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  • RedFM names Sushant Singh Rathure deputy general manager–sales

    RedFM names Sushant Singh Rathure deputy general manager–sales

    MUMBAI: RedFM has appointed Sushant Singh Rathure as deputy general manager–sales. Based in Delhi, he will lead special projects in the north, oversee government and PSU accounts, and head the UP cluster.

    Rathure, a business growth specialist with nearly two decades in advertising sales and brand partnerships, moves from Music Broadcast Ltd, where he was associate vice-president, running RC Digital Labs and Radicity. He previously held senior roles at Bharat Media Group, Sony Pictures Networks India, Star India, and The Times of India, with a track record in driving revenues, scaling media businesses and launching new formats.

    This is Rathure’s second stint at RedFM, where he earlier led sales for the Mumbai station between 2019 and 2022. He credited RedFM’s chief operating officer, Nisha Narayanan, for the opportunity, saying her “faith and leadership” would inspire him to deliver “with greater dedication and passion.”

    A seasoned strategist with regional and national exposure, Rathure is known for building alliances, managing P&Ls, and blending creative solutions with sharp media planning. At RedFM, he returns to familiar turf, this time with a wider remit and higher stakes.

  • Diageo appoints Aanandita Datta as vp marketing and category head

    Diageo appoints Aanandita Datta as vp marketing and category head

    MUMBAI: Diageo India has named Aanandita Datta as its new vice president, marketing and category head. She moves from Pizza Hut, where she was chief marketing officer for India and the subcontinent, and before that spent nearly a decade at Unilever.

    A marketing veteran with 19 years of experience, Datta has worked across categories from oral care and foods to beverages. She launched and scaled brands such as Sensodyne and Lipton, built new categories like green tea and sensitive oral care, and led Horlicks’ major relaunch in 2010. At Pizza Hut, she drove campaigns to court young consumers and make the brand part of “young India’s daily life”.

    Datta described herself as a “storyteller with a curious mind”, saying her purpose lay in “exploring the unknown and inspiring others to do the same”. She has previously managed portfolios worth over €1.3bn, partnered with the UN and Indian government on sustainability projects, and steered both disruptive innovation and mature-brand growth.

    At Diageo, she takes charge of marketing strategy and category development in one of India’s most competitive consumer markets.

  • Netflix wins Japan rights for 2026 World Baseball Classic

    Netflix wins Japan rights for 2026 World Baseball Classic

    TOKYO: Netflix will be the exclusive home of the 2026 World Baseball Classic in Japan, under a rights deal with World Baseball Classic Inc (WBCI), the body jointly run by Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association. The streamer will carry all 47 games live and on-demand for Japanese subscribers.

    The sixth edition of the tournament will feature 20 national teams across four pools in Tokyo, San Juan, Houston and Miami from 5 March 2026. Defending champions Japan will again be in the spotlight.

    MLB deputy commissioner for business and media Noah Garden said the deal reflected “the growing popularity of the tournament” and WBCI’s ambition to expand through digital platforms. Netflix Japan vice president of content Kaata Sakamoto called the tie-up a chance to “deliver a new kind of viewing experience that brings fans even closer to the action.”

    MLB Players Inc  president Evan Kaplan added that the partnership would give Japanese fans front-row access to “one of the sport’s most unique stages, where the world’s top players compete for national pride”.

    For Netflix, the deal is the latest step in its tilt towards live sport, positioning it at the heart of one of baseball’s biggest international events.

    Could we see it snap up some premium cricket media rights in India? That’s a delivery  media observers have been waiting for Netflix to bowl for quite a while now.

  • Nike takes a walk with Yu-Gi-Oh! for Joey Wheeler-inspired Air Max 95

    Nike takes a walk with Yu-Gi-Oh! for Joey Wheeler-inspired Air Max 95

    MUMBAI: Konami Cross Media NY and Nike have cut a deal that pulls one of anime’s most beloved universes straight into sneaker culture. The new Nike Air Max 95 QS YGO, inspired by Kazuki Takahashi’s Yu-Gi-Oh!, lands this September alongside a capsule of apparel. At its heart: Joey Wheeler—Yugi’s brash, loyal sidekick—recast as a global athlete.

