News Broadcasting
Haier kicks off global game with Liverpool, PSG and tennis power play
MUMBAI: When it comes to sport, Haier is no longer just in the business of cool refrigerators, it’s chilling with champions. The world’s No.1 global major appliances brand for 16 consecutive years has just unveiled blockbuster multi-year partnerships with Liverpool Football Club and Paris Saint-Germain, two of the most-followed clubs on the planet. The announcement, made at IFA Berlin, saw club executives join Haier leaders to reveal a fresh brand strategy that links the footballing elite with a company famed for user-centric innovation. Fans can expect Haier to activate its badge across stadiums, digital platforms and retail touchpoints, roll out exclusive fan experiences, and even explore co-branded smart-home products that channel matchday passion straight into living rooms.
But the deal doesn’t stop at Anfield or Parc des Princes. Haier’s football footprint already spans LALIGA among the world’s most-watched leagues, Liga Portugal, one of Europe’s fastest-growing, and the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, home to Africa’s rising powerhouse. Together, these partnerships highlight the strategic weight of Spain, Portugal and Morocco in Haier’s football roadmap.
Off the pitch, Haier is just as aggressive on the court. The brand has renewed its ATP Tour partnership through 2028, ensuring visibility at four major tournaments: the Plava Laguna Croatia Open (Umag), ABN Amro Open (Rotterdam), BMW Open (Munich), and the season-ending Nitto ATP Finals in Turin. That means more than just logos on banners, think on-court branding, hospitality experiences and product integration designed to put Haier in front of an audience of over one billion online fans. Add to that its continuing partnerships with Roland-Garros, the Rolex Paris Masters, the Australian Open and Madrid Open, and tennis is firmly set as Haier’s premium playground.
The brand has also expanded its ATP role beyond Home Appliances into Home Entertainment & TV, signalling a cross-category push to engage global fans with both fridges and flat-screens. It’s a dual-sponsorship strategy that Haier calls Sport-o-Tainment where sporting passion fuses with entertainment. In India, this has meant aligning with IPL, ICC Cricket World Cups and even Wimbledon, tapping into a country where sports-crazy youth expect both premium experiences and cultural connection.
Values are at the core of these deals. For Haier, football and tennis embody teamwork, elegance, precision and top-level performance traits it likens to its connected smart solutions. As the brand frames it, this is about more than advertising; it’s about reflecting excellence and creating shared value across continents.
The partnerships also carry a touch of nostalgia. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Candy now part of Haier Europe was Liverpool’s main shirt sponsor, a chapter still remembered fondly by Reds fans. With Haier’s new tie-up, the story comes full circle, reuniting the club with a brand family that has history stitched into its shirt.
Whether on the turf at Anfield, the clay of Roland-Garros or the hard courts of Melbourne, Haier is proving that its winning streak is not confined to the kitchen. By pairing itself with champions of football and tennis, the company is playing at the very top tier of global sport and inviting fans to bring that energy home.
News Broadcasting
GenNext takes charge as Network18 reshuffles leadership
With Avinash Kaul bowing out, Network18 hands reins to younger leaders, streamlines operations, and pushes data-driven growth across TV, digital and regional markets
MUMBAI: Network18 is redrawing its leadership map just as a long-time lieutenant bows out. Avinash Kaul, a central figure in the broadcaster’s rise since 2014, is leaving after 12 years to pursue “professional and personal goals”, triggering a broad-based reshuffle that puts a younger cohort directly under the top brass.
Kaul joined at a pivotal moment during the company’s transition and went on to scale the television business, combining strategic nous with data-led decision-making and a sharp read of the news landscape. “Avinash has been an integral part of the Network18 story,” the company said, thanking him for his leadership of the broadcast business and wishing him the best for the future.
In his wake, Network18 is betting on what it calls a “young and restless” leadership bench. “The team has taken charge and proved its mettle in quite adverse circumstances,” the note said, adding that “GenNext has seamlessly stepped in as we continue to outperform our peers.”
Operationally, the structure is being flattened. Smriti Mehra, S Shivakumar and Mitul Sangani will work directly with the top leadership, as they did in the fourth quarter. Ganesh Iyer and Abhinay Chauhan continue in their existing roles, while younger executives are being handed wider mandates across social, digital, connected TV and linear.
The reporting lines are being tightened to drive revenue and product momentum. Prabhat Chatterjee, business head–Forbes, and Arun Thapar, president–content and communication for AETN-18, will report to Smriti Mehra, alongside Mallika Nath Handa, who will lead special projects spanning new shows and non-linear properties. Jayesh Gokalgandhi, CFO for AETN-18, will report to Ramesh Damani.
Mitul Sangani will oversee expansion in Hindi and regional markets, with Sidharth Newatia, CRO–ILC, focusing on reach and revenue growth, particularly in tier-II and III markets. Pankaj Soni, head of marketing–ILC, will also report to Sangani while working functionally with Ganesh Iyer.
The group is also consolidating its branded content play. Moneycontrol’s branded content business will be folded into News18 Studio, with Don Zarrar moving to work with Shivakumar while continuing to lead existing studio and Focus teams.
International and platform growth are being bundled together. Pranav Bakshi takes on additional charge of the international business alongside connected TV and social platforms, with Naveen Mathur, who leads revenue management for the international unit, reporting to him. Bakshi continues to report to Puneet Singhvi.
On the technology and operations side, Rajesh Sharma, head of broadcast technology and IT; Rahul Singh, head of events and technical operations; and Bhupender Bhardwaj, head of IT security, will now report to Singhvi. Darshil Parekh, head of sales strategy, planning and operations, will work directly with Ramesh Damani and the top leadership, with Stanley Cyril, who manages digital sales operations, reporting to him.
Data is being pushed to the centre of decision-making. Jitamitra Mohanty, who leads research and analytics, will now work with Santosh Menon to turn audience data into “actionable insights that drive content strategy, product innovation and sustainable viewership growth”.
The message is clear: fewer layers, faster calls, sharper bets. With Kaul’s exit closing one chapter, Network18 is handing the wheel to a younger crew and doubling down on scale across screens. The race, it signals, will be run at full tilt.
