News for 'linear TV'

T20 World Cup: India-Pakistan fever drives record-breaking views

T20 World Cup: India-Pakistan fever drives record-breaking views

Rediff.com20 Feb 2026

The India vs Pakistan match in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 on JioHotstar achieved record-breaking digital reach and consumption, surpassing previous records for ICC events.

India-Pakistan Final Sends Ad Rates Soaring

India-Pakistan Final Sends Ad Rates Soaring

Rediff.com27 Sep 2025

Advertisers will pay 18 lakh to 25 lakh per 10 seconds, a 10% to 20% increase over the last Asia Cup final.

Dhurandhar: Storytelling In The Age Of Restless Viewers

Dhurandhar: Storytelling In The Age Of Restless Viewers

Rediff.com23 Mar 2026

If the stories are food for the mind then our digestive system has changed. If they are a piece of art, our gaze has altered. This calls for a change not in stories, but in the grammar of storytelling so that it can cut through the deluge and gluttony and force people to savour, appreciate and re-visit it. That is what the creators of Taskaree or Dhurandhar are trying, points out Vanita Kohli-Khandekar.

Comic Con Is No Longer Just A Pilgrimage For Fans

Comic Con Is No Longer Just A Pilgrimage For Fans

Rediff.com16 Dec 2025

It is a marketplace of attention, where legacy publishers, global franchises, and consumer brands meet to make the most of India's expanding fandom economy.

JioStar to Earn 6,000 Cr from IPL

JioStar to Earn 6,000 Cr from IPL

Rediff.com19 Mar 2025

With 90% of the inventories sold out, JioStar expects to ring in more than a 58% increase over last year's IPL, when it clocked Rs 3,900 crore.

Why OTTs Are Focusing On Bharat

Why OTTs Are Focusing On Bharat

Rediff.com18 Oct 2025

'The South today is a creative engine shaping the future of Indian entertainment.'

The OTT Battle Is For Audiences And Their Time

The OTT Battle Is For Audiences And Their Time

Rediff.com20 Dec 2025

Only firms that have scale in content and a technology engine that drives its discovery and monetisation can compete,' explains Vanita Kohli Khandekar.

'Jiostar's Content Library Is Larger Than Netflix'

'Jiostar's Content Library Is Larger Than Netflix'

Rediff.com21 Apr 2025

'As you're watching the IPL live, there's a conscious effort to showcase the entertainment portfolio.'

IPL Boosts JioHotstar To 200M Subscribers

IPL Boosts JioHotstar To 200M Subscribers

Rediff.com14 Apr 2025

The subscriber count made JioHotstar one of the largest OTT platforms in the world.

ISL to get a tech makeover with video support system!

ISL to get a tech makeover with video support system!

Rediff.com17 Oct 2025

AIFF's RFP: No franchisee fee for clubs in ISL, commercial partner to provide video support system

Leagues Cup's New Format Fuels Goals, Fan Engagement

Leagues Cup's New Format Fuels Goals, Fan Engagement

Rediff.com21 Aug 2025

Messi's Inter Miami lead Leagues Cup quarter-final lineup as average match viewership reached 1.43 million, up 62% from 2024.

Which Is India's Largest TV Channel?

Which Is India's Largest TV Channel?

Rediff.com3 May 2023

DD Freedish is the 'largest TV platform in India', going to 58 million homes, featuring 70-odd private channels. DD Freedish reaches about 278 million people, and is easily among the top five TV platforms in the world.

Can Uday Shankar Recreate At Reliance-Disney What He Did In Star TV?

Can Uday Shankar Recreate At Reliance-Disney What He Did In Star TV?

Rediff.com11 Mar 2024

'The whole narrative will change from TV is dying to TV-plus-digital is the future.'

MX Player Is The Horse To Bet On In OTT Biz

MX Player Is The Horse To Bet On In OTT Biz

Rediff.com12 May 2025

At 250 million unique visitors a month, MX Player has for long been in the same bracket as YouTube (454 million) and Meta (324 million) in reach.

Allahbadia row: Panel seeks law amendments to tackle abusive online content

Allahbadia row: Panel seeks law amendments to tackle abusive online content

Rediff.com13 Feb 2025

A parliamentary panel has asked the Information and Broadcasting Ministry to submit a note on amendments needed in existing laws to clamp down on controversial content like the one involving YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia. Members from different parties voiced concern over Allahbadia's crass comments at a YouTube programme and called for stringent measures to punish him and to ensure that such an incident does not recur. The committee's chairperson and BJP MP Nishikant Dubey shared their concerns at the meeting attended by Information and Broadcasting Secretary Sanjay Jaju and other senior ministry officials.

