Sports
India-NZ final ad rush: JioStar seeks Rs 50 lakh for 10-sec slot
Advertisers scramble for limited inventory as viewership surges
MUMBAI: With India storming into the final against New Zealand, the advertising race has reached a fever pitch. Broadcaster JioStar, the official media rights holder for the ICC tournament, is quoting nearly Rs 50 lakh for a 10-second advertising spot during the title clash, according to media reports.
The steep rate reflects a simple equation of demand and scarcity. Advertising slots for the final are limited, while brands are eager to ride the wave of surging viewership as the tournament reaches its climax.
Media buyers said the broadcaster is commanding a premium as marketers look to tap into the massive audience expected for the high-stakes encounter. For many advertisers, the final represents a rare opportunity to reach millions of viewers in a single moment of sporting drama.
The surge in interest follows record-breaking digital viewership during the semi-final between India and England. Streaming platform JioHotstar logged a peak of 65.2 million concurrent viewers during the match, setting a global record for the highest live-event concurrency on any digital platform.
The match also drew 619 million views on the platform, making it the most streamed T20 International match in history.
With numbers like these, the final is shaping up not just as a cricket spectacle, but also as one of the most coveted advertising stages in Indian sport. For brands hoping to catch viewers between overs, the price of admission has never been higher.
Sports
Ferrari CEO embraces Hindi mantra at India awards
Benedetto Vigna calls “hoga kaise nahi” perfect expression of brand philosophy.
MUMBAI: Ferrari’s boss didn’t just visit India he came back speaking fluent aspiration. Benedetto Vigna, CEO of Ferrari, revealed at the CNBC-TV18 India Business Leaders Awards 2026 on 14 March that a Hindi phrase he heard during his trip “hoga kaise nahi” (how will it not happen) perfectly captures the Italian marque’s relentless drive to redefine what’s possible.
Speaking on stage in Mumbai, Vigna described the line as a sharper, more powerful version of Ferrari’s own mantra, “We redefine the limit of the possible.” He said the phrase struck him instantly, “It is much shorter, better and more effective.”
Vigna stressed that Ferrari’s strategy has never been about chasing volume. “We don’t sell. We want people to fall in love with what we do,” he explained. The company continues to develop a diverse range hybrids, pure combustion engines and full electrics while staying true to the emotional pull that makes customers aspire to own one.
The comment came during a wider discussion on leadership and innovation, where Vigna shared another guiding principle, “Learn from everyone, everywhere. I have not met a person from whom I could not learn anything.”
In a room full of India’s business elite, the Ferrari CEO turned a simple Hindi expression into the evening’s most memorable line proving that sometimes the fastest way to accelerate isn’t with horsepower, but with the right four words.
