Tag: entertainment

Kit Global dials into Telegram Ads as official partner in India

MUMBAI: Talk about sending the right message. Kit Global has become the official partner for Telegram Ads in India, giving advertisers direct access to the fast-growing platform’s unique ad solutions.

The international 360 degree marketing player is promising brands a smoother ride into Telegram territory with perks like local onboarding, multilingual support and real-time market insights. For marketers weary of crowded feeds and banner fatigue, Telegram’s opt-in channels are pitched as a fresher, cleaner way to reach audiences who actually want to hear from them.

“At Kit Global, we’ve always been proud to be at the forefront of market change. We embrace innovation rather than relying on what’s already known,” said chief executive, Olga Dulinskaya. She added that the tie-up gives clients confidence that every campaign rides on opportunities designed for today’s fast-changing digital world.

For Telegram, the move could broaden its appeal among Indian advertisers eager to cut through the noise. Instead of chasing disengaged scrollers, brands can speak directly to niche, interest-led communities. For Kit Global, which already runs high-performing campaigns across fintech, gaming, e-commerce and entertainment, the partnership reinforces its positioning as a future-ready marketing outfit.

As India and Southeast Asia power the next wave of internet growth, Kit Global is betting that Telegram Ads will be a channel worth watching. After all, when it comes to winning engagement, sometimes it pays to be on the same wavelength.

September 10, 2025
Gaming veteran Rahul Razdan launches Giga to blur entertainment boundaries

MUMBAI: Rahul Razdan, the architect behind some of India’s most audacious digital ventures, has emerged from Reliance Jio’s corridors to launch Giga, his latest gambit to reshape gaming and entertainment. The 51-year-old, who spent nearly a decade building JioChat into a multimedia powerhouse, now promises to deploy artificial intelligence to revolutionise how humans engage with games.

Razdan’s pedigree reads like a who’s who of India’s digital transformation. As president of Tencent’s Indian operations between 2012 and 2014, he orchestrated WeChat’s meteoric rise, briefly dethroning established messaging giants. The app’s coup de grâce came via an audacious marketing blitz featuring Bollywood stars and a record-breaking QR code cake made from 7,500 individual cakes.

His tenure at Jio proved equally theatrical. JioChat became the first app to bear the Jio brand, even predating the network itself. Under his stewardship, the platform birthed India’s pioneering vertical video ecosystem and hosted the award-winning KBC Play Along game, where users played alongside television’s prime-time quiz show in real time.

Before his corporate conquests, Razdan co-founded ibibo.com, crafting what he claims was India’s first internet business with multiple revenue streams firmly embedded. The venture, backed by South Africa’s Naspers and China’s Tencent, pioneered social gaming with local flavour and real-money integration.

Giga’s cryptic website teases that “the 400 pound gorilla is coming soon,” offering little beyond Razdan’s promise to blur traditional entertainment boundaries. His track record suggests punters should pay attention. After all, this is the same executive who recently pivoted to filmmaking at 51, producing an award-winning animated short that swept international festivals from London to Buenos Aires.

Armed with degrees from the School of Planning and Architecture and IIM Indore, plus two decades navigating India’s digital rapids, Razdan appears intent on proving that gaming’s next act has only just begun.

August 19, 2025
Media veteran Kumar Ahuja takes the helm at AI upstart Eros Innovation

MUMBAI: Kumar Ahuja, a seasoned entertainment industry executive, has been appointed chief operating officer at Eros Innovation, a global technology holding company positioning itself at the intersection of artificial intelligence and media.

Ahuja brings nearly three decades of experience to the role, having most recently served as chief revenue officer at Sony Music Entertainment from December 2023 to August 2025. Before that, he spent over 26 years at Eros International, where he held various leadership positions including chief operating officer and president of business development.

Eros Innovation describes itself as a technology holding company with ambitions spanning AI, media, entertainment, sports, education and bio-life sciences. The firm serves as parent company to Immerso AI and other subsidiaries, claiming to leverage four decades of investment expertise to back disruptive technologies.

