Javed Farooqui

The partnership will combine Banijay's strength in creating entertainment IPs with Sporting Beyond's expertise in cricket. Banijay Asia Group CEO Deepak Dhar told ET that the two companies have partnered due to their complementary strengths.

TV distribution companies are bundling services to prevent churn, with players like Airtel and Jio offering diverse packages. This strategy aims to retain subscribers amid industry churn, improve customer stickiness, and reduce acquisition costs. For years, Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio have been offering bundled data and content services to their customers. In the realm of standalone providers, DTH company Tata Play has been bundling linear TV and OTT services, allowing subscribers to access both through a unified billing system.

IPL Advertising: Broadcasting rights for the IPL, which are among the most lucrative in the country, are set to get consolidated from next year. A proposed merger between Walt Disney-owned Star India and Reliance Industries-promoted Viacom18 (subject to regulatory approvals) will create an $8.5-billion media goliath, with leadership in both TV broadcasting and video streaming segments. Will this consolidation rain sixes for broadcasters, or will it impact the advertising run rate? Javed Farooqui finds out.

Broadcasting rights for the IPL, which are among the most lucrative in the country, are set to get consolidated from next year. Will this consolidation rain sixes for broadcasters, or will it impact the advertising run rate?

Viacom18's JioCinema is shifting to a hybrid monetization model, placing Indian GEC and movie content behind a paywall at Rs 30/month or Rs 300/year. Live sports remain free. The move aims to boost revenue, leveraging IPL for rollout. Post-COI approval, JioCinema's merger into Viacom18 aims to fortify its OTT presence.

The new pricing is a significant drop from its ₹999/year and ₹99/month plans, which offered only Hollywood content. Unlike the existing plans, the new plans will be ad-free, the company said. JioCinema Premium will provide users with web originals, movies and content for children, along with Hollywood content from HBO, NBCUniversal and Paramount Global.

According to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India's Performance Indicator Report for the quarter ending December 31, the pay DTH base of the four private DTH operators declined to 63.52 million from 64.18 million in the trailing quarter.

"Disney+ Hotstar will stream the T20 World Cup for free on mobile, having achieved tremendous success with the 50-over WC in 2023," said a source close to the development, adding that CTV audiences will have to subscribe to either Rs 299/three months or Rs 499/three months plans to stream the event.

The centres will be developed by Leap Gymnastics, a new initiative launched by the JSW Group, which supports 6,000 athletes across disciplines through its sports arm, JSW Sports. "As a group, we want to see gymnastics grow both on a participation and recreational level as well as on a competitive level," said Tanvi Jindal, founder of Leap Gymnastics. "We want to open 25 facilities over the next five years."

Graphic India, a pioneer in Indian-themed character entertainment, and acclaimed author Neil Gaiman are collaborating on a new English-language animated film titled 'Cinnamon'. Adapted from a short story by Gaiman, the screenplay will be co-written by Gaiman and leading Indian animation writer Sharad Devarajan.