Brands
ASICS limited-edition GEL-NIMBUSTM 22, TATA Mumbai Marathon 2020 official Race Day T-Shirt unveiled
MUMBAI: Japan-based sportswear company ASICS and India’s leading sports promoter Procam International today unveiled the limited-edition GEL-NIMBUS™ 22 along with the official ‘Race Day T-Shirt‘ for the 17th edition of Asia’s most prestigious TATA Mumbai Marathon (TMM) 2020. ASICS Brand Athlete Rohan Bopanna and Influencer Nikita Dutta did the unveiling at the ASICS store, in Mumbai.
Celebrating the completion of its decade-long association with TATA Mumbai Marathon, ASICS launched the GEL-NIMBUS™ 22, a limited-edition long-distance running shoe at the event. Dedicated to the spirit of Mumbai, the name of the city is emblazoned on the shoes for an exclusive design patent with superior technology and enhanced fit, making it a true collector’s item!
The ASICS ‘Race Day T-Shirt’ is also a mark of accomplishment for every individual participating in the TATA Mumbai Marathon and will be a part of the Race Day Kit along with the bib. All Full Marathon participants will receive the exclusive Race Day T-shirt. The association with TMM is an extension of ASICS’ philosophy to produce innovative sports products solutions and technologies to help athletes and fitness enthusiasts achieve their goals.
“From the moment runners sign up for the Marathon, we are their partners through their training program and till they cross the finish line. We mark our decade long association with the Tata Mumbai Marathon by launching our first ever-limited edition shoe especially designed to celebrate the city that is always on the move- Mumbai! It is truly a significant milestone for the brand and we will continue to give our consumers a manufacturing innovation every year,” said ASICS India managing director Rajat Khurana.
Procam International managing director Anil Singh who was also present at the event added, “Tata Mumbai Marathon is globally viewed as an iconic Event. It invokes a sense of Pride in each and every one of us, furthermore the event is Mumbai's biggest showcase to the World. ASICS commitment to excellence is well known, but what makes them truly special is the Respect and Partnership they bring to their Sponsorships. It is with this sentiment at heart, that ASICS has designed the limited-edition shoe line especially dedicated to all Mumbaikars runners who are the 'true owners' of this iconic property. A must have collector’s item!
Speaking about the event, Rohan Bopanna said, “TATA Mumbai Marathon is the most significant marathon in India and it has always motivated me in many ways to enhance my running skills. ASICS has been instrumental in my journey and has provided me with the right kind of gear for training and practice sessions. I wish the participants the best and hope ASICS gets them moving, as it did for me.”
Commenting on the association, actress Nikita Dutta said, “I have always loved the brand ASICS for its high-performance sports gear. Being a proud Mumbaikar growing up in the city, I’m quite excited to unveil the first ever limited-edition shoe and Race Day t-shirt for the Tata Mumbai Marathon. I’m participating in the marathon too and looking forward to enhance my performance with the exclusive GEL NIMBUS 22.’’
The GEL-NIMBUS 22 will be available from 5 December at all ASICS retail and online stores. The TATA Mumbai Marathon will be hosted on 19 January 2020 and begins from opposite the historic Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus Mumbai. Runners will pass many iconic locations such as Flora Fountain, Marine Drive, Chowpatty, Haji Ali, Mahim Church, and the Bandra–Worli Sea Link.
Brands
UK’s OnlyFans seeks US investor at $3bn valuation after owner’s death
The adult video platform is seeking stability after the death of its billionaire owner
LONDON: OnlyFans is looking for a new partner. The London-based adult video platform is in advanced talks to sell a minority stake of less than 20 per cent to Architect Capital, a San Francisco-based investment firm, in a deal that would value the business at more than $3bn (£2.2bn).
The move is driven by an urgent need for stability. Leonid Radvinsky, the Ukrainian-American billionaire who owned OnlyFans, died of cancer last month at the age of 43, leaving the future of one of Britain’s most profitable privately held businesses suddenly uncertain.
The choice of Architect Capital is not arbitrary. The firm has deep expertise in financial services, which aligns neatly with OnlyFans’ ambitions to offer banking products to its creators, many of whom have long struggled to access basic financial services because of the nature of their work.
The numbers behind OnlyFans are, by any measure, staggering. The platform posted revenues of $1.4bn in the year to 30th November 2024, with a pre-tax profit of $684m, up four per cent on the prior year. Payments to creators totalled $7.2bn over the same period, a rise of nearly ten per cent. Radvinsky personally collected $701m in dividends from the business in 2024 alone, on top of more than $1bn in such payments he had already received. The platform, run through its parent company Felix International, hosts 4.6m creator accounts, with performers keeping 80 per cent of subscription proceeds and the platform pocketing the remaining 20 per cent. It has 377m fan accounts in total.
The current minority stake talks represent a notable scaling back of ambitions. In January, OnlyFans was reported to be in discussions with Architect about selling a majority stake of 60 per cent. Before that, the company had explored a sale to a consortium led by Forest Road Company, a Los Angeles-based investment firm. Neither deal materialised.
OnlyFans has built an enormously lucrative business on content that mainstream finance has long refused to touch. Now, with its owner gone and a $3bn valuation on the table, it is looking for the kind of respectable institutional backing that might finally persuade the banks to take its calls.