How Smart TV Is Changing India

How Smart TV Is Changing India

Rediff.com23 Feb 2024

The way video is being watched and monetised is changing. This is the first thing that stands out as the penetration of smart TVs continues to rise.

870 Mn Accessed Internet In Indian Languages

870 Mn Accessed Internet In Indian Languages

Rediff.com17 Jan 2025

Among urban users, 57 per cent mentioned a preference for accessing Internet content in vernacular languages.

Those 88 hours...: Top military officer on Op Sindoor damage in Pak

Those 88 hours...: Top military officer on Op Sindoor damage in Pak

Rediff.com28 Jun 2025

'This operation was a culmination of such long (period) of efforts, and gives us satisfaction that whatever we have been doing, we have been doing correctly'

RIL in talks for stake in Tata Play, may buy Disney's 30% share

RIL in talks for stake in Tata Play, may buy Disney's 30% share

Rediff.com16 Feb 2024

Mukesh Ambani-owned Reliance Industries (RIL) is in discussions to acquire a 29.8 per cent stake in Tata Play from the Walt Disney Company, according to sources close to the development. This move is seen as part of RIL's broader strategy to deepen its footprint in India's television distribution sector. Tata Sons, the holding company of the Tata group, currently holds a 50.2 per cent stake in the satellite television broadcaster.

Viacom 18 bags media rights for women's IPL for 951 crore

Viacom 18 bags media rights for women's IPL for 951 crore

Rediff.com16 Jan 2023

Viacom 18 grabbed the media rights for the upcoming Women's IPL for a whopping Rs 951 crore for five years, pipping other bidders, including Disney Star and Sony, in the auction.

L&T Q4 net profit jumps 25% to Rs 5,497 crore, beats Street estimates

L&T Q4 net profit jumps 25% to Rs 5,497 crore, beats Street estimates

Rediff.com10 May 2025

Engineering and construction major Larsen & Toubro (L&T) reported a 25 per cent rise in net profit attributable to the owners of the company for the January-March quarter of 2024-25, owing to higher revenues and an exceptional gain. For the quarter under review, L&T posted a consolidated net profit of Rs 5,497.3 crore, while revenue rose 10.9 per cent year-on-year (Y-o-Y) to Rs 74,392.28 crore.

Meet The New Influencers

Meet The New Influencers

Rediff.com1 Jan 2025

Across the board, brands use influencers like a Bhuvan Bam or Kusha Kapila as the second or third rung of their strategy. The first rung is always a celebrity that has been created outside the Internet, through mainstream media.

Sony merger: NCLT directs Zee to call shareholder meet on October 14

Sony merger: NCLT directs Zee to call shareholder meet on October 14

Rediff.com8 Sep 2022

The Mumbai bench of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) on Wednesday directed Zee Entertainment to convene a shareholders' meet on October 14 for approving the merger with Culver Max Entertainment (formerly Sony Pictures Network). The order, passed on August 24, but uploaded to the bourses on Wednesday, comes close on the heels of the Competition Commission of India (CCI)'s observation that the $10-billion merger could hurt competition and that greater scrutiny of the deal was needed. "This Tribunal hereby directs that a meeting of the equity shareholders of the applicant company (Zee) be convened and held on Friday, October 14, 2022 at 4 p.m. for the purpose of considering, and if thought fit, approving the proposed scheme," the NCLT order read.

Disney-Star & RIL JV will see loss of $400 mn on $3.5 bn revenue next FY

Disney-Star & RIL JV will see loss of $400 mn on $3.5 bn revenue next FY

Rediff.com20 Mar 2024

Both sports and digital will drag down the healthy operating margins that entertainment television continues to make.

How TV viewing has changed

How TV viewing has changed

Rediff.com29 Aug 2020

'In the lockdown, family viewing became even more important.' 'Kids saw adult content and adults saw a lot of kids content.' 'The audience is no longer just the housewife, but the whole family.'

Disney Star sub licenses ICC TV rights to Zee

Disney Star sub licenses ICC TV rights to Zee

Rediff.com30 Aug 2022

'This is a first-of-its-kind partnership in the Indian media & entertainment landscape, and this association with Disney Star reflects our sharp, strategic vision for the sports business India.'

New Bill May Throttle OTT

New Bill May Throttle OTT

Rediff.com7 Dec 2023

'Subjecting each such creative content to scrutiny will impose burdens on the OTT platforms and impact user experience.'

