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Bright Outdoor outdoes itself in FY25

MUMBAI: The lights are definitely on and someone’s at home at Bright Outdoor Media. India’s first listed out-of-home advertising firm has delivered a corker of a year, with total income soaring 19 per cent to Rs 128 crore and net profit jumping nearly 19 per cent to Rs 19 crore in the fiscal year ending March 2025.

The numbers tell a gleaming story. Earnings per share climbed to Rs 13.11 from Rs 11.45, whilst EBITDA expanded a healthy 18 per cent to Rs 27 crore. The second half proved particularly bright, with income surging 22 per cent half-on-half to Rs 70 crore—suggesting the company’s momentum is accelerating rather than dimming.

For a firm that started life in 1980 flogging billboard space, Bright Outdoor has certainly illuminated its path to prosperity. The Mumbai-based outfit now commands over 400 hoardings nationwide, including a hefty chunk of the city’s 85 large digital LED displays. That’s no small feat in a market where prime real estate comes at a premium and visibility is everything.

The company’s recent coups read like a property developer’s wishlist. Bright Outdoor has bagged exclusive advertising rights for the entire Navi Mumbai Metro Line 1—a decade-long deal covering 85,000 square feet of prime eyeball territory. Not content with underground domination, it also secured a seven-year contract with Western Railways, adding another 17,555 square feet of high-visibility real estate to its empire.

Chairman & managing director Yogesh Lakhani is clearly more than pleased with the results. His company has been on a billboard-buying spree, unveiling 13 new LED displays across Mumbai’s most coveted spots—from the Goregaon flyover to the Eastern Express Highway. The digital expansion adds 12,569 square feet of advertising space to Bright’s already impressive portfolio.

Shareholders have reason to smile beyond the robust financials. The board has recommended a five per cent dividend (Rs 0.50 per share) and proposed a generous 1:2 bonus issue—one free share for every two held. It’s a clear signal that management believes the good times will keep rolling.

The outdoor advertising market has been riding high on India’s economic growth and urbanisation boom. Digital displays, in particular, have become the new battleground as advertisers seek more dynamic, targeted campaigns. Bright Outdoor’s focus on high-traffic transit corridors and tech-savvy solutions appears to be paying dividends—quite literally.

From cinema slides to full train wraps, the company’s diverse offerings have attracted over 5,000 corporate clients and facilitated campaigns for more than 200,000 movies, TV shows and events. Its claim to fame includes being the first globally to install solar panels on hoardings, supplying electricity back to Indian Railways—proof that being green can indeed mean more greenbacks.

Trading on the BSE SME platform since March 2023, Bright Outdoor has certainly lived up to its billing as a “game changer” in the IPO landscape. With urban India’s appetite for advertising showing no signs of dimming, this billboard baron looks set to keep the lights on—and the profits flowing.

June 1, 2025
NDTV gets real about artificial intelligence with new AI squad

MUMBAI: NDTV is placing its bets on silicon rather than scribes, announcing the formation of a dedicated artificial intelligence team to shake up its digital media game. The news broadcaster has enlisted Aayushman Choudhary, a tech entrepreneur with startup scars and coding credentials, to head up the new unit as head of AI.

Chief product officer Rohan Tyagi, who has done his rounds at TikTok, Triller and Zee, is clearly betting that algorithms can do more than just sort cat videos. The AI team will focus on three key battlegrounds: automating journalism workflows and mining audience insights, supercharging personalisation engines, and cooking up fresh revenue streams powered by machine learning.

Choudhary brings a mixed bag of entrepreneurial adventures to the newsroom. The Delhi-based techie spent a year building his own venture, Underhive Inc, before NDTV came calling in May. His CV reads like a startup hopscotch game—co-founding photo editing firm AfterShoot, doing a stint as head of technology at gaming platform Winbee, and even moonlighting as an entrepreneur in residence at venture capital firm Antler.

The appointment signals NDTV’s recognition that the future of news lies not just in breaking stories but in breaking code. With traditional media houses scrambling to stay relevant in the digital arms race, the broadcaster is hoping artificial intelligence might just provide the human touch it needs to connect with audiences.

Whether Choudhary can teach machines to sniff out scoops remains to be seen, but NDTV is clearly ready to let the robots have a crack at reinventing the newsroom.

