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Samsung Cricket Show on ESPN with Shastri & Akram
Indian cricket team captain Sourav Ganguly along with Mr Reliable Rahul Dravid, firebrand batting sensation Virender Sehwag and VVS Laxman will be singing praises of the young guns of Indian Cricket – Irfan Pathan, L Balaji and Akash Chopra on ESPN's Samsung Cricket Show on Friday, 9 April at 9.30 pm.
The show also features Pakistan’s charming cricketer Shahid Afridi as he relaxes at his home in Karachi after his successful comeback to one-day cricket. Afridi like so many other Pakistan cricketers has a unique distinction of coming good every time he plays against India!
The show will be hosted by none other than the charismatic Wasim Akram and no-non-sense Ravi Shastri in their own inimitable styles. Shastri and Akram will also discuss the outcome of the second test and will look ahead to the final test to be played at Rawalpindi. The seasoned campaigners will analyse the series and the cricketers from both sides – not to mention the spicy and memorable anecdotes.
Caught in ‘Captain’s Corner’ just before he left India for Pakistan after recuperating from his back injury, Sourav Ganguly talks about Yuvraj Singh’s brilliant show in the second test and the delicious food in Pakistan besides what it takes to be a good leader in a team game. Later in the show, three stalwarts of Indian cricket, Rahul Dravid, Virender Sehwag and VVS Laxman, talk about promising Young Turks of Indian Cricket — Irfan Pathan, L. Balaji and Akash Chopra.
The Samsung Cricket Show will also present a heart-warming story about a group of under privileged children who are leaving for Pakistan to play cricket with their counterparts. They have many tales to tell of the tips they received from former test cricketers and also of Ravi Shastri’s special visit to them.
MAM
Banijay eyes live events as major growth driver beyond TV
IP like ‘Black Mirror’ set for immersive experiences in 2026, gaming division powers profitability.
MUMBAI: Banijay is turning screens into stages because when your IP is this golden, even the live crowd wants an encore. Banijay, the French entertainment group, on Thursday flagged live events and franchise extensions as key growth engines for 2026 and beyond, ahead of its planned merger with All3Media. CEO François Riahi told reporters that the company’s strongest content IP is increasingly generating value off-screen, pointing to the upcoming immersive live experiences based on ‘Black Mirror’ in 2026 as a prime example.
“We have a gold mine that we’re not fully exploiting,” Riahi said. He cited the intense bidding war between Paramount and Netflix for Warner’s portfolio as proof of how fundamental IP has become in today’s entertainment landscape. “That gives you an idea of how essential IP is today,” he added.
On the financial front, Banijay’s production consolidated revenue edged up 0.4 per cent excluding currency effects to €3.29 billion in 2025. Its online betting division led by Betclic and bolstered by the recent Tipico acquisition grew 10.2 per cent to €1.59 billion, accounting for roughly one-third of group revenue but nearly half of profitability. Combined EBITDA rose 8.6 per cent to €961 million.
Riahi said the gaming division is poised to benefit in 2026 from major sporting events including the soccer World Cup, with focus on customer acquisition across Betclic and Tipico.
Banijay will provide detailed mid-term financial guidance, incorporating recent acquisitions, during its strategic update on 26 March 2026.
In an industry where stories no longer end at the credits, Banijay isn’t just producing content, it’s turning franchises into full-spectrum entertainment empires, one live experience and one bet at a time.
