Brands
DP World signs Abhishek Sharma as new face
DUBAI: Cricket has scored another global partnership as DP World steps up to the crease with rising Indian star Abhishek Sharma. The logistics major announced the young batting sensation as its newest brand ambassador, placing him alongside Sachin Tendulkar and golf ace Tommy Fleetwood in its growing sports line-up.
It caps a landmark year for Sharma, who lit up the 2025 DP World Asia Cup by smashing a record 314 runs in seven innings, the most ever scored in a single T20I edition of the tournament. His consistency carried him to the top of the ICC Men’s T20I Batter Rankings, where he achieved the highest rating recorded in the format.
Through this long-term partnership, Sharma will feature in brand campaigns, media engagements and digital stories that spotlight shared values of excellence, innovation and ambition.
DP World CEO and managing director for the Middle East, North Africa and India Subcontinent Rizwan Soomar, said the company is delighted to welcome a player who reflects its ambition to change what is possible. He praised Sharma’s fearless style and infectious joy at the crease, saying his performances continue to redefine boundaries ahead of an action-packed ICC season.
Sharma said he was thrilled to represent a company committed to growing cricket worldwide. He added that the sport had shaped his life and that he looked forward to helping DP World support more players and communities around the globe.
His first appearance for the brand took place during the Diwali with the stars celebration at the inaugural DP World India Championship. The announcement was accompanied by a special video featuring Sharma receiving a personalised shirt with help from Tendulkar and Fleetwood.
The signing strengthens DP World’s expanding cricket footprint, which includes partnerships with the International Cricket Council, the DP World Asia Cup, DP World ILT20, SA20 and the Delhi Capitals men’s and women’s teams.
Since 2023, the company has pushed to make cricket more accessible through its Beyond Boundaries Initiative and a kits-for-runs programme that donates ten cricket kits for every 100 runs scored in ICC tournaments. So far, twelve refurbished shipping containers have been delivered to grassroots clubs worldwide along with 3,000 kits, with more on the way.
Brands
TV bills on the rise: JioStar, Sony, and Zee crank up prices by 10 per cent
Broadcasters tune into higher tariffs as JioStar, Sony, and Zee reveal new prices
MUMBAI: If you were hoping for a cheaper night in front of the telly next year, you might want to look away from the remote. India’s broadcasting giants are flipping the script on pricing, with JioStar, Sony, and Zee all tuning into a new frequency of higher tariffs. Ahead of the 2026 financial year, the Big Three have released their updated Reference Interconnect Offers (RIOs), signalling a collective push that will see most monthly bills rise by roughly 10 per cent.
The synchronised move suggests that broadcasters are testing the price elasticity of their audience. In simpler terms, they are betting that your love for daily soaps and live sports is stronger than your annoyance at a slightly lighter wallet.
Sony is making a particularly bold play in the High Definition space. If you enjoy the crispness of Sony Entertainment Television HD or Sony SAB HD, your monthly bill for those channels will jump from 25 rupees to 30 rupees. The same 30-rupee price tag now applies to their sports heavyweights, including Sony Sports Ten 1, Sony Sports Ten 2, Sony Sports Ten 3 Hindi, and Sony Sports Ten 5.
However, Sony is also expanding its horizons. Fans of regional content have new arrivals to look forward to, provided they are patient. Sony Sports Ten 4 Kannada is slated for an April 2026 debut, while Sony Vizha and Sony Vizha HD are expected by June. By August, Sony Telugu and Sony Telugu HD should be live. To keep customers sweet until then, Sony is offering “proportionate discounts.” For instance, the Happy India 2026 Smart Tamil bouquet, normally 42 rupees, will cost just 29.91 rupees until the new Vizha channel officially joins the party.
On the standard definition front, Sony is keeping its “strategic mass price” at 19 rupees for big hitters like Sony Max, Sony Marathi, and Sony Aath. Smaller channels see minor tweaks: Sony Max 2 is nudging up from 2 rupees to 3 rupees, while Sony Yay! sits at 6 rupees and Sony Max 1 remains at 5 rupees.
Zee Entertainment is also getting in on the act with a comprehensive 10 percent hike. Their flagship Standard Definition channels, such as Zee TV, Zee Cinema, Zee Marathi, Zee Bangla, Zee Sarthak, Zee Kannada, and Zee Tamil, are all locked in at 19 rupees. Interestingly, they have matched this 19-rupee price point for many of their HD versions too, including &TV and &Pictures.
For those who prefer the all-you-can-eat bouquet approach, Zee’s All-in-One Hindi SD pack has risen to 58 rupees. Their Marathi and Bangla packs are now 64 rupees, while the Southern trio of Tamil, Kannada, and Telugu SD packs will set you back 85 rupees. If you want those same Southern packs in glorious HD, the price climbs to a steeper 131 rupees. Zee is also shuffling its deck by exiting English entertainment but entering the sports arena, with Zee Cafe and &flix seeing price adjustments to 7 and 8 rupees respectively.
JioStar is perhaps the most aggressive of the bunch when it comes to regional favourites. While they have kept core Hindi staples like Star Plus, Colors, and Star Gold at 19 rupees, they have pushed premium regional channels like Asianet, Colors Kannada, Vijay TV, and Maa TV up to 30 rupees. This move is significant because any channel priced over 19 rupees cannot be included in a discounted bouquet, meaning fans of these channels will have to buy them separately, potentially driving up the total cost of a monthly subscription.
Even the youngsters aren’t spared, with kids’ favourites like Nick SD and Nick HD+ now priced at 19 rupees. As we head towards April 2026, the ball is now in the court of the cable and dish operators. They must decide how much of these increases they can swallow and how much they will pass on to the person holding the remote. For the average viewer, the message is clear: premium content is getting a premium price tag.
