iWorld
Digital media, gaming dominated M&E deals in 2020
KOLKATA: Over the last few years, the media and entertainment industry has seen a number of major deals with the rapid change in the business. Some of the global merger and acquisition activities have impacted the Indian M&E sector too. Along with that, Indian media companies also witnessed big deals in the traditional broadcasting space as well as increased activity in the digital segment.
The experts were skeptical about deals in the space as the Covid2019 pandemic derailed the economy. However, the sector witnessed moderate activity in 2020 with 77 deals compared to 64 in 2019. However, overall deal value reduced to Rs 68 billion in 2020 from Rs 101 billion in 2019, the recently released FICCI-EY report revealed.
The decline in deal value has been attributed to the absence of big deals with only two deals crossing the $100 million threshold as compared to four such deals in 2019. But even before the pandemic, there were fewer high value deals in 2019 compared to earlier years. The overall deal value was significantly lower at Rs 101 billion as compared to Rs 192 billion in the previous year.
The lockdown during the pandemic boosted the uptake of digital media and gaming. Hence, these two segments together attracted 92 per cent of the investment in 2020. New media increased its share in terms of deal value from 37 per cent in 2019 to 92 per cent in 2020. Considerably, television saw the highest investment in 2019.
For instance, Dream11 raised $225 million from Tiger Global Management, TPG, ChrysCapital and Footpath Ventures. Dailyhunt got funding of $100 million from Google, Microsoft, Falcon Edge, Sofina and Lupa Systems.
Moreover, a number of Chinese apps like TikTok, PUBG were banned due to political tension amid India and China. As many of the banned apps were leaders in the space, the sudden vacuum created opportunity for local apps which got investors' backing to scale up their operations.
The audio streaming segment also saw a few important deals. While Reliance Industries bought a further 10.9 per cent stake in Saavn Media for Rs 6.5 billion from its erstwhile promoters, Gaana raised Rs 3.8 billion from Tencent and Times Internet.
On the other side, traditional media’s contribution to overall M&E deal value plummeted to eight per cent, compared to 63 per cent in 2019. There were primarily just three deals in the space including the Eros International-STX Filmworks merger, PVR’s rights issue and Inox’s fund raising via QIP, compared to 10 deals in 2019 including four marquee deals.
Private equity and venture capitalist firms led 70 per cent of the M&E deals in 2020, contributing to 79 per cent of the total funding received in the year. The share of deals led by strategic players fell to 27 per cent compared to 52 per cent in 2019.
The report forecasts more investments in scalable d2c business models, digital companies with a differentiated product offering, companies with strongholds in next-gen technologies in the next few years. Traditional advertising agencies and tech giants will both continue to invest in niche martech companies. Media entities under financial stress will also look at partnering with a larger strategic player.
iWorld
Why Peaky Blinders is one of television’s biggest hits that still deserves more attention
Six seasons, multiple awards and the release of Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man bring the Shelby saga back into the spotlight
In the crowded universe of streaming content, only a handful of shows manage to leave a lasting cultural footprint. Peaky Blinders is overwhelmingly considered one of the biggest global hits of the past decade. Yet many viewers still haven’t fully explored the dark, gripping world of the Shelby family.
Originally produced for the UK’s BBC and later finding a massive global audience through Netflix, the series quietly grew from a British period drama into a worldwide streaming phenomenon.
Created by Steven Knight, the show follows the rise of the Shelby crime family in post-First World War Birmingham. What begins as a gritty street-gang story gradually expands into a sweeping narrative about ambition, politics, power and survival.
At the centre of the saga is Thomas Shelby, portrayed with extraordinary depth by Cillian Murphy. The casting of Murphy is widely regarded as perfect for the role. With piercing eyes, restrained dialogue and an almost hypnotic screen presence, he transforms Shelby into one of the most unforgettable characters in modern screen storytelling.
Murphy’s brilliance lies in his restraint. He rarely shouts or performs theatrically. Instead, a quiet stare, a calculated pause or a subtle shift in expression conveys the emotional storms within the character. Beneath the ruthless gang leader is a war veteran carrying trauma, guilt and loneliness. Murphy captures this complexity with remarkable precision, making Thomas Shelby both terrifying and deeply human.
Beyond its central performance, Peaky Blinders stands out for its unfiltered portrayal of reality. The show does not romanticise crime. Instead, it exposes the harsh social conditions of early 20th-century Britain, from poverty and class struggle to political extremism and the psychological scars left by war.
The series also presents powerful female characters who hold their own within the Shelby empire. Polly Gray, played by Helen McCrory, is the strategic backbone of the family and one of the most formidable figures in the story. Women in the series shape decisions, influence power structures and challenge the rigid social norms of the time.
Across six seasons, the narrative grows dramatically in scale. What begins in the smoky streets of Birmingham evolves into a story involving political conspiracies, fascism and international criminal networks.
The series has also earned significant critical acclaim. It won the BAFTA Television Award for Best Drama Series in 2018 and multiple National Television Awards for Best Drama, cementing its reputation as one of Britain’s most celebrated modern shows.
Another defining feature of the series is its iconic music. The show’s opening theme, Red Right Hand by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, became instantly recognisable and widely associated with the Shelby universe. Combined with a powerful soundtrack featuring artists such as Arctic Monkeys and Radiohead, the music helped shape the show’s dark, stylish identity and became hugely popular among fans.
And the Shelby story is not over yet.
In fact, its legacy is unfolding right now. The long-awaited feature-length continuation, Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man, was released on March 6, 2026, bringing the Shelby universe from streaming screens to cinemas and giving fans a new chapter in the saga.
For viewers who have not yet stepped into this world, the timing could not be better.
Six gripping seasons are ready to binge on Netflix. A new film has just arrived in theatres. And at the heart of it all stands one of the most magnetic performances in modern drama by Cillian Murphy.
So if Peaky Blinders has been sitting on your watchlist for years, this weekend is your moment.
So, by order of the Peaky fookin’ Blinders, consider this your cue to finally step into the ruthless world of Thomas Shelby. Pour yourself a drink, clear your schedule and press the play button. Because when the Peaky Blinders give an order, you listen.