June 1, 2025
Marketing maven Nikhil Gupta climbs the ladder at Accenture

MUMBAI: Nikhil Gupta has landed himself a plum new role as marketing manager at Accenture, capping off what must feel like a victory lap around the corporate track. The marketing maestro, who has been grinding away at the consulting behemoth for the better part of a decade, will now orchestrate campaigns across Europe and beyond from his base in Gurugram.

Gupta’s ascent through Accenture’s ranks tells the tale of shrewd corporate climbing. He spent 11 months as associate manager for opportunity-centric marketing in EMEA before snagging his latest gig in June. Prior to that, he cut his teeth as a platforms and processes strategist, helping wrangle a team of over 100 marketing mavens into shape.

The promotion caps a career that began in the trenches of digital marketing back in 2011. Gupta previously wielded his creative powers at McCann Worldgroup, where he spent two years evangelising Google’s digital platforms to chief marketing officers across India. He also did stints at boutique agencies ToThe New, Olive Global and Blue Digital Media before joining Accenture’s marketing machine in 2016.

Now ensconced in his corner office (or hybrid workspace, more likely), Gupta will be crafting “innovative, integrated strategic marketing campaigns” for Accenture’s most complex and transformational deals. Not bad for someone who started out as a digital marketer in Delhi’s agency scene over a decade ago.

June 1, 2025
In memoriam: Nirmal Suchanti- The man who made financial communication fashionable

MUMBAI:In the buttoned-up world of financial communication, few dared to inject creativity into compliance. Nirmal Suchanti was the exception that proved the rule, transforming a stodgy sector into something resembling art.

The patriarch of Concept Communication Ltd, who died on 26 May aged 81, was a man who saw opportunity where others spotted only red tape. At a time when mainstream advertising agencies treated financial services like radioactive material, Suchanti had the audacity to make equity investments accessible to millions of Indians who had never heard of a prospectus, let alone read one.

“Communication can never be ‘just a business’,” his son Vivek Suchanti, now chairman and managing director, recalls his father saying. “It should be about creating trust and empowering people with knowledge.”

This wasn’t corporate waffle – it was Suchanti’s operating philosophy, one that built not just an advertising agency but an entirely new communication paradigm.

Born on 28 January 1944, Suchanti possessed that rare combination of business acumen and genuine warmth that made him as comfortable in boardrooms as he was sharing chai with junior colleagues. His door remained perpetually open, not merely for business but for advice, laughter, and the sort of human connection that corporate India often forgets to prioritise.

Those who knew him describe a man who listened more than he spoke, guided without imposing, and led with empathy rather than ego. In an industry notorious for its sharp elbows and sharper tongues, Suchanti’s approach was refreshingly different – he called spades, spades, certainly, but did so with enough grace to maintain relationships rather than torch them.

His measure of success wasn’t found in balance sheets but in the carefully nurtured relationships that spanned generations. Colleagues became confidants, clients became friends, and even casual acquaintances found themselves valued in ways that left lasting impressions.

I remember meeting him in his office in Nariman Point (if I correctly recollect the location, or am I confusing it with the office of Pressman Advertising run by Niren and Navin Suchanti), as a young journalist in the late eighties and early nineties and spending a few hours chatting with him. I was with BusinessWorld then working as chief sub-editor of the magazine. And he had no business giving me that time, running a busy agency as he was at the height of the investment frenzy that had hit the bourses. But he did. For that I am thankful. He presented me with a memory I hold as a treasure to this day.

As an increasing number of pioneers of the investment, advertising, and business community call it a day on earth, it reminds us of age that is creeping on us silently. Their passing reminds us of human frailty and that we are indeed caught up in the circle of life – and death.

“Dad, your spirit lives on in every life that you have shaped,” Vivek wrote in a heartfelt LinkedIn tribute that has garnered widespread attention in advertising circles. Along with his brother Vineet, Vivek promises to follow their father’s footsteps “with sincerity, humility and integrity” – qualities that made Nirmal Suchanti not just a successful businessman, but a genuinely beloved figure.

In death, as in life, Suchanti’s legacy transcends the bottom line. He proved that even in finance – that most prosaic of sectors – there was room for creativity, compassion, and the sort of human touch that no algorithm can replicate.