The company boasts 1.5 trillion AI tokens and operates AI data parks in Malaysia and GIFT City, India. It positions these facilities as innovation hubs for cutting-edge AI research with a particular focus on entertainment applications.

Ahuja’s appointment comes as traditional media companies grapple with the rapid advancement of AI technologies. His extensive background in strategic partnerships and business development at major entertainment firms may prove valuable as Eros Innovation seeks to bridge the gap between established media and emerging AI capabilities.

The company says it is pioneering “next-generation intellectual properties” through blockchain, generative AI and tokenisation, though it remains to be seen how these technologies will translate into commercial success in an increasingly crowded AI landscape.

August 14, 2025
Double trouble for broadcasters as Supreme Court green-lights twin tax hit

MUMBAI: The Supreme Court has delivered a one-two punch to India’s broadcasters, ruling on Thursday that they must cough up both service tax and entertainment tax on their activities. The decision ends years of legal wrangling over whether television companies could dodge the double whammy.

A bench led by justice B V Nagarathna and justice N K Singh declared that parliament and state legislatures both have the constitutional chops to levy their respective taxes. The 321-page judgment—longer than most television programmes—essentially told broadcasters they cannot have their cake and eat it too.

“The two taxes target different aspects of the same activity,” the court explained, rather like taxing both the recipe and the meal. Parliament’s service tax under the Finance Act hits the broadcasting service itself, whilst states’ entertainment tax treats television as a luxury under Entry 62 of the Constitution’s List II.

The judges were having none of the broadcasters’ arguments that they should pay only service tax to the central government. “No entertainment can reach viewers unless broadcasters transmit signals,” justice Nagarathna noted. “There are two aspects: transmitting signals and providing entertainment through set-top boxes that decrypt them.”

This legal drama began with a clutch of cases from various high courts, with Kerala versus Asianet Satellite Communications taking the starring role. Broadcasters had argued they were merely in the signal-transmission business, not the entertainment game. The Supreme Court was not buying this technicality.

The ruling overturns a 2012 Kerala high court decision that had favoured cable operators over DTH (direct-to-home) providers, calling such discrimination unconstitutional. The Supreme Court said this earlier judgment got it wrong—both cable and DTH operators are in the entertainment business and should be taxed accordingly.

For India’s broadcasting industry, already grappling with cord-cutting and streaming competition, this represents yet another headache. The ruling makes clear that technological differences in how entertainment is delivered do not exempt anyone from the taxman’s reach.

The court’s message is unambiguous: whether you beam signals from satellites or snake cables through neighbourhoods, if you are in the business of keeping Indians glued to their screens, you will pay through the nose for the privilege.

May 22, 2025
Zee names Rohit Suri as chief human resources officer, bets on a people-powered future

MUMBAI: Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. (Zee) has roped in Rohit Suri as its new chief human resources officer, effective 12 May 2025. Suri, who will be based in Mumbai and report directly to chief executive officer Punit Goenka, is tasked with turbocharging Zee’s human capital strategy.

Armed with over 25 years of experience across consumer internet, technology, and media companies, Suri most recently led talent management at Netflix India. His CV boasts leadership roles across South Asia, APAC, and Europe, where he drove HR transformation, leadership development, and cultural integration.

Goenka hailed the appointment, stating, “Human capital remains the cornerstone of our success at Zee as we progress to achieve our targeted goals for a robust future. I am glad to welcome Rohit, who joins us at a pertinent juncture, as we aim to strengthen the HR operations, people strategy and overall organisational culture to build a future-ready workplace. With his strong expertise and understanding in talent development and cultural integration especially within the media & entertainment sector, we look forward to fostering an environment of higher innovation and collaboration.”

Suri, in his statement, said, “I am pleased to join Zee at a pivotal time as it marches forward with clear, strategic goals to define the future of the media & entertainment industry. Across the sector, Zee has always been recognized for nurturing an entrepreneurial culture and building leaders for tomorrow. I am excited to drive this momentum forward and cultivate a more performance-oriented environment that contributes meaningfully to its overall strategic growth plans.”
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The media powerhouse has made it clear — with Suri in charge, it’s all systems go for a high-performance, innovation-driven work culture.

