India’s public service broadcaster Prasar Bharati is inviting applications from satellite TV channels licensed by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) to join its WAVES OTT (over-the-top) platform. Notably, interested TV channels must email the public service broadcaster by 5 pm on December 1, 2025.
Elsewhere, Prasar Bharati announced that it will introduce pay-per-view (PPV) plans for content on the WAVES OTT platform as part of its Content Sourcing Policy, 2024. The PPV plan’s pilot phase in scheduled to last from November 18, 2025, to March 31, 2026.
WAVES OTT Channel Onboarding: Key Details
According to the notice, Prasar Bharati is accepting invitations only from licensed TV channels as designated by the MIB.
Additionally, the public broadcaster also revealed that 65% of the ad-driven revenue will be allocated to the respective TV channels, with Prasar Bharati retaining the remaining 35% revenue.
The public service broadcaster also stated that TV channels must provide them with SCTE-35, a signalling standard for content providers and distributors aimed at advertising and programme control. Notably, this signal is the cue for the OTT platform to display advertisements.
Further, Prasar Bharati stated that it will rank all applicant TV channels based on the DAVP rate card. To explain, a DAVP rate card lists the official rates set by the Indian government for its advertising, including TV channels and newspapers.
The broadcaster will select channels in each category based on the highest listed rate across all time bands. And channels with the highest DAVP rates in their respective categories will be chosen for streaming on the OTT platform.
The WAVES of the State-owned Broadcaster
In September 2023, Prasar Bharati floated a tender inviting technical support to build its own OTT platform to “cater to the growing demand for digital streaming services”. “The platform aims to revive nostalgia while embracing modern digital trends by offering a rich mix of classic content and contemporary programming,” stated their press release.
In November 2024, the public service broadcaster launched WAVES OTT at the opening ceremony of the 55th International Film Festival of India (IFFI). During the ceremonial speech, Prasar Bharati Chairman Navneet Kumar Sehgal, said: “This OTT platform is different from the other OTT platforms in the market. Because we are trying to give clean and family-friendly entertainment.”
Meanwhile, in September 2025, MediaNama reported on Prasar Bharati seeking comments on its draft Content Syndication Policy (2025), which aims to monetise content through syndication and distribution on satellite TV, digital platforms, and OTT services.
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For context, the broadcaster invited feedback from media houses, content partners, DTH (direct-to-home) operators, OTT platforms, and other industry stakeholders. And an RTI filed by MediaNama revealed that the…
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