(PAINTED PICTURE OF NIRMAL SUCHANTI COURTESY VIVEK SUCHANTI LINKEDIN PAGE)

May 31, 2025
Varun T Wanvari circles back to Himalaya Wellness

MUMBAI: Varun T Wanvari has pulled off corporate India’s latest U-turn, returning to Himalaya Wellness Company in May after an 18-month sojourn through Amazon’s retail machinery.

“Some journeys come a full circle,” the category manager declared on LinkedIn, clearly pleased with his homecoming. He’s not wrong—Wanvari previously managed lotions and creams at The Himalaya Drug Company from 2016 to 2018.

His career reads like FMCG bingo: systems engineer at Tata Consultancy Services, marketing intern for Hot Wheels at Mattel, brand duties at Reliance’s Hamleys, and five years flogging Good Day biscuits and Toastea at Britannia Industries. Amazon beckoned in late 2023 as senior category manager, but the wellness world’s siren call proved stronger.

“Grateful for the continued trust,” Wanvari said, deploying enough LinkedIn enthusiasm to power a small ashram. His hashtag-heavy post (#NewBeginnings #WellnessWithPur) suggests genuine excitement about returning to products you can actually smell.

Whether he’ll apply Amazon’s data wizardry to ancient ayurvedic wisdom remains to be seen. This boomerang has landed exactly where it started—with considerably more corporate spin.

May 31, 2025
Marketing maestro plugs into EV future at Astro Motors

MUMBAI: Aniruddha Khandekar, a true grand fromage in the marketing consultancy world, has just revved up his career with a cracking new gig. He’s been tapped as the fresh-faced marketing director at Astro Motors IN, an emerging electric vehicle manufacturer looking to absolutely revolutionise the industry. He’s only been on the job since March 2025, but one expects he’s already hitting the ground running in Pune, Maharashtra.

Astro Motors isn’t just another tin box on wheels; it’s a disruption-focused outfit intent on combining sheer innovation with a dollop of education to cut through the noise in India’s bewildering EV marketplace. Its advanced vehicle design, superior performance, and integrated management systems are built to meet the demands of everyone from your individual punter to the largest fleet operators. It sounds like the folks there are not just selling cars, they’re selling a vision – and a very British one at that.

Khandekar brings a truly impressive pedigree to the role, having clocked up over 20 years in the cut-throat advertising and media trenches. The strategy consultant and fractional CMO, formerly of G-S-D Consulting, has been a marketing gun-for-hire, delivering impact for a stellar roster of clients. He’s previously steered the strategic ship for heavy hitters like Marico, Colgate Palmolive, Dell, and Lenovo during his VMLY&R days. Before that, his brainy insights bolstered giants such as Bajaj Auto, P&G, Oreo, Asian Paints, and Tata Sky during stints at Leo Burnett and Ogilvy. He’s consulted for everyone from EdTech startups like Accreda to Web3 MarTech platforms such as Cultos, even dabbling in market entry strategy for an electric commuter motorcycle – quite the pre-nup for his current role, one might say!

With a track record of shaping consumer insights and crafting go-to-market strategies, Khandekar’s arrival promises to inject a serious jolt of marketing wizardry into Astro Motors. The EV space just got a bit more exciting, and rather stylishly so.

May 31, 2025
Media ‘investment pundit’ Karan Taurani gets his executive stripes at Elara Capital

MUMBAI: Karan Taurani, Mumbai’s most recognisable media analyst, has bagged the executive vice president role at Elara Capital. The May 2025 promotion caps nearly seven years at the investment firm, where he’s dissected media, consumer discretionary, and internet sectors with surgical precision. Now retail has been added to his watch portfolio.

Taurani’s climb from vice president (October 2018) to senior vice president (April 2021) and now to the executive suite reflects his growing clout. His trajectory mirrors his expanding media footprint—from conference circuits to prime-time television punditry.

The analyst’s journey began at Pioneer Investcorp (2008-2011), covering IT and mid-cap technology during the sector’s boom years. IFCI Financial Services expanded his remit to education whilst maintaining IT expertise. Religare offered broader horizons, juggling 15-plus companies across technology, media, telecoms, and education as lead analyst.

Dolat Capital Market cemented his media sector reputation before Elara Capital came calling in 2018. What sets Taurani apart is his media savvy—regular television appearances and conference circuit presence make him the go-to voice for sectoral insights, whether streaming wars, retail disruption, or consumer spending patterns.
His independent directorship at Kavithalayaa since January 2024 adds board-level strategic nous to complement analytical prowess. It’s cross-pollination that makes for rounded market commentary.

