iWorld
Shark Tank India 5 opens the tank with a call to ditch burnout and pitch brilliance
MUMBAI: The sharks are circling again. Shark Tank India is back for a fiery fifth season, opening the floodgates for India’s boldest, brightest business ideas—with registrations now live on Sony Liv. The show, which has quickly evolved from a niche format to a national pitch phenomenon, will once again air across Sony Liv and Sony Entertainment Television, bringing prime-time entrepreneurship to every screen.
This season’s promo swims upstream with a cheeky jab at hustle culture. In a witty twist on the 70-hour workweek mantra, the new campaign declares: “Breakthroughs aren’t born from burnout—they’re born from brave ideas.” The message? You don’t need exhaustion, you need innovation.
Since its Indian debut in 2021, the tank has hosted 741 pitches, backed 351 deals, and facilitated over Rs 293 crore in funding. From college dorm rooms to family kitchens, it’s become the holy grail for every dreamer with a deck.
Got a wild idea, a disruptive product, or a startup that’s just waiting to scale? The tank is open—apply now on Sony Liv. Because the next big thing might just be one pitch away.
https://sharktank.sonyliv.com/
iWorld
Rusk Media announces Battleground Season 2 on Amazon MX Player
Fitness reality show returns in April 2026 with bigger challenges and mentors.
MUMBAI: The arena is reopening and this time the competition promises even more sweat, strategy and spectacle. Rusk Media has confirmed the return of its fitness reality format Battleground for a second season, set to stream on Amazon MX Player from April 2026. The announcement follows the breakout success of the show’s debut season, which positioned itself as a high energy blend of sport, strategy and reality television. Season 1 brought together 16 contestants for a 28 day test of endurance and discipline, as aspiring athletes and fitness enthusiasts competed in physically demanding challenges and team based battles.
Divided into four teams, the participants trained under a panel of mentors drawn from the fitness and lifestyle space, with former Indian cricketer Shikhar Dhawan serving as the show’s Super Mentor.
The format quickly found an audience among digital viewers and was listed among the most binged titles on Amazon MX Player. The show also picked up industry recognition, winning the “Most Popular Non Fiction Show” honour at the IWMBuzz Digital Awards 2025.
The first season also drew a slate of brand partnerships, including Honda Bigwing, Charged, American Pistachio Growers, Bigmuscles Nutrition, Ritebite Max Protein, Plix and Sparsh CCTV, highlighting the show’s appeal to brands targeting India’s rapidly growing youth and fitness audience.
For Season 2, the producers say the format will evolve with tougher physical challenges, a sharper competitive structure and deeper mentor involvement while continuing to focus on discovering the next generation of Indian fitness personalities.
Rusk Media, chief executive officer and co founder Mayank Yadav said the first season proved the appetite for competitive fitness storytelling. “Battleground was always envisioned as more than a show. Season 1 demonstrated that there is a massive audience for aspirational fitness competition at scale. With Season 2 we are going even bigger in ambition, intensity and opportunities for contestants and partners,” he said.
Rusk Ads lead Rahul Arora added that the series has also evolved into a strong platform for brand integration and advertiser engagement. “Season 1 showed that Battleground is not just compelling content but a powerful brand ecosystem. As we move into Season 2, we are looking to deepen brand collaborations and build more integrated partnerships,” he said.
With a larger format, an expanding fan base and a new season set to arrive in April 2026, Battleground is positioning itself as one of India’s emerging fitness reality franchises in the digital entertainment space.
