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Global Boxing Series partners with Disney+ Hotstar
Mumbai: Global Boxing Series has partnered with Disney+ Hotstar, heralding a thrilling new era for professional boxing in India. For the first time, a pro boxing series will be shown on the country’s premier sports OTT channel, scheduled to take place in Mumbai on 1 June.
Spearheaded by Promoter, Devraj Das, one of the pioneers of professional boxing in India, and Salil Acharya, Co-Promoter and actor, RJ, and proponent of combat and professional boxing on TV and OTT, the Global Boxing Series is a pioneering initiative that will blend action, entertainment, and broadcasting to create a premier platform for professional boxing and boxers in India.
By partnering with Disney+ Hotstar, the Global Boxing Series will provide a seamless streaming experience of all its fights for fans in 4K HD visions, ensuring the community can enjoy every punch and knockout with unmatched precision as it happening on the ground.
The boxing night will witness 8 fights in the presence of 16 boxers including a first-ever Influencer Marque Showdown, as prominent influencers Tayne DeVilliers and Ishant Rawat, also known as Knucklehead Warrior will be feasting it off against each other. The event will also showcase prominent female boxers, adding to the excitement and diversity of the competition.
Reflecting on the partnership and the vision of the series, Global Boxing Series and Promoter of Marine Pro Boxing co-promoter Devraj Das, boxing management and fighter-driven platform said, “We are thrilled to be on Disney+ Hotstar and embark on this journey which revolutionizes professional boxing forever in India. Boxing has always held a special place for me, whether it’s the grassroots participation or the remarkable achievements at global competitions. Yet, too often, our boxers fade into obscurity after their moment of glory, which inspired the creation of the Global Boxing Series aimed at giving a continuation and a platform. I wanted to leverage my passion for boxing and years of professional promotion to establish a sustainable ecosystem for the sport’s prosperity in India. With the invaluable support of Salil, our goal is to consistently provide Indian pro boxers with the opportunities and competition they rightly deserve and keep broadcasting.”
Being the country’s leading online video streaming platform, Disney+ Hotstar is renowned for promoting mixed martial arts by streaming leading tournaments in the nation. Through this association, the platform is set to broaden its scope into boxing with the broadcast of the Global Boxing Series, further underscoring its commitment to bringing top-tier sports entertainment to Indian audiences.
“For any sporting league, having a streaming partner that enhances its visibility and offers an immersive experience is crucial, and we are pleased to have found that partner in Disney+ Hotstar. Their consistent promotion of combat sports aligns perfectly with our vision of taking it to the next level, establishing a premier platform for professional boxing in India. With their unparalleled streaming capabilities and widespread reach, GBS aims to engage millions of fans and bring the thrill of the ring into their homes. Influencer fights are a big phenomenon in global boxing under strict supervision and to be able to stage a fight of this stature as part of our first fight will be a firm step for the Pro Boxing world. Our commitment is to deliver a world-class fight experience and solidify professional boxing’s significance in India’s sports landscape,” commented Global Boxing Series co-promoter Salil Acharya.
As per The Ormax Sports Audience Report: 2024, boxing boasts an audience base of 107 million in India.
The Global Boxing Series will showