MAM
ESS targets Rs 1 bn from Champions League Twenty20
MUMBAI: ESPN Star Sports (ESS) has set itself a revenue target of Rs 1 billion from airtime and on-ground advertisers for the Champions League Twenty20 cricket tourney.
Nokia, which replaced Airtel as the title sponsor, will be spending Rs 1 billion over four years, according to market sources. Airtel had stitched a five-year deal for Rs 1.7 billion.
ESS has signed up Toshiba as a sponsor for Rs 70 million, out of which Rs 42.5 million is for airtime commercials on the channel and the rest is for on-ground, sources add.
ESS is looking for two co-presenting and six associate airtime sponsors for the cricket event that takes place from 23 September-9 October. The company also wants to rope in six associate on-ground sponsors.
A company official said on condition of anonymity that ESS had earned a revenue of Rs 900 million from the last edition. He, however, did not give the split between on-air and on-ground revenues.
According to Indiantelevision.com estimates, ESS can earn Rs 550 million from airtime commercials and Rs 350 million from on-ground sponsors.
Madison Media Group CEO Punitha Arumugam said that two factors work in favour of this year‘s event. “It is happening just before the festive season. Also, the timings will be good as it is taking place in India. However, whether it generates the required buzz and talk is something that remains to be seen. Besides, India‘s poor performance against England could have its impact on viewership for the tournament.”
The previous two editions disappointed in TV audience ratings, but ESS has made serious efforts to promote the property. While Amitabh Bachchan was the brand ambassador for the event last year, this time ESS has roped in Shah Rukh Khan.
MAM
Axel Springer to acquire Telegraph Media Group in £575 million deal
Deal sidelines rival bid from Daily Mail owner DMGT
BERLIN: German media conglomerate Axel Springer has agreed to acquire the UK-based Telegraph Media Group in a deal valued at about £575 million, marking one of the most significant cross-border investments in the British news industry in recent years.
The agreement involves an all-cash purchase of the Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph, bringing months of uncertainty over the ownership of the historic newspaper titles to an end. The move also sidelines a rival proposal from Daily Mail and General Trust, the parent company of the Daily Mail.
Axel Springer chief executive Mathias Döpfner said the acquisition reflects the company’s long-standing interest in the publication and its legacy in British journalism. Owning The Telegraph, he said, is both a privilege and a responsibility.
Döpfner noted that Axel Springer had attempted to buy the newspaper more than two decades ago but failed at the time. The new agreement, he added, finally fulfils that ambition.
The Berlin-based media group plans to launch an investment programme aimed at strengthening the Telegraph’s operations and expanding its business footprint. As part of the strategy, the company intends to grow the publication’s presence in the United States and broaden its international reach.
Telegraph Media Group was put up for sale in 2023 after its former owners, the Barclay brothers, ran into mounting debt obligations. Several takeover efforts have since collapsed before reaching completion.
In 2025, a bid from Daily Mail and General Trust had been agreed but later faced regulatory scrutiny.
UK culture secretary Lisa Nandy said the government has initiated a review of the proposed ownership change, citing concerns that the deal could affect the diversity of viewpoints in Britain’s media landscape.
She added that the Competition and Markets Authority will examine potential competition implications, while communications regulator Ofcom will assess broader public-interest considerations related to the transaction.
