In 2020-2021, DD's ad revenue fell by 22% to Rs 272.61 crore

The ad revenue of public broadcaster Doordarshan fell 22% to Rs 272.61 crore in 2020-2021 from Rs 348.83 crore in 2019-20, according to Information & Broadcasting (I&B) minister Anurag Thakur. The public broadcaster's ad income in 2018-2019 was Rs 623.84 crore.

Government advertisements brought in Rs 132.97 crore, while non-government advertisements brought in Rs 139.64 crore in 2020-21. The revenue from government and non-government advertisements was Rs 233.08 crore and Rs 115.75 crore correspondingly in the preceding fiscal. For fiscal year 2018-19, government advertisements brought in Rs 496.41 crore, while non-government advertisements brought in Rs 127.43 crore.

Despite the loss in DD's ad revenue, the I&B minister said that, despite increased competition from private players, Doordarshan's viewership has not decreased. "Despite the rise of Private TV Channels in the broadcasting arena in recent years and dispersion of audience due to several private TV channels relaying Doordarshan's live feed," Thakur stated, "there has been no reduction in viewership in recent years."

According to BARC (Broadcast Audience Research Council) data, from 2016 to 2021, Gross Unique Viewership for the 22 subscribed SD-DD channels out of 36 was 615.4 million (2016), 719.8 million (2017), 743.1 million (2018), 760.4 million (2019), 747 (2020), and 684.9 million (2021). The viewership data for DD National, DD News, and DD India for 2020 and 2021 is only available till the 2nd of October 2020.

Prasar Bharati is also taking attempts to enhance viewership, according to Anurag. During the 2020 lockdown, Doordarshan played legendary serials like Ramayan and Mahabharat, resulting in the channel's biggest television viewership ever. To increase viewing, DD RETRO, a dedicated entertainment channel, was launched.

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