iWorld
Brazil gives the green signal to AT&T to acquire DirecTV
NEW DELHI: Brazil’s Agencia Nacional de Telecomunicacoes (ANATEL) and Trinidad & Tobago have given approval to American telecom service provider AT&T for the proposed $48.5 billion acquisition of DirecTV.
Earlier, AT&T had received an anti-trust approval in Brazil. Regulatory review is now complete in both countries.
In July, the merger review process was completed among regulators at the US state level.
AT&T’s Petitions with the Public Service Commissions in Louisiana and Arizona did not receive protests or interventions and the Petitions were deemed approved in July.
AT&T has also filed an informational notice with the Hawaii Commission.
It has committed to expand and enhance its deployment of both wireline and fixed wireless high-speed internet to cover at least 15 million customer locations across 48 states – most of them in underserved rural areas.
Meanwhile, DirecTV extended its exclusive $1.5 billion contract to sell the Sunday Ticket package of National Football League games.
The deal removes a potential roadblock to AT&T’s proposed $48.5 billion purchase of the satellite TV provider. AT&T had the right to pull out of the deal if DirecTV was unable to renew its Sunday Ticket pact.
DirecTV’s annual payments to the NFL would average $1.5 billion for eight years.
Reuters reported that DirecTV sells the package of Sunday games to its subscribers for about $300 a year, a key marketing advantage over cable TV competitors. Roughly two million people receive the service, which allows them to watch games outside of their local markets.
iWorld
Subedaar puts Indian original cinema on the global map with record-breaking Prime Video debut
MUMBAI: Prime Video has a runaway hit on its hands. Subedaar, the gritty action drama starring Anil Kapoor, has stormed to become the most-watched Indian original movie on the platform in its opening weekend, cracking the Top 10 across 31 countries and landing in 91 per cent of India’s pin codes within days of its March 5 premiere.
The film, a visceral, emotionally-charged story of a retired soldier, Subedaar Arjun Maurya, wrestling with civilian life amid crime and corruption, has struck a nerve. Directed by Suresh Triveni and co-starring Radhikka Madan, Mona Singh, Saurabh Shukla, Aditya Rawal, Faisal Malik, and Khushboo Sundar, the film is already being hailed as a showcase for what Indian original storytelling can achieve on the world stage.
“Subedaar’s success is a reflection of the growing scale and global resonance of Indian storytelling,” said Nikhil Madhok, director and head of originals at Prime Video India. “The film’s emotional narrative, its rooted portrayal of a soldier confronting his toughest battles beyond the battlefield, has struck a chord. Anil Kapoor delivers an acting masterclass, while Suresh Triveni’s solid direction and great performances from the ensemble cast have resulted in love and appreciation from customers across the world.”
Kapoor, 62, has been here before, but rarely at this altitude. Written by Triveni and Prajwal Chandrashekar, with dialogues by Triveni, Saurabh Dwivedi, and Chandrashekar, the film is a production by Opening Image Films in association with Anil Kapoor Film & Communication Network (AKFCN), produced by Vikram Malhotra, Kapoor, and Triveni.
Subedaar streams exclusively on Prime Video in Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu across India, and in over 240 countries and territories worldwide.
For Prime Video, the numbers tell the real story: one weekend, one film, a global footprint, and a very loud signal that Indian original cinema is no longer just travelling well. It’s arriving.