    The tie-up is more than a simple branding exercise. It comes with a full-blown campaign fronted by the original English and Japanese voice actors from the anime series, blurring the line between nostalgia and contemporary fashion. For fans who grew up duelling with trading cards or glued to Toonami, the sneaker is both a collector’s item and a wearable badge of fandom.

    Konami Cross Media senior vice-president of licensing and marketing Jennifer Coleman said Nike’s handling of the project had been “extraordinary”. She credited the brand with bringing “passion, care and attention to detail” and praised its “unique vision of Yu-Gi-Oh! characters and fans as athletes”, a framing she said would “redefine how audiences connect with their favourite characters, especially Joey Wheeler.”

    Nike, never shy of myth-making, pitched the collaboration as part of its broader belief that sport is a limitless canvas. Dave Vericker, the company’s senior director of neighbourhood merchandise, said: “We didn’t invent this lore: it was born organically from the community. Through our partnership with Konami, we wanted to show love to longtime fans and inspire the next generation by bringing a beloved, mythical story to life through design.”

    The collection is built around two centrepieces: a global release of the “Joey” colourway and apparel on 12 September via Nike’s Snkrs app and select partners, and a Japan-exclusive “Jonouchi” version—named for the character’s original manga identity—dropping on the same day in local stores.

    The timing is apt. Yu-Gi-Oh! has spent more than 25 years as a fixture in global pop culture, with over 1,000 anime episodes, countless manga volumes and one of the world’s most enduring trading card games. For Nike, the collaboration is both a courtship of older millennial collectors and a way to seed loyalty among Gen Z and Gen Alpha, for whom anime has become as much a cultural touchstone as sport.

    Nike’s mission statement has long been: “If you have a body, you are an athlete.” This partnership stretches that definition further—suggesting that even duelists, strategists and manga heroes can lace up and join the ranks.

  • Forum BIFF 2025 marks 30 years of K-Arts with big-picture rethink on Asian film education

    Forum BIFF 2025 marks 30 years of K-Arts with big-picture rethink on Asian film education

    BUSAN: The 30th Busan International Film Festival will stage a special Forum BIFF to mark the 30th anniversary of the Korea National University of Arts’ (K-Arts) school of film, TV & multimedia, with a hard look at how Asian film education can reinvent itself for the future.

    Founded in 1995, K-Arts has been the launchpad for a generation of Korean and Asian filmmakers, building co-production bridges with Japan and China, running pan-Asian short-film labs, and powering the global surge of K-content. This year’s forum, themed Revisiting the path of Asian cinema, will spotlight those achievements while grappling with the future: how to sustain cross-border learning, plug into AI-driven change, and keep Asian schools at the cutting edge.

    Sessions will examine collaborative short-film programmes, Korea-Japan and Korea-China co-productions, and the AMA+ scholarship that has seeded talent from across the region. The Campus Asia Plus initiative — linking Korea, Japan, China and Asean — will be in focus for its efforts to build an Asian animation education network that meshes advanced learning, exchange and industry tie-ups.

    The three-part forum will run on 20 September, moderated by professors Choi Yongbae and Steve M. Choe of K-Arts. It will feature a keynote by cinema studies professor Kim Soyoung, presentations from animation professor Lee Jungmin, filmmaking professor Pyeon Jangwan, Cambodian director and AMA+ alumnus Him Sotithya, and producer Ahn Jihye. The closing panel will pull in film critic Lee Seunghee, Japan Institute of the Moving Image president Tengan Daisuke, Beijing Film Academy professor Liu Yu, Yale lecturer Tian Li, and Indonesian director Makbul Mubarak.

    The conversation will stretch from the past three decades of K-Arts’ influence to the next thirty years of Asian cinema education — and what it will take to keep pace with technology and global demand.
     
    BIFF 2025: 17–26 September

    Asian Contents & Film Market: 20–23 September

  • Parrot Analytics launches Sports Demand to put rigour into soaring media rights market

    Parrot Analytics launches Sports Demand to put rigour into soaring media rights market

    LOS ANGELES: : Parrot Analytics, the media analytics firm known for pioneering streaming valuation, has launched Sports Demand, billed as the most advanced global sports analytics system. The tool is designed to arm leagues, teams, broadcasters, streamers and sponsors with data-driven insights to navigate the fast-inflating sports rights market.