At Elara, Taurani’s executive elevation suggests the firm recognises value beyond pure research. In an era where analyst personalities drive investment decisions, having a media-savvy executive who articulates complex trends across platforms is worth its weight in rupees.

For Taurani, the promotion validates a career built understanding India’s evolving consumer landscape. His analytical journey mirrors the country’s economic transformation—and executive stripes suggest more commentary ahead.

May 31, 2025
Marketing maven climbs the Kotak ladder with promotional panache

MUMBAI: Kanchi Parekh has ascended to vice president marketing at Kotak Mahindra Bank, capping a three-year climb through the private banking heavyweight’s ranks. The April 2025 promotion marks another conquest in her decade-plus march through India’s most competitive financial services sector.

Parekh’s CV reads like a masterclass in brand warfare. Her journey began at Peacock Media (2008-2010), cutting teeth on client management and retail campaigns. A stint at The Indian Express honed her event orchestration skills before the real breakthrough at DHFL, where she managed portfolios worth Rs 89-107 crores whilst delivering a jaw-dropping 458 per cent lift in enquiries and 1,377 per cent increase through direct CRM.

At ItzCash Card, India’s pioneering prepaid card entity, she commanded Rs 6 crores across 65,000 franchisees. Her insurance sector mastery crystallised at Future Generali and HDFC ERGO, where she crafted “always-on” marketing strategies spanning retail, bancassurance, and digital channels. SBI General Insurance elevated her to team lead, polishing her multi-channel expertise.

Kotak clearly spotted a thoroughbred when it hired Parekh as deputy vice president in February 2022. Her swift promotion suggests the investment paid handsome dividends. In an era of soaring customer acquisition costs, having a marketing strategist who navigates B2C and B2B2C channels with equal aplomb is worth its weight in rupees.

Her skill set resembles a marketing Swiss Army knife: campaign management, digital strategy, public relations, employer branding, and analytics—all backed by proven agency management abilities. As India’s financial services sector digitises rapidly, Kotak appears to have secured a marketing general capable of commanding campaigns across every conceivable channel.

For Parekh, vice president represents not just career progression, but validation of a strategy that’s seen her master every major financial vertical whilst building Mumbai’s most versatile marketing reputation.

May 31, 2025
Eves steal the show at indiantelevision.com’s fourth Wonder Women Awards 2025

MUMBAI: India’s marketing, entertainment and corporate elite gathered at the Westin in Mumbai’s Malad suburb on the evening of 30 May for Indiantelevision.com’s fourth annual Wonder Women Awards—and what a charming and awe-inspiring do it was. The cream of India’s women executive, corporate and entertainment crop proved once again that when it comes to flogging products, entertaining, communicating and winning hearts, they are absolutely brilliant.

The evening was less stuffy boardroom, more rollicking celebration of the queens of conversion who know how to sell ice to Eskimos—and make them happy about it too. Around 100 executives and professionals walked away with glistening trophies, decided through rigorous jury judging and editorial picks that would make even the stuffiest exec crack a smile.

From campaigns that hit harder than monsoon rain to digital wizardry that would make Silicon Valley blush, the winners showcased excellence nous that’s frankly enough to make Don Draper and Marilyn Monroe weep with envy. Whether it was Volvo’s inclusive campaigns featuring persons with disabilities or Eastern Condiments’ Valentine’s Day blitz, the evening proved that creativity and commerce make splendid bedfellows.

Hindi cinema and TV royalty added star power to proceedings, with Sunny Leone and Nushrratt Bharuccha among the main winners, proving that entertainment and entrepreneurship go together like gin and tonic. The awards spanned everything from automotive to e-commerce, with special recognition for organisations championing women’s empowerment—because breaking glass ceilings is rather the point, isn’t it?