May 9, 2025
Disney’s magic numbers: Q2 2025 earnings cast a spell

MUMBAI: The Walt Disney Company’s Q2 2025 earnings have delivered a star-studded performance, with revenues climbing seven per cent to $23.6 billion, driven by robust gains in entertainment and experiences. But it wasn’t all smooth sailing — sports struggled with soaring production costs, keeping the magic somewhat grounded.

In the spotlight, Disney’s entertainment segment sparkled with a 61 per cent surge in operating income, hitting $1.3 billion. Direct-to-consumer revenues also soared, thanks to a 2.5 million bump in Disney+ and Hulu subscriptions, pushing the combined total to 180.7 million. The much-talked-about Disney+ subscriber base alone rose to 126 million, an addition of 1.4 million from the previous quarter.

However, the sports division played a tougher game. Operating income tumbled by $91 million to $687 million, primarily due to bloated programming costs, which included airing three extra college football playoff games and an additional NFL clash. ESPN’s domestic advertising revenue shot up by 29 per cent, but it wasn’t enough to offset the spending blitz.

Disney’s crown jewel — its experiences division — continued to enchant. Segment operating income hit $2.5 billion, a nine per cent rise, as domestic parks saw a 13 per cent boost in income, driven by higher spending and increased attendance.

Net income soared to $3.4 billion from just $216 million a year ago, with adjusted earnings per share (EPS) hitting $1.45, a 20 per cent year-on-year jump. Free cash flow surged over 100 per cent to $4.9 billion, thanks to lower tax payments and tighter cost control.

But not everything was a fairy tale. Disney’s Star India JV posted a $103 million loss, reflecting ongoing challenges in the competitive Indian market. There was also a equity loss from India JV of ~$300 million driven by purchase accounting amortisation. Amounts for the current period include impairment charges related to the Star India transaction ($143 million) and content ($109 million). Tax expense in the current period includes the estimated tax impact of these charges and a non-cash tax charge of $244 million related to the Star India transaction. Amounts for the prior-year period include impairments of goodwill ($2,038 million).

Looking ahead, Disney is waving its wand at a 16 per cent rise in adjusted EPS for the full year, expecting $5.75 per share, as it bets on double-digit growth in entertainment and a fresh direct-to-consumer push with ESPN’s new offering.

Disney’s CEO Bob Iger summed it up: “Our outstanding performance this quarter underscores our continued success building for growth and executing across our strategic priorities. Overall, we remain optimistic about the direction of the company and our outlook for the remainder of the fiscal year.”

May 7, 2025
Lavin Hirani launches Hirani & Associates in Mumbai

MUMBAI: Lavin Hirani, a seasoned name in India’s media and entertainment law circles, has rolled out his own banner—Hirani & Associates—a boutique firm set up in Bandra, Mumbai. With a script honed over years in the legal trenches, the new firm promises bespoke solutions across media, entertainment, sports, trademarks and tech law.

Hirani, best known for his stints as head of legal at Red Chillies Entertainment and media practice head at MDP Legal, brings heavyweight experience and a high-profile clientele. He has represented marquee names like Shah Rukh Khan, Sunny Deol, Shraddha Kapoor, Raveena Tandon, Rana Daggubati, Rishabh Pant and Samantha Prabhu, as well as leading production houses and streaming platforms.

“Media and tech are just getting warmed up—there’s massive potential ahead,” said Hirani.

Backed by a tight-knit team of legal talent—Anjana Menon (principal associate), Varun Gopala Krishnan (senior associate), and associates Ishan Puranik, Niharika Tiwari, Karisma Shah, Prachiti Joshi and Suhavi Arya—Hirani & Associates aims to blend personalised legal counsel with deep sector insight.

And yes, in true Bollywood style, Hirani couldn’t resist a cinematic sign-off: “Starring a talented cast, directed by yours truly.”

