Let me explain why Colors channels are first in every language and not Zee or Star. That is because during the early days of TS, the first three channels in many of the regional languages were DD > ETV > Zee (Star had only Vijay until 2008 and Sun channels were not there until 2008/2009). So ETV channels always came first (DD channels were afterwards pushed to the end).
Throughout the years, the ETV (later renamed as Colors) channels were always first, or second after the Sun channels (in South languages). Zee and Star came later. Only in Malayalam, Asianet has the highest priority (after Surya, that is), since V18 is absent. So it is not correct that Viacom18 paid the highest fees for rearranging; it is just a coincidence that Colors channels are at the top in Marathi and Bangla, and immediately after Udaya in Kannada.