    Sports rights fees have surged in recent years, with Paramount’s $7.7 billion deal for UFC events, WWE’s $1.6 billion tie-up with ESPN, and the NFL’s equity-for-content swap with Disney underscoring the scale. Parrot says its system will allow buyers and sellers to measure fan engagement market by market, justify valuations, and extract stronger returns on investment.

    “For the first time, decision-makers can weigh the impact of acquiring a sports league against investing in scripted series or films, within a single framework,” said Parrot Analytics chief executive Wared Seger. By integrating with the firm’s Demand360 platform, Sports Demand lets clients benchmark sports against TV shows, films and on-screen talent.

    Capabilities include global fan mapping across 100 markets, integrated sports-entertainment benchmarking, empirical valuation models, content optimisation, and sponsor alignment analysis. Early adopters include leagues negotiating landmark streaming deals and operators launching direct-to-consumer sports services.

    Seger argued that in an attention economy where sports compete directly with films and television for time and spend, “rigorous, standardised data is essential.” 

    Sports Demand is now available worldwide to Parrot Analytics’ enterprise clients, with dashboard and API access for seamless integration into rights, content and sponsorship strategies.

  • Slurrp Farm stirs up joy with ‘Real Food Really Easy’ mealtime reset

    Slurrp Farm stirs up joy with ‘Real Food Really Easy’ mealtime reset

    MUMBAI: Because let’s face it kids don’t care if the pancake looks like a Michelin star creation. They just want it fluffy, tasty, and on their plate fast. Slurrp Farm, India’s leading millet-based kids’ food brand, has cooked up a new campaign titled “Real Food. Really Easy.”, and it’s flipping the script on mealtime expectations. At the heart of the campaign lies a refreshing truth: children chase joy, not picture-perfect plating. The hero film captures lived-in moments wobbly pancakes, flour-dusted kitchens, families laughing together all underscoring the message that wholesome food made from clean ingredients, with minimal prep, is what actually matters.

    “An empty plate is every mother’s dream,” said Slurrp Farm co-founder Meghana Narayan, adding that Slurrp Farm was built so that “yummy, junk-free food becomes an easy choice every day.” Fellow co-founder Shauravi Malik echoed that ethos, stressing the brand’s focus on real ingredients, quick prep, and meals kids reach for again and again.

    Wholsum Foods chief marketing officer Ankit Kapoor (parent of Slurrp Farm and Mille), summed it up with a smile: “Food that’s eaten, not picture-perfect.”

    The campaign, conceptualised in-house at Wholsum Foods by creative director Vaani Arora, directed by Angshuman Ghosh and produced by Paper Planes, will roll out across digital and social platforms. Always-on storytelling will showcase kid-approved, quick-to-fix meals that balance nutrition with flavour.

    Since its launch, Slurrp Farm has become a pioneer in making millets mainstream, offering products that make parents’ lives easier while keeping children happily fed. With this reset, it’s positioning itself not just as a food brand, but as an honest voice in India’s crowded packaged food industry, one that dares to say mealtime joy beats Instagram perfection every time.

    After all, in a world of spotless plating and polished reels, Slurrp Farm is proudly serving up the beauty of an empty plate and a full heart.

  • Cup of upsets brews as Man United face Grimsby in Carabao Round 2

    Cup of upsets brews as Man United face Grimsby in Carabao Round 2

    MUMBAI: Stormy seas or smooth sailing? The Carabao Cup’s second round promises a splash of drama as Manchester United head to League Two minnows Grimsby Town on 27 August, a fixture that already has the scent of a classic cup upset. United, still chasing their first win of the season under Ruben Amorim, are expected to hand new signing Benjamin Šeško his debut up front, while Harry Maguire could be thrown back into the starting XI. Kick-off at Blundell Park is set for 12:30 am IST and all eyes will be on whether the Red Devils can steady their shaky start.

    The round features nine Premier League clubs, with Graham Potter’s West Ham seeking their first victory of the campaign against Wolves (12:00 am IST). Bournemouth and Brentford collide in the round’s only all-Premier League tie at 12:15 am IST, while Sunderland host Huddersfield and Burnley take on Derby at the same time. Sheffield Wednesday’s clash with Leeds United completes Wednesday’s opening batch at 12:30 am IST.

