Unlike KBC-3, where Airtel, MTNL and BSNL were exclusive telecom partners, this time around, the channel is going non-exclusive. The channel is in the process of getting on board almost every telecom service provider, which means that participants need not just call from an Airtel or MTNL/BSNL number.
Before February 21, Sharma, who has been outstanding in the 13 matches he has played for India, charged Rs 20 lakh (Rs 2 million) to Rs 25 lakh (Rs 2.5 million) and had signed up with Pepsi and Reebok.
In the first year, each of the eight team owners will spend around Rs 25 crore on marketing and promotion, which include below-the-line activities, city-based club activations and so on, say sources.
Walt Disney is close to increasing its stake in Ronnie Screwvala-promoted media company UTV Software Communications to 32 per cent.
Sony Entertainment Television, which recently bagged the telecast rights of the Indian Premier League, hopes to earn over Rs 300 crore (Rs 3 billion) as advertising revenue in the first season of the Board of Control for Cricket in India-promoted Twenty20 tournament.
RIL, owned by elder brother Mukesh Ambani, had acquired the Mumbai team last month for $111.9 million (about Rs 448 crore) for 10 years. Anil Ambani chose to stay away from the bids for the eight teams last month.
While the other owners of Indian Premier League teams are gearing up to pick up players in an auction some time this month, Emerging Media and Lachlan Murdoch, the combine which has bagged the Jaipur team, has firmed up its marketing and promotion plans.
The auctions are slated sometime in February, though the exact date is yet to be announced. Expectations are that stars like Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid and Yuvraj Singh will rake in close to Rs 2 crore to Rs 3 crore in just one season of 59 match-days.
If it were a corporate entity, the Board of Control for Cricket in India would have been among the country's top 170 companies in terms of revenues (2007) -- much larger than Zee Entertainment (Rs 1,515.88 crore) for which promoter Subhash Chandra is waging a bitter battle against the official cricket board to develop 20-20 cricket in India.
Last week, Reliance Entertainment signed up with Manchester United for an exclusive, global three-year game development deal, which reports estimated at $100 million. Rajesh Sawhney, president, Reliance Entertainment, talked to Business Standard about the company's plans in the gaming, animation and home entertainment space.
It is learnt from sources that the two companies today paid Rs 20 crore as guarantee deposit to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
The likes of SRK, Nirula and Mallya are in the race to own an IPL team for the upcoming Twenty20 series.
Sony TV has locked horns with production house Endemol over airing of Big Boss sequels. Sony maintains that it has the first refusal rights, as per the agreement between the two.
The Express group is expected to get around Rs 500 crore (Rs 5 billion) from the deal.
Real estate major DLF, Mukesh Ambani-promoted Reliance Industries, cinema production and distribution company Eros International, Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group and Videocon Industries are believed to be readying to bid for team ownership rights in the Indian Premier League.
If India's Australia tour gets cancelled, advertisers will ask the broadcasters for a refund.
Business Standard Annual Brand Derby picks Bingo as the most successful launch.
The actors lead the newcomers pack in endorsement moolah.
Selling a luxury home isn't about the space, it is about the lifestyle.
This year, Bollywood's most powerful production house makes very little profit.