News Broadcasting
Ten Sports ahead of ESS in most Metros
MUMBAI: The not so new sports channel on the block, Ten Sports may be maintaining a low profile but in terms of ratings it seems to be giving ESPN Star Sports a licking, if the ratings are to be believed.
The figures show that if one takes out special and high profile events, people seem to prefer tuning in to Ten Sports for news updates and wrestling. According to TAM data put out by Emedia plan for ESPN, Star Sports and Ten Sports for the week starting 26 January ( c&s households 4+, specific cities) Ten Sports has made a clean sweep of the top five shows in Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata.
In Delhi and Mumbai the, Raw and Smackdown wrestling content has choke slammed ESS. In Delhi, the Raw edition which aired on 27 January had a TVR of 2.61, a channel share of 19.4 while Smackdown had a TVR of 2.6 and channel share of 31.02. Its news bulletin Peter England Sports Update as well as Ten Sports Wash Out round out the top five.
In Mumbai, while the ratings for Ten Sports’ shows are lower, it has still beaten off ESS. Smackdown has the number one spot with a TVR of 1.94 and channel share of 16.47. Raw has a TVR of 1.89 and channel share of 16.56.
The South market however favours ESS with ESPN sweeping Bangalore. Legends of Cricket which aired on 29 January had a TVR of 1.99 and market share of 5.79. Football Focus had a TVR of 1.55 and market share of 4.72. In Chennai, however, just one Star Sports programme makes the cut. Its Mission South Africa special is in fourth spot with a TVR of 0.63 and channel share of 1.91.
It is also interesting to to note that it is the Ten Sports news bulletins that people are tuning into in Chennai. The wrestling specials are absent. Also it is worth noting that Jason Dacey’s Sportsline news bulletins for ESS do not feature anywhere.
In the prevailing scenario, it is perhaps a smart idea for ESS to feature a Mike Tyson boxing extravaganza. Tyson will take on fellow American, Clifford -The Black Rhino. This airs live on 23 February on ESPN at 7:30 am. Star Sports will have a repeat that night at 10 pm. ESPN repeats it on Monday at 1 pm. The event takes place in Memphis at The Pyramid arena . At least that gives viewers a reason to tune in to the channels apart from the Taking Guard and Follow Through specials that ESS has been hacking out in a desperate aim to divert attention from MAX.
News Broadcasting
GenNext takes charge as Network18 reshuffles leadership
With Avinash Kaul bowing out, Network18 hands reins to younger leaders, streamlines operations, and pushes data-driven growth across TV, digital and regional markets
MUMBAI: Network18 is redrawing its leadership map just as a long-time lieutenant bows out. Avinash Kaul, a central figure in the broadcaster’s rise since 2014, is leaving after 12 years to pursue “professional and personal goals”, triggering a broad-based reshuffle that puts a younger cohort directly under the top brass.
Kaul joined at a pivotal moment during the company’s transition and went on to scale the television business, combining strategic nous with data-led decision-making and a sharp read of the news landscape. “Avinash has been an integral part of the Network18 story,” the company said, thanking him for his leadership of the broadcast business and wishing him the best for the future.
In his wake, Network18 is betting on what it calls a “young and restless” leadership bench. “The team has taken charge and proved its mettle in quite adverse circumstances,” the note said, adding that “GenNext has seamlessly stepped in as we continue to outperform our peers.”
Operationally, the structure is being flattened. Smriti Mehra, S Shivakumar and Mitul Sangani will work directly with the top leadership, as they did in the fourth quarter. Ganesh Iyer and Abhinay Chauhan continue in their existing roles, while younger executives are being handed wider mandates across social, digital, connected TV and linear.
The reporting lines are being tightened to drive revenue and product momentum. Prabhat Chatterjee, business head–Forbes, and Arun Thapar, president–content and communication for AETN-18, will report to Smriti Mehra, alongside Mallika Nath Handa, who will lead special projects spanning new shows and non-linear properties. Jayesh Gokalgandhi, CFO for AETN-18, will report to Ramesh Damani.
Mitul Sangani will oversee expansion in Hindi and regional markets, with Sidharth Newatia, CRO–ILC, focusing on reach and revenue growth, particularly in tier-II and III markets. Pankaj Soni, head of marketing–ILC, will also report to Sangani while working functionally with Ganesh Iyer.
The group is also consolidating its branded content play. Moneycontrol’s branded content business will be folded into News18 Studio, with Don Zarrar moving to work with Shivakumar while continuing to lead existing studio and Focus teams.
International and platform growth are being bundled together. Pranav Bakshi takes on additional charge of the international business alongside connected TV and social platforms, with Naveen Mathur, who leads revenue management for the international unit, reporting to him. Bakshi continues to report to Puneet Singhvi.
On the technology and operations side, Rajesh Sharma, head of broadcast technology and IT; Rahul Singh, head of events and technical operations; and Bhupender Bhardwaj, head of IT security, will now report to Singhvi. Darshil Parekh, head of sales strategy, planning and operations, will work directly with Ramesh Damani and the top leadership, with Stanley Cyril, who manages digital sales operations, reporting to him.
Data is being pushed to the centre of decision-making. Jitamitra Mohanty, who leads research and analytics, will now work with Santosh Menon to turn audience data into “actionable insights that drive content strategy, product innovation and sustainable viewership growth”.
The message is clear: fewer layers, faster calls, sharper bets. With Kaul’s exit closing one chapter, Network18 is handing the wheel to a younger crew and doubling down on scale across screens. The race, it signals, will be run at full tilt.