Here is the list of winners:
Campaign Awards
* Automobile | Best use of visuals (video): Volvo Group | Pink Lemonade Communications (inclusion of persons with disabilities campaign)
* FMCG | Most innovative use of content marketing: Eastern Condiments | Pink Lemonade Communications (Valentine’s Day campaign)
* Gaming & e-sports | Most innovative use of content marketing: Ampverse India | AlphaZegus Marketing (College Rivals Season 1)
* Manufacturing | Best new product launch: AVPL International | AITMC Ventures (Viraj UAS)
* Media & entertainment | Best use of event: The Mainstream | Mercadeo Multiventures (EmergeTech roadshow)
* Media & entertainment | Best use of influencers: Bubble Communication (Navabharat Influencers Awards)
* Media & entertainment | Most innovative use of digital/social media: Shemaroo Entertainment (Shamshaan Champa launch)
* Media & entertainment | Best use of visuals (video): Jagran New Media (Jagran Manthan)
* Retail & e-commerce | Best use of creativity and innovation: Clovia | 80 dB Communications (performance marketing illustrations)
* Retail & e-commerce | Best use of influencers: Pilgrim (The Secret is in the Mix campaign)
* Retail & e-commerce | Most innovative use of digital/social media: Clovia | 80 dB Communications (meme & trend marketing)

Special Awards – Individual Winners
* Education | Innovative leader: Hemali Dalal (JBCN Education), Monica Malhotra Kandhari (AASOKA), Devyani Jaipuria (DPS International Gurgaon)
* Advertising | Marketing personality: Renu Singh (Dentsu X), Nisha Didwania (Spark Foundry)
* Art & culture | Entrepreneur: Arushi Agrawal (Seva Home)
* Banking & financial services | Innovative leader: Tanu Bhargava Goenka
* Banking & financial services | Young achiever: Sakshi Uniyal (HSBC)
* Consumer durables | Marketing personality: Pooja Baid (Versuni)
* Food & beverage | Marketing personality: Divya Aggarwal (Impresario Entertainment & Hospitality)
* Fashion & lifestyle | Young achiever: Himadri Garg
* Health & wellness | Innovative leader: Arushi Verma (FITPASS)
* Hospitality | Marketing personality: Pragya Rathore (Fairmont & Raffles Jaipur)
* Hospitality | F&B leader: Shahnaaz Anjum (Fairmont Jaipur)
* IT & technology | Entrepreneur: Snigdha Singh (Ink In Caps)
* IT & technology | Innovative leader: Anjali Dutta (Tech Mahindra)
* IT & technology | Marketing personality: Soundarya Shrivastava (PTC)
* IT & technology | Young achiever: Saloni Jain (Plus91Labs)
* Manufacturing | Communication personality: Sandhya Malik (Vedanta Sesa Goa)
* Manufacturing | HR personality: Aparna Sharma (Rossari Biotech)
* Manufacturing | Innovative leader: Kavita Desai
* Media & entertainment | CEO: Shruti Mahajan (SMCO)
* Media & entertainment | Communication personality: Kanika Chhabra (V Spark Communications)
* Media & entertainment | HR personality: Priyanka Chhokra (ITW Universe), Shiza Ansari Khan (Shemaroo Entertainment)
* Media & entertainment | Innovative leader: Anisha Roy (Sony Pictures Networks India), Angelin Diana (Pratilipi Comics)
* Media & entertainment | Marketing personality: Vidhi Vora (U and I Resources), Sukriti Datta (Chatterbox Technologies)

* Media & entertainment | Young achiever: Dimpy Khera (One Take Media Co)
* Public relations | CEO: Heeta Parikh (Silver Spun Brand Solutions)
* Public relations | Entrepreneur: Neha Bajaj (Scroll Mantra), Nikky Gupta (Teamwork Communications)
* Public relations | Innovative leader: Jagriti Motwani (Cha-Chi Communications), Aakriti Bhargava (Wizikey Software)
* Public relations | PR personality: Vidhi Shah (Synapse PR), Neha Agarwal (Percept Limited), Kajal Kamal (ZEISS India)
* Public relations | Young achiever: Ritika Garg (Avance PR), Priya Saini (Veritas Reputation PR)
* Real estate & infrastructure | HR personality: Dimple Bakshi (Table Space)
* Real estate & infrastructure | Innovative leader: Devi Shankar (Anarock Capital)
* Real estate & infrastructure | Young achiever: Megha Agarwal (Table Space)
* Retail & e-commerce | Young achiever: Richa Phogat (USHA International)
* Sports & adventure | Innovative leader: Mayuri Pitale (Mandala India)
* Startups | Communication personality: Raksha Hegde (Pilgrim)
* Startups | Innovative leader: Jyoti Singh (Plus91Labs)
* Startups | Young achiever: Diksha Seth (Moove)
* Travel & tourism | Communication personality: Prasidha Menon (Airbnb)
Special Awards – Organisations
* Advertising | Agency: Voix Digital
* Art & culture | Best organisation for women empowerment: Seva Home
* Education | Best organisation for women empowerment: Fortune Institute of International Business (FIIB)
* Public relations | Best organisation for women empowerment: Stanley Communications, Veritas Reputation PR
* Public relations | Agency: ID8 Media Solutions