April 22, 2025
Banijay group boasts bumper year 2024

MUMBAI: Entertainment powerhouse Banijay group has posted phenomenal financial figures for 2024, with profits perking up considerably in the final quarter. The firm, flying high after a fabulous fiscal year, smashed its own guidance with a whopping 22 per cent growth in adjusted EBITDA.

The titan tallied total revenue of Euro 4,803 million, up a tidy 10.9 per cent, with momentum mounting magnificently in Q4 with a 14.8 per cent surge. Adjusted EBITDA jumped by 21.6 per cent to Euro 900 million, with a particularly powerful performance in the final quarter, rocketing up by 32.8 per cent.

Margins moved up markedly by 160 basis points to 18.7 per cent compared to 2023, while adjusted net income climbed by 29.3 per cent to Euro 418 million. The company’s coffers are considerably healthier, with a cash position of Euro 482 million and leverage ratio trimmed to 2.9x (down 0.2x since December 2023).

Shareholders can smile at a suggested dividend of Euro 0.35 per share, equating to 35 per cent of adjusted net income.

CEO François Riahi remarked that since listing three years ago, Banijay has increased revenue by 37 per cent and adjusted EBITDA by 50 per cent, with streaming content revenues doubling, as has the number of unique active players.

Despite industry headwinds hampering the first half, Banijay’s content production and distribution division delivered revenue of Euro 3,348 million, up by a slim but significant 0.5 per cent. The final quarter finished with flair, showing a 6.7 per cent rise thanks to major scripted show deliveries.

Content production revenue specifically stood at Euro 2,615 million, down 2.8 per cent compared to 2023, but bounced back brilliantly with a 6.2 per cent boost in Q4. Content distribution dipped by 1.5 per cent to Euro 397 million in 2024, but rebounded robustly in Q4 with a 33.2 per cent increase.

“Banijay group enjoyed a record year in 2024,” said Riahi. “Even in a challenging global content prouction market, we continued to see strong demand – especially from streaming platforms – for our iconic brands and deep content catalogue as the number one European studio for scripted content and a world leader in global format launches.”

The streaming success story continued with top-performing titles including Like Water for Chocolate, which ranked first among Spanish-language content on HBO Max, while Supersex, La Vita che Volevi and The Law According to Lidia Poet dominated Netflix’s top four scripted titles in Italy during H1.

Banijay maintains its mantle as the number one studio worldwide for global format launches. Six legacy formats ranked among the top 20 most-traveling TV formats globally, including Deal or No Deal (#2), MasterChef (#4), Big Brother (#6), Survivor (#7), Minute to Win It (#11), and The Money Drop (#14).

The company’s catalogue has expanded enormously, growing by more than 20,000 hours over the year to reach 207,000 hours of content, a 12 per cent increase compared to 2023.

Live experiences & other revenue rose remarkably by 42 per cent to Euro 336 million, driven by robust growth from brand licensing and the full-year contribution of Balich Wonder Studio. Throughout 2024, Balich Wonder Studio produced 119 shows including the opening ceremony of Euro 2024 in Munich and the Uefa Champions League in London. Cultural conquests included the award-winning Viva Vivaldi: The Four Seasons Immersive Concert in Verona and the 400th edition of the Festino di Santa Rosalia, which attracted more than 350,000 spectators.

The Independents impressed with 642 shows including the Vogue Festival in Paris and Spring/Summer 2025 runway shows for luxury labels like Christian Louboutin and Khaite.

Post-year developments include the January 2025 acquisition of Lotchi, a French producer of immersive experiences combining architecture with video-mapping, light and classical music. February saw the launch of Banijay Live Studio, set to create cutting-edge out-of-home entertainment experiences with a “Black Mirror” project already underway.

The online sports betting and gaming division delivered dazzling results, with revenue racing ahead by 45.4 per cent to Euro 1,456 million and an exceptional Q4 performance showing 49.3 per cent growth.

