MUMBAI: Travelxp, the global travel and lifestyle network, has made its French debut on Bouygues Telecom. The channel is now available in high definition on channel 132, reaching all subscribers across the country.

The launch brings a dedicated French feed packed with thousands of hours of premium travel content. From stunning destinations and cultural journeys to culinary adventures and immersive storytelling, Travelxp HD promises a cinematic experience that sparks wanderlust from the comfort of home.

“This is an exciting milestone for Travelxp,” said Europe managing director Sumant Bahl. “Our French feed allows viewers to explore the world with high-quality programming tailored for them.”

Bouygues Telecom marketing director Marc Laurier added, “Travelxp enriches our offering with unique moments of escape, international flavours, and global cultures. It’s an invitation to travel without leaving home.”

With this launch, Travelxp strengthens its European presence, continuing to deliver content that is both locally relevant and globally inspiring.
 

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MUMBAI: National Geographic has marked its 138th anniversary with a campaign that treats storytelling not as nostalgia but as strategy, using its legacy to reinforce relevance in an attention-fragmented media market.

Branded Stories that spark wonder, the anniversary initiative reflects on the explorers, images and breakthroughs that have defined National Geographic for more than a century, while positioning the iconic yellow border as shorthand for credibility, curiosity and research-led storytelling. The campaign draws on the brand’s long history of pioneering visual journalism, from early field expeditions to first-of-their-kind natural-colour aerial and underwater photography, and experimental formats such as hologram magazine covers.

The anniversary framing leans heavily on purpose. National Geographic has consistently fused exploration with science, conservation and cultural documentation, elevating figures such as Jane Goodall, Jimmy Chin and James Cameron, and turning complex subjects into mainstream, long-form narratives. That editorial muscle, the brand argues, remains its differentiator.

In India, where National Geographic has cultivated a loyal following, the campaign places particular emphasis on stories rooted in the subcontinent’s biodiversity, heritage and science, distributed across television, print and digital platforms. According to Alok Jain of JioStar, the milestone reflects the trust the brand has built globally and its ability to evolve how stories are told without diluting their core values of truth and visual excellence.

The anniversary is being marked throughout January with a curated programming slate spanning wildlife, science, adventure, investigation and documentary filmmaking. Titles include Cheetahs up close with Bertie Gregory, India from above, David Blaine: do not attempt, Trafficked with Mariana van Zeller and Ocean with David Attenborough. The special programming block, titled 138 years of wonder, airs on weekdays at 8 pm on the National Geographic Channel.

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MUMBAI: National Geographic will premiere Pole to Pole with Will Smith in India on 16 January, marking one of the network’s most ambitious global productions to date.

The seven-part series follows Will Smith across all seven continents, from Antarctica’s icefields to the Amazon rainforest, the Himalayas, Africa’s deserts, the Pacific islands and the Arctic. Airing Fridays at 9.30 pm, the show charts a 100-day journey that tests Smith’s physical and mental endurance at the planet’s extremes.

Smith skis towards the South Pole, dives beneath Arctic ice, scales mountains and ventures deep into the Amazon in search of venomous spiders and the giant green anaconda. Along the way, he is joined by scientists, explorers and indigenous communities, blending exploration with environmental science and cultural insight.

Five years in the making, the series pairs cinematic storytelling with scientific discovery, from ice-core research in Antarctica to venom extraction that could aid medical breakthroughs. Encounters with communities such as the Waorani of the Amazon and the San people of the Kalahari underline the human knowledge needed to face a fragile future.

Smith said the expedition pushed him beyond anything he had attempted before, describing it as a journey not just across the world’s edges but into the lives of extraordinary people. National Geographic EVP of content Tom McDonald said the series reflects the network’s mission to combine spectacle with meaning and a deeper understanding of the planet.

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In India, the series will be broadcast on National Geographic Channel, distributed by JioStar, the joint venture between Reliance and The Walt Disney Company.