GECs
Balaji-HFCL Nine merger off?
The board meeting that Balaji Telefilms will be holding tomorrow on whether to go through with a merger with HFCL Nine Broadcasting will be nothing more than a formality, if industry sources are to be believed.
According to the industry grapevine, the decision has already been taken that there will be no merger between the two companies.
Balaji CEO Sanjay Dosi, queried about the rumours doing the rounds that the deal was off, declined to comment on the issue and said an official statement would be made available after tomorrow’s board meeting.
Balaji, in a notice to the National Stock Exchange last week and the Bombay Stock Exchange yesterday, had said the meeting was being convened to consider a review of the proposed merger of Nine Network Entertainment India (a wholly owned subsidiary of HFCL Nine) with the company.
HFCL (Himachal Futuristic Communication Ltd) Nine Broadcasting is a 51:49 per cent holding company held by Vinay Maloo and Australian media magnate Kerry Packer. HFCL Nine was to take a 20 per cent stake in Balaji Telefilms.
The markets were also buzzing with the rumours. The Balaji scrip closed at Rs 144.90 after it hit the 8 per cent upper limit of the circuit breaker for the second straight day. It opened at RS 133.50.
The market sentiment is that the merger is likely to be called off and this would be good for the company because a merger would have entailed earnings dilution.
Balaji board to meet on merger with HFCL Nine tomorrow
GECs
Z launches ‘Dilfluencer Moments’ to boost brand engagement across screens
New omnichannel format blends TV characters, storytelling and digital reach to boost engagement and affinity
MUMBAI: Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (‘Z’) has unveiled ‘Dilfluencer Moments’, a new omnichannel media format designed to help brands cut through the clutter and turn audience attention into brand love.
With media access increasingly democratized, visibility alone no longer drives results. Shrinking attention spans and rising content noise have made memorability, emotional connection and action the real currency. Dilfluencer Moments addresses this by embedding brands into character-led, culturally resonant storytelling that travels seamlessly from TV to digital, social and creator ecosystems.
The format debuted with the “TumHoLovely” campaign on National Girl Child Day. Anchored in Hindi and Marathi shows, the campaign’s narrative extended organically across digital platforms, amplified by creators and community participation. A brand film featuring Sanya Malhotra further showcased how TV-originated cultural cues can spark broad engagement and virality. Within 24 hours, the campaign racked up 35 million total impressions, 20 million digital views, 2.5 million engagements and over 1,000 comments.
Laxmi Shetty, head – advertisement revenue, broadcast & digital, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd, said, “As consumers turn away from interruption-led communication, advertisers need moments that feel culturally earned and emotionally authentic. Dilfluencer Moments delivers reach at scale through character-first content systems that connect with audiences personally, transforming storytelling into brand love.”
Kartik Mahadev, chief marketing officer, ‘Z’ & Zee 5, added: “Access alone is no longer an advantage; affinity is. Affinity comes from storytelling, familiar characters and moments that stay with audiences across screens. Dilfluencer Moments lets brands participate meaningfully in moments audiences already love, travelling organically across linear, digital and social platforms at scale.”
By anchoring campaigns in high-trust television moments and extending them into digital and social ecosystems, Dilfluencer Moments enables brands to generate organic engagement, amplify virality and convert attention into long-term emotional equity.
With its national scale, deep emotional storytelling and character-first approach, Z is offering marketers a powerful new way to build affinity, cut through clutter and create culturally resonant brand moments that stick.