RIL-Disney 'game-changing' deal gets a thumbs-up from analysts

RIL-Disney 'game-changing' deal gets a thumbs-up from analysts

Rediff.com8 Mar 2024

Analysts have given a thumbs up to the Reliance Industries (RIL) and Walt Disney Co. (Disney) proposed a joint venture (JV). The stock of the Mukesh Ambani-controlled company gained nearly 1.5 per cent on Thursday to Rs 2,952 levels as compared to the S&P BSE Sensex that traded marginally weak, down 0.2 per cent to 72,172 levels in intra-day trades.

Fate of $10 billion Zee, Sony merger in limbo

Fate of $10 billion Zee, Sony merger in limbo

Rediff.com8 Jan 2024

The fate of the $10 billion merger between Zee Entertainment Enterprises and Culver Max Entertainment, formerly Sony Pictures Networks India, is hanging by a thread, with the two parties unable to finalise an agreement as the end of the one-month grace period looms. The two parties are yet to come to an agreement over Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL) MD and CEO Punit Goenka leading the merged entity after Sony expressed concerns after market regulator Sebi barred him from holding managerial posts in Zee and any of the entities in a fund-diversion case.

Why Formula One is targeting Indian market

Why Formula One is targeting Indian market

Rediff.com21 Feb 2023

Formula One launch F1 TV in India, target 'strong mobile market'

Hindi TV channels lose 1/5th of their audience

Hindi TV channels lose 1/5th of their audience

Rediff.com19 May 2018

The problem is not that more people are not watching more TV, but that they are not finding anything of interest on Hindi television, says Vanita Kohli-Khandekar.

Sony agrees to discuss extending Dec 21 deadline for merger, says ZEEL

Sony agrees to discuss extending Dec 21 deadline for merger, says ZEEL

Rediff.com20 Dec 2023

Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd on Wednesday said Culver Max Entertainment, formerly known as Sony Pictures Networks India, has agreed to discuss extending the date required to make their merger scheme effective, a day ahead of the deadline. A day after Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI) stated that it has not yet agreed to a deadline extension requested by Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL) for their proposed $10-billion merger, the Subhash Chandra family-promoted media firm said it has received a communication from Sony group for discussing an extension of the deal which was announced almost two years ago.

2019 World Cup most watched ever!

2019 World Cup most watched ever!

Rediff.com16 Sep 2019

The most watched match of the 2019 World Cup globally was India against Pakistan with 273 million unique viewers tuning into linear TV coverage with over another 50 million digital-only viewers.

CCI gives conditional nod to Sony-Zee merger deal

CCI gives conditional nod to Sony-Zee merger deal

Rediff.com4 Oct 2022

The Competition Commission of India on Tuesday approved with certain conditions the mega-merger deal between media groups Sony and Zee. In a tweet, the watchdog said it has cleared the deal with certain modifications. The proposed merger was announced in September last year. CCI said it has approved the "amalgamation of Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEE) and Bangla Entertainment Private Limited (BEPL) with Culver Max Entertainment Private Limited (CME), with certain modifications".

IPL rights base price doubles to Rs 32,890 crore in five years

IPL rights base price doubles to Rs 32,890 crore in five years

Rediff.com1 Apr 2022

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has pegged the base price for the combined IPL media rights at Rs 32,890 crore, nearly double the Rs 16,347 that Star Disney paid five years ago. Experts say that at these levels, there does not seem to be any profit-and-loss logic at play. It is more about what premium broadcasting companies are ready to spend for market share dominance. They point out that due to competition, they expect the final price to hit Rs 40,000-50,000 crore.

Will Disney Exit India?

Will Disney Exit India?

Rediff.com5 Aug 2023

Disney Star India, bought at a valuation of $15 billion, could be on the block for roughly one-third that amount.

How long will OTTs survive?

How long will OTTs survive?

Rediff.com8 Oct 2020

The argument that the pandemic has given a boost to streaming video is fallacious. Only three OTTs saw a rise in viewership; the others fell.

Should the 'soft signal' rule be changed in cricket?

Should the 'soft signal' rule be changed in cricket?

Rediff.com19 Mar 2021

India captain Virat Kohli has called for changes to the 'soft-signal' rule for outfield catches after team mate Suryakumar Yadav was controversially dismissed in Thursday's fourth T20 International against England.

'Keep the game simple': Kohli slams umpiring

'Keep the game simple': Kohli slams umpiring

Rediff.com19 Mar 2021

India skipper Virat Kohli on Thursday said that he fails to understand why the on-field umpire has to give a soft signal as 'out' when the player is himself unsure regarding whether he has taken catch or not.

E-sports pull in more viewers as coronavirus halts live sports

E-sports pull in more viewers as coronavirus halts live sports

Rediff.com17 Apr 2020

Sports fans and players across the world frustrated by cancelled matches because of the coronavirus epidemic are turning to e-sports, with professional real-world athletes joining virtual game tournaments of football, auto racing and basketball.