MAM
India entry into Super Sixes sees MAX jack up cricket spot rates
MUMBAI: Welcome to the party but be ready to pay some serious money for the pleasure. That’s what Sony Entertainment Television is telling advertisers who want to hop on to the Indian team’s victory band wagon as the cricket World Cup 2003 gets ready to kick off the Super Sixes.
Though SET ad sales head Rohit Gupta is not throwing around any numbers, neither does he see a figure of $50,000 (Rs 2,382,500 at today’s exchange rate of Rs 47.65 to the dollar) for a 30-second spot as being outrageously prohibitive.
Gupta points out that there is not that much ad inventory left to sell in the first place. Between 10 to 12 spots (30-seconders) is all that SET has on offer per match for the 12 matches from the Super Sixes up to the final. That is a total of 300 to 400 seconds per match, says Gupta.
And for those who think that they can pick and choose the matches on which to put their advertising, that will not be possible. Spot buy packages for all 12 games is what Gupta expects advertisers to sign on to. Because there is limited inventory and considering that advertisers will have to take a a full 12-game package if they want to advertise, Gupta is expecting that three to four advertisers will complete the list.
Queried as to how he expected to get the kind of rates that are being bandied about, Gupta draws comparisons with Balaji’s top soap Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, which at its peak was commanding Rs 500,000 per ten second slot on Star Plus. If a half-hour show could extract those rates then the cricket, which according to Gupta was expected to garner TVRs above 20, were worth the cost in terms of deliveries, he said.
The good showing of the Indian team is certainly proving a boon in more ways than one.
Brands
Jubilant FoodWorks faces Rs 47.5 crore GST demand, plans appeal
Tax authorities flag alleged misclassification of restaurant services
MUMBAI:Â Jubilant FoodWorks Limited has landed in a tax tussle after receiving a GST demand of Rs 47.5 crore from the office of the additional commissioner of CGST and central excise in Thane, Maharashtra.
The order, issued under the provisions of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017, relates to an alleged incorrect classification of certain services under the category of restaurant services. According to the tax authorities, this classification resulted in a short payment of goods and services tax for the period between the financial years 2019-20 and 2021-22.
The demand includes Rs 47.5 crore in GST along with an equal amount as penalty, in addition to applicable interest. The order was received by the company on March 13, 2026.
In a regulatory filing to the BSE Limited and the National Stock Exchange of India Limited, the company said it disagrees with the order and believes its arguments were not adequately considered.
The company is preparing to challenge the decision and plans to file an appeal. It added that once the redressal process is complete, the demand is likely to be dropped.
Despite the sizeable figure attached to the notice, the company said it does not expect any material impact on its financials, operations or other activities.
The disclosure was signed by Suman Hegde, EVP and chief financial officer, who confirmed that the company received the order at 19:06 IST on March 13 and has already initiated steps to contest it.
The development places the quick service restaurant major in the middle of a tax debate that could hinge on how certain restaurant-linked services are classified under GST rules. For now, the company appears ready to take the matter from the tax office to the appeals desk.