Editorial Choice Awards
Darshana Shah (Aditya Birla Capital),
Pooja Asar (Tata Motors),
Deepti Sampat (Air India),
Aruna Daryanani (Amazon MX Player),
Aatika Ehsan Ansari (Pernod Ricard India),
Shwetal Basu (Polycab India),
Riya Joseph (Britannia Industries),
Mitali Maheshwari (Starbucks India),
Kavita Chaturvedi (ITC Foods),
Ruchira Jaitly (Diageo India),
Shilpa Dureja Puri (Samsung India),
Manjari Upadhye (Mahindra & Mahindra),
Jennifer Pandya (Skoda Auto India),
Priyanka Malhotra Sethi (Haier Appliances India),
Apeksha Gupta (Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail),
Dharini Mishra (Suzlon Group),
Shaifali Gautam (CaratLane),
Ranjani Krishnaswamy (Titan Company),
Sangeeta Pujari (JioStar Sports),
Ranjana Mangla (SonyLIV),
Ananta Das (Prime Video),
Riddhi Adlakha (Tata Consultancy Services),
Ahana Ganguly (Times Network),
Surbhi Gupta (Birla Opus),

Minakshi Handa (ITC Personal Care),
Ruchika Gupta (Indigo),
Mrinalini Jain (Banijay Asia & EndemolShine India),
Nidhi Rastogi (Uniqlo India),
Preetha Athrey (The Trade Desk),
Ekta Mehta (JioStar),
Aditi Chakravarty (Moët Hennessy India),
Saakshi Verma Menon (PepsiCo),
Neha Sethi (NDTV),
Janani Srinivas (Adobe),
Aparajita Biswas (The Hindu Group),
Serena Menon (Netflix),
Gazal Bajaj (Nestlé),
Mandvi Gayatri Sharma (Tree-Shul Media Solutions),
Jaya Saha (Collective Artists Network),
Kim Sharma (DCA – Dharma Cornerstone Agency),
Sapna Malhotra (Alchemy Films),
Elizabeth Venkatraman (Shriram Finance),
Sheena Kapoor (ICICI Lombard),
Nushrratt Bharuccha (outstanding performer, Chhorii 2),
Sunny Leone (powerhouse performer and entrepreneur, CEO/founder Starstruck),
Sanchita Trivedi (Idhyah Media),
Riddhima Pandit (excellence on screen, actor – Sikandar Ka Muqaddar),
Anisha Anand (Aurum Foods),
Neha Mehta (AnimationXpress).

The evening proved that when it comes to professional and marketing mastery, these women don’t just break the mould—they’ve gone and invented entirely new ones.

May 31, 2025
Cricket and other sports pirates get the boot as broadcasters flex their legal muscle

MUMBAI: The International Broadcaster Coalition Against Piracy (Ibcap) has been rather busy playing digital sheriff, rounding up streaming rustlers and making pirates walk the legal plank. The coalition’s 2025 annual report, released at its Anaheim gathering on 14 May, revealed a year of impressive swashbuckling against content thieves who’ve been helping themselves to premium programming without so much as a by-your-leave.

The real crowd-pleaser was Ibcap’s cricket crusade, where it showed that protecting live sports requires the reflexes of a wicket-keeper and the persistence of a tail-end batsman. During the 2024 Indian Premier League tournament, its analysts in India and America worked in real-time shifts, sending takedown notices faster than Jasprit Bumrah delivers yorkers. The result was spectacular: 6,723 streams disrupted over the tournament’s duration and more than 2.1 million Facebook Live views blocked worldwide. Its takedown rate on social media and mobile apps achieved a perfect 100 per cent—leaving pirates and would-be viewers equally frustrated.