Online sportsbook revenue rose by 48.4 per cent to Euro 1,144 million, while online casino, poker and turf grew by 35.5 per cent to Euro 311 million. The betting business bagged market share across all products and territories, enjoying a 37 per cent increase in unique active players compared to 2023.

The division debuted a fully redesigned sportsbook app and launched a new proprietary poker platform in December 2024. The group strengthened its responsible gaming policy, with 99 per cent of its online sports betting & gaming revenue generated in locally regulated markets in 2024.

Looking forward, Banijay forecasts further fiscal fortunes in 2025:
* Mid-single digit growth for content production, distribution and live experiences
* Mid-teens growth for online sports betting and gaming
* Mid-to-high single digit growth in adjusted EBITDA, despite a Euro 20 million hit from higher betting taxes in France (effective from 1 July 2025)
* Adjusted free cash flow of approximately 80 per cent of adjusted EBITDA

Riahi, announced that several board members, including himself, will be purchasing shares in the company – a vote of confidence in future growth.

“Banijay Group’s value proposition in the entertainment industry is unique,” Riahi concluded. “We have a clear track record of performance, and we aim to expand our free float and stock liquidity so that shareholders can benefit from the value we are creating.”

March 10, 2025
Supriyo Banerji moves to JioStar Digital (entertainment) as vertical head (LCS)

MUMBAI: Until December 2024 Supriyo Banerj was selling air time for the entertainment component of JioCinema as the national vertical head. Came January 2025, he moved to JioStar Digital (entertainment) as the vertical head (LCS), following a reshuffling of resources between Disney Star and Viacom18 after the merger.

Banerji’s experience spans over 15 years, with a proven track record of leading high-performance sales teams, driving business growth, and delivering revenue results. Prior to joining Star India, Banerji held key roles at Viacom18 Media Private Limited, Zee Entertainment Enterprise Ltd., Star India, and Radio Mirchi.

As vertical head (LCS) – Jiostar Digital (Entertainment), Banerji will be responsible for driving brand growth, building relationships with key stakeholders, and developing content-driven solutions. With his expertise in campaign management and team leadership, Banerji will play a crucial role in shaping JioStar’s digital entertainment strategy.

Banerji holds a PGDIB from Symbiosis Institute of Management Studies and has a strong background in sales, advertising, and solution selling. His passion for big-picture thinking and collaborative leadership will be valuable assets to the JioStar India team.

Banerji’s appointment became effective January 2025, and he is based in Gurugram, Haryana.

January 18, 2025
Seasoned business executive Prakash Nathan joins Unique Solutions as Mumbai branch head

MUMBAI: Prakash Nathan, a seasoned business strategist with over two decades of experience spanning IT, consulting, and media, has been appointed as the Mumbai branch head and vice-president of sales at Unique Solutions. In this pivotal role, he will spearhead the enterprise sales team, focusing on strategic planning, customer excellence, and revenue growth through cutting-edge IT and security solutions.

Prior to this, Nathan was the head of commercial business at Wysetek Systems Technologists Pvt Ltd where he built high-performing teams and drove innovation in cybersecurity, virtualisation, cloud, and open-source practices. His career trajectory includes a successful stint as vice president of enterprise acquisition at Galaxy Office Automation Pvt Ltd, where he excelled in acquiring major accounts and aligning with large OEMs for transformative IT solutions.

Notably, Nathan’s illustrious career also spans 15 years in the entertainment industry, where he collaborated with leading production houses like Yashraj Films, Salman Khan Films, and Red Chillies Entertainment in marketing, distribution, and content syndication roles. Amongst the companies he worked for include: Moser Baer, UTV and The Walt Disney Co in Mumbai. As the founder & director of Cinemarkets Digital Solutions, he brought his expertise to film marketing and digital rights syndication, bridging the worlds of media and technology.

Nathan’s dedication to leveraging modern and emerging technologies, coupled with his passion for cinema, underscores his vision of driving innovation and creating value for customers, partners, and stakeholders. His multi-industry expertise positions him uniquely to synergise IT and entertainment for mutual growth.

January 12, 2025