News Broadcasting
BSkyB to share EPL TV rights with Setanta; total bids hit £ 1.7 billion
MUMBAI: A move that was forced by a tough European competition commissioner has ultimately yielded a veritable bonanza for Britain’s top soccer clubs. And broken the monopoly Rupert Murdock’s DTH operator BSkyB enjoyed over English Premier Leagus (EPL), home to such clubs as Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool.
BSkyB has won the telecast rights to four of the six EPL packaged that were up for grabs for three years starting from 2007. But it has had to cough up a staggering £ 1.314 billion for the privelege. The six broadcast packages generated £ 1.706 billion ($3.16 billion) in total, with Irish pay-TV operator Setanta’s £ 392 million bid winning it the rights to the two remaining packages. The bidding was for 138 games in all.
BSkyB will be paying nearly twice as much per game (£4.8 million as against £2.5 million) and losing the 14-year stranglehold it has had on top flight soccer in the UK in the bargain.
The upside for Sky is that it has been able to cherry pick the best four of the six packages on offer. It has won the coveted “A” package of matches, which are played late on Sunday afternoons. It also has the rights for early afternoon Saturday and Sunday matches, as well as a group to be played midweek and on bank holidays. Additionally, with Setanta a broadcaster that is already available on its platform, it will still be able to offer its subscribers the “total football” promise that has been the underpinning of its success.
As far as Britain’s soccer bosses are concerned, there is more to come from its EPL property since the rights it has auctioned were for just the UK territory. According to media reports, the sale of remaining rights – overseas, near-live, highlights, mobile – could swell the final figure to as high as £ 2.5 billion.
The biggest loser from all this, however, could well be the viewer, which would negate the logic that was behind the European competition commissioner’s insistence that the Premier League end Sky’s monopoly on live television rights in the first place – introduce more choice for viewers. The £1.7 billion tab that Sky and Setanta have toted up between them will ultimately mean that fans will ultimately pay more to watch matches in the UK.
News Broadcasting
Kamlesh Singh receives Haldi Ghati Award from MMCF
India Today Group editor honoured for three decades of journalism at Udaipur ceremony.
MUMBAI- Kamlesh Singh just turned a lifetime of sharp words into a shiny shield because when journalism wakes up a society, even the Maharana of Mewar wants to pin a medal on it.
The Maharana of Mewar Charitable Foundation (MMCF) conferred its prestigious Haldi Ghati Award on Kamlesh Singh, a senior editor at the India Today Group, during a ceremony in Udaipur on 15 March 2026. The national award, instituted in 1981-82, recognises “work of permanent value that initiates an awakening in society through the medium of journalism.”
Singh, who leads several editorial initiatives including Aaj Tak Radio, the Teen Taal community and The Lallantop, was presented the honour by Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar, Managing Trustee of MMCF. The citation highlighted his three decades of contributions to Indian media, innovations in digital journalism, mentoring young reporters, and his popular podcast persona “Tau” on Teen Taal, which fosters thoughtful public discourse.
The Haldi Ghati Award, named after the historic Battle of Haldighati symbolising valour and resilience, is one of four national awards given annually by MMCF. Past recipients include Tavleen Singh, Piyush Pandey and Raj Chengappa.
Other honourees this year included Padma Vibhushan Pt Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Vedamurti Devvrat Rekhe, Treeman of India Marimuthu Yoganathan, Vir Chakra Capt Rizwan Malik, and US-based researcher Molly Emma Aitken, who received the Colonel James Tod Award for contributions to understanding Mewar’s spirit and values.
In an era where headlines often shout louder than substance, the MMCF quietly reminded everyone that real journalism isn’t about noise, it’s about the quiet, persistent work that stirs society awake, one thoughtful story at a time.
