already pulled out their channels from DD, FreeDish has given a chance for other channels to grow. “Big four were taking the lion's share of advertising revenue when they were DD FreeDish. The four not being in the space is a good opportunity for Sun TV to grow its Hindi GEC channel. However, the place is crowded with other channels and a lot will be dependent on the content they will be airing.”

Ultimately, the success of Sun TV's entry into the Hindi GEC space will depend on its ability to navigate the challenges of offering quality content and monetization effectively and offer a compelling proposition to viewers and advertisers alike.