Digital
Moneycontrol widens lead over Economic Times in digital reach
Comscore data shows strong gains in users, engagement and time spent
MUMBAI: Moneycontrol has tightened its grip on India’s business news landscape, pulling further ahead of The Economic Times across key digital metrics in February, according to data from global measurement firm Comscore.
The platform drew 63.8 million unique visitors during the month, more than double the 31.4 million recorded by its closest rival, underlining a growing gap in audience reach.
The story does not end with traffic. Moneycontrol also surged ahead on engagement, clocking 279.8 million page views, nearly three times The Economic Times’ 93.1 million. The numbers suggest that readers are not just dropping by, but staying longer and consuming more.
That trend becomes even clearer when looking at time spent. Users logged 546.3 million minutes on Moneycontrol in February, over four times the 129.7 million minutes spent on The Economic Times platform. In the battle for attention, Moneycontrol appears to be winning both the click and the clock.
Moneycontrol managing editor Nalin Mehta, said the surge comes at a time when audiences are grappling with global uncertainty. “As investors navigate war-related risks and geopolitical flux, the need for clarity has never been greater. Our focus remains on delivering timely and credible information to help readers make sense of the noise,” he said.
With markets on edge and headlines moving fast, Moneycontrol seems to have struck a chord, turning moments of uncertainty into an opportunity to deepen its connection with readers.
Digital
OpenAI drops Sora AI video tool, ends planned $1 billion Disney deal
Pivot to coding and AGI leaves media giant rethinking AI tie-up plans
CALIFORNIA: In a move that has sent ripples through both Hollywood and Silicon Valley, OpenAI has pulled the plug on its much-hyped AI video tool Sora, abruptly ending what was shaping up to be a landmark partnership with The Walt Disney Company.
According to media reports, the decision came with little warning. Teams from both sides had been working on a Sora-linked project when the shutdown was communicated, catching even those close to the collaboration off guard.
The fallout is significant. The move effectively scraps a proposed $1 billion, three-year agreement that would have seen Disney invest in OpenAI while opening up access to its vast library of characters for AI-generated short-form video content. The deal, however, had not been finalised and no funds had changed hands.
Sora, unveiled in early 2024, had dazzled the industry with its ability to generate cinematic-quality video from simple text prompts, triggering a wave of competing launches from AI players across the United States and China. Its sudden exit marks a sharp turn in OpenAI’s strategy.
The company is now redirecting its focus towards more commercially scalable areas such as coding tools, enterprise solutions and the long-term pursuit of artificial general intelligence. Internally, resources required to run the video model are understood to have weighed on other priorities, accelerating the decision.
Leadership roles are also evolving to match the shift. Sam Altman continues to steer the broader vision, while Fidji Simo’s remit has been realigned towards deploying AGI capabilities as part of a wider push to consolidate offerings into a unified platform.
For Disney, the setback is more strategic than financial. The company is said to be evaluating alternative ways to collaborate with OpenAI, even as it recalibrates its approach to generative AI in storytelling.
For the wider industry, the episode is a reminder that in the fast-moving world of artificial intelligence, even the most dazzling innovations can have a surprisingly short shelf life.