    The next day, Brighton travel to Oxford United (12:15 am IST), Fulham welcome Bristol City (12:15 am), and Everton face League Two side Mansfield Town (12:15 am). But it’s Grimsby vs Manchester United that has captured the imagination, the kind of David vs Goliath script that has given this competition its fairytale reputation for decades.

    All fixtures will stream live and exclusive on Fancode across web, mobile, and TV.
     

  • Foovies on the menu as Cinépolis serves cinema with a side of flavour

    Foovies on the menu as Cinépolis serves cinema with a side of flavour

    MUMBAI: Dinner and a movie? Cinépolis just scrapped the “and” and turned it into one irresistible package. With the launch of Foovies, India’s first international cinema exhibitor has spiced up the big screen by serving freshly prepared, indulgent meals right inside the theatre. Gone are the days when cinema food meant just popcorn and cola. Foovies flips the script with a vibrant menu ranging from pizzas, wraps, fries, nachos, and samosas to decadent in-house desserts. Every dish is crafted with the same flair that fuels the stories on screen, repositioning Cinépolis as not just a multiplex but a bona fide foodie destination.

    To mark the debut, the chain has rolled out Foovies25, offering 25 per cent off on food and tickets, alongside Club Cinépolis loyalty perks that let patrons earn and redeem points on meals. The move is aimed squarely at India’s two great passions, food and film blending them into a seamless lifestyle experience whether it’s a date night, family outing, or weekend catch-up with friends.

    “At Cinépolis, we don’t just showcase films, we craft experiences,” said Cinépolis India managing director Devang Sampat. “Foovies is our bold step to make every movie visit an immersive lifestyle indulgence, blending the joy of cinema with the comfort of world-class food.”

    Since its India entry in 2009, Cinépolis has set benchmarks with luxury recliners, Dolby surround sound, cutting-edge projection, and its globally famed popcorn. With Foovies, the brand has now raised the stakes again transforming theatres into dining destinations and reshaping the very way India consumes entertainment.

    Because sometimes, the best plot twist isn’t on the screen, but on your plate.
     

  • Centuryply sparks AIgnite to future-proof its business with Generative AI

    Centuryply sparks AIgnite to future-proof its business with Generative AI

    MUMBAI: From plywood to power moves, Century Plyboards (India) Ltd. is setting the stage for a digital transformation that goes beyond building materials. The company has unveiled AIgnite, an organisation-wide initiative designed to weave Generative AI into every corner of its operations from boardroom strategy to shopfloor execution.

    Created in collaboration with Timespro, AIgnite isn’t just a tech experiment but a year-long structured programme aimed at reshaping leadership thinking and functional workflows. Its debut session, AI for Leadership, saw spirited participation from chairman Padma Shri Sajjan Bhajanka, managing director Sanjay Agarwal, the promoter board, and senior executives. The focus: how AI can sharpen decision-making, fast-track innovation, and turbocharge operational intelligence.

    The AIgnite roadmap spans sales, marketing, finance, HR, procurement, IT and SCM, with domain-specific learning tracks rooted in TimesPro’s AI in action framework. Structured into three tiers CXO & leadership strategy sessions, function-centric hands-on labs, and refresher & deep dive modules the programme blends simulations with real-world outcomes, from creating sharper sales pitches and hyper-personalised marketing campaigns to automating finance reporting and optimising procurement.

    Timespro president & CFO for enterprise solutions Arun Kabra underlined the intent: “True transformation is not about learning tools, it’s about rewiring thinking. Our collaboration with Centuryply is proof that when leadership pairs intent with innovation, AI shifts from the periphery to the core.”

    Centuryply’s HR team has already plugged AI into recruitment, sentiment tracking, and employee engagement, signalling how the cultural shift is as crucial as the technical one. “AIgnite is not about adopting a tool, it’s about evolving a mindset,” said Century Plyboards CHRO Rakesh Tiga. “This is how we build a future-ready Centuryply with technology in our hands and purpose in our hearts.”

    The initiative, steered by the learning & development team under Kapil Anand, is designed to maximise relevance and engagement across teams. Beyond upskilling, it sets the foundation for a people-led transformation agenda that positions Centuryply among India’s most forward-looking companies in the AI revolution.

    With AIgnite, Centuryply isn’t just adapting to the future, it’s building it, one algorithm at a time.