The highly popular cricket T20 World Cup saw similar success, with Ibcap’s laboratory removing 3,783 streams and disrupting over a million Facebook Live views globally. On set-top box and IPTV services, it knocked out 2,852 streams with a 77 per cent success rate, whilst web-based live streams suffered even more, with 5,940 removed at a 70 per cent clip. Social media and mobile apps once again proved no match for IBCAP’s digital fielding, maintaining that perfect 100 per cent takedown rate.

Ibcap expanded it merry band of crusaders with three notable additions: Japanese public broadcaster NHK, whose programming reaches 160 countries, joined the fray in June 2024, bringing protection for Japanese-language content into the fold. American video distribution heavyweight DirecTV followed suit in March 2025, broadening Ibcap’s reach into mainstream American programming. Most recently, Italy’s national broadcaster Rai signed up, dragging its popular channels Rai Uno and Rai Italia—home to variety shows, sports, and live Serie A football—under Ibcap’s protective umbrella. With programming available across 174 countries on five continents, RAI’s addition proves that even the land of pasta and beautiful football isn’t immune to streaming skulduggery. Ibcap currently represents over 220 television channels from America, Europe, Brazil, the Middle East and South Asia.

The coalition hasn’t just been collecting members like Panini stickers. Its laboratory techies have developed a rather clever automated monitoring system that spots dodgy video-on-demand content on set-top boxes and IPTV services faster than you can say “buffering.” This proprietary digital bloodhound doesn’t just watch—it captures evidence, preserves it for legal proceedings, and fires off automated takedown notices to infringing services, content delivery networks, and hosting companies worldwide. The result? Illegal streams vanish quicker than a Test match in Perth. Ibcap is so pleased with this technological marvel that it’s considering offering the service to non-members and other organisations in the broader anti-piracy battle.

Ibcap’s legal team has been throwing punches worth millions, building on its successful track record of making hosting providers pay for digital negligence. After pocketing a tidy $3m settlement from hosting provider Datacamp—a warning shot across the industry’s bow—it has trained its legal cannons on Virtual Systems and Innetra PC with lawsuits filed in October 2024 and May 2025 respectively.

Virtual Systems’ behaviour was particularly brazen, operating what can only be described as a piracy paradise. The company allegedly ran a “DMCA ignored” policy—about as subtle as a brick through a window—advertising that “we ignore DMCA takedown notices” to potential customers. When Ibcap sent over 500 separate infringement notices, Virtual Systems treated them with all the respect of junk mail, allowing numerous pirate services to continue using its servers and network infrastructure to stream copyrighted content. The company’s reward for such cavalier attitudes? A lawsuit seeking over $41m in statutory damages plus a permanent injunction.

Innetra PC proved equally troublesome, emerging as a major offender in Ibcap’s crosshairs after being identified as responsible for delivering approximately 15 per cent of unauthorised Ibcap member streams on set-top box and IPTV services during the first quarter of 2025. Its comeuppance: a lawsuit demanding more than $25m in statutory damages and, like Virtual Systems, a permanent injunction to stop hosting infringing content.

Perhaps most satisfying was the legal thrashing handed to the operators of Lemo TV and Kemo IPTV in April 2025. These streaming scallywags had been particularly audacious, continuing to broadcast Ibcap protected content despite receiving approximately 100 infringement notices—roughly one for every boundary in a decent innings. During the first quarter of 2025 alone, the service accounted for almost 30 per cent of all unauthorised streams detected on set-top box and IPTV services monitored by Ibcap’s laboratory.

The service’s persistence in piracy proved costly. The lawsuit seeks statutory damages exceeding $25m, plus profits from potentially thousands of unregistered works that were illegally distributed. But the legal punishment doesn’t stop at financial penalties—Ibcap wants a permanent injunction to shut down the operation entirely, an order forcing the transfer of domain names used by the service, and recovery of reasonable legal fees and costs. It’s the equivalent of not just getting bowled out, but having your stumps scattered across three counties.

The message is crystal clear: content pirates may think they’re sailing in international waters, but Ibcap’s legal navy is patrolling every digital sea lane with an arsenal that would make admiral Nelson proud. With automated monitoring systems scanning the digital horizon, a growing fleet of broadcaster allies from five continents, and a track record of multi-million-dollar settlements, the coalition is proving that in the world of content protection, crime doesn’t pay—especially when it’s streaming someone else’s cricket match, Serie A fixture, or prime-time drama without permission.

May 31, 2025