Prasar Bharati’s revenue declined sharply in the financial year ended March 2025, with the public broadcaster’s total revenue, net of taxes and commission, falling 9.46% year-on-year to ₹1,643.35 crore from ₹1,815.07 crore in FY24. The decline was driven in large part by weaker commercial income from Doordarshan and Akashvani, highlighting the challenges facing India’s public broadcaster as traditional television and radio advertising markets remain under pressure.
Doordarshan was the biggest drag on commercial revenue. Its commercial income fell 30.89% to ₹256.74 crore in FY25 from ₹371.48 crore a year earlier. Akashvani’s commercial revenue also declined, dropping 14.47% to ₹222.73 crore from ₹260.43 crore. The figures come as Prasar Bharati attempts to expand its digital presence and develop newer revenue streams while maintaining its extensive public broadcasting network.
Prasar Bharati Revenue Falls to ₹1,643 Crore
Prasar Bharati’s FY25 financial performance reflects a broad decline across some of its traditional commercial revenue sources.
| Metric | FY24 | FY25 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Revenue, Net of Taxes & Commission | ₹1,815.07 crore | ₹1,643.35 crore | -9.46% |
| Doordarshan Commercial Revenue | ₹371.48 crore | ₹256.74 crore | -30.89% |
| Akashvani Commercial Revenue | ₹260.43 crore | ₹222.73 crore | -14.47% |
| Internal Resource Generation | ₹103.66 crore | ₹100.27 crore | -3.28% |
The numbers show that the weakness was particularly pronounced in Doordarshan’s commercial operations, where revenue declined by more than ₹114 crore in a single year.
Doordarshan Takes the Biggest Hit
Doordarshan’s commercial revenue dropped from ₹371.48 crore in FY24 to ₹256.74 crore in FY25, representing a decline of nearly one-third.
The fall is significant because advertising and other commercial activities remain an important source of internally generated revenue for the television network. Prasar Bharati’s Doordarshan Commercial Service manages commercial activities including revenue collection from government and corporate clients, advertising agencies, programme scheduling, billing and revenue sharing from sports events.
The decline also illustrates the difficulty traditional broadcasters face in competing for advertising budgets as audiences increasingly consume content across digital platforms, streaming services and social media.
Doordarshan Revenue Decline
Doordarshan’s commercial revenue:
- Fell by ₹114.74 crore year-on-year.
- Declined 30.89% from the previous financial year.
- Dropped from ₹371.48 crore to ₹256.74 crore.
- Represented the largest decline among the broadcaster’s major traditional commercial revenue streams.
Akashvani Commercial Revenue Also Declines
All India Radio, operated under Prasar Bharati as Akashvani, also experienced weaker commercial revenue.
Akashvani’s commercial revenue fell from ₹260.43 crore in FY24 to ₹222.73 crore in FY25, a decline of 14.47%.
The decline indicates that pressure on traditional advertising is not limited to television. Radio broadcasters are also competing for advertising budgets against digital audio, social media and other online channels.
Internal Resource Generation Remains Under Pressure
Prasar Bharati’s internal resource generation also declined, although by a considerably smaller margin.
Internal resource generation stood at ₹100.27 crore in FY25, compared with ₹103.66 crore in FY24, representing a 3.28% decline.
The relatively modest decline compared with Doordarshan’s commercial revenue suggests that other activities helped partially offset the weakness in traditional advertising income.
DD Free Dish Provides an Important Revenue Stream
While advertising revenue declined, DD Free Dish has emerged as an increasingly important commercial asset for Prasar Bharati.
Industry reporting based on the broadcaster’s annual report indicates that DD Free Dish generated around ₹1,911 crore in commercial revenue, substantially exceeding traditional advertising, sponsored programming and archival-content income streams.
DD Free Dish operates as a free-to-air satellite television platform, allowing households to access television channels without a monthly subscription. Its large distribution footprint gives Prasar Bharati an important monetisation opportunity through channel slot auctions.
The broadcaster has continued to conduct e-auctions for MPEG-4 slots, allowing private channels to pay for distribution on the platform.
Prasar Bharati Looks Toward Digital Growth
The decline in traditional commercial revenue comes as Prasar Bharati expands its digital operations.
The organisation operates digital platforms across television, radio and online content, including its OTT service WAVES, alongside digital channels associated with Doordarshan and Akashvani.
Prasar Bharati has also been experimenting with new monetisation models for digital content. In 2026, it introduced changes to its WAVES platform, including a streaming-minutes-based payout model for content creators.
These initiatives reflect an effort to adapt the public broadcaster’s business model to changing audience behaviour.
A Changing Media Advertising Market
The FY25 revenue decline highlights a broader structural challenge for traditional broadcasters.
Advertisers increasingly have access to:
- Digital video platforms.
- Social media.
- Streaming services.
- Connected television.
- Online audio.
- Performance-based digital advertising.
These platforms can provide advertisers with detailed audience targeting and measurement capabilities, making competition for advertising budgets increasingly intense.
For Doordarshan and Akashvani, maintaining reach while converting that audience into sustainable commercial revenue remains a key challenge.
What the Numbers Mean for Prasar Bharati
Prasar Bharati’s financial performance shows a clear divergence between some of its traditional revenue sources and newer distribution platforms.
While Doordarshan and Akashvani commercial income declined substantially, DD Free Dish has become a significant contributor to the broadcaster’s commercial ecosystem. This could encourage Prasar Bharati to place greater emphasis on digital distribution, platform monetisation and alternative revenue models.
The broadcaster’s annual report for FY25 is available through its official website. Prasar Bharati Annual Reports
Looking Ahead
Prasar Bharati’s 9.46% revenue decline in FY25 highlights the pressure facing its traditional television and radio businesses. Doordarshan’s commercial revenue fell nearly 31%, while Akashvani recorded a 14.47% decline, pointing to weakening commercial returns from conventional broadcasting. At the same time, the growth of DD Free Dish and newer digital initiatives provides the broadcaster with opportunities to diversify its revenue base.
Looking ahead, Prasar Bharati’s ability to strengthen digital monetisation while maintaining the reach and public-service role of Doordarshan and Akashvani will be crucial. Expanding platforms such as DD Free Dish and WAVES, improving commercial offerings and finding new ways to monetise its large audience could help offset pressure on traditional advertising revenue and support the broadcaster’s longer-term financial sustainability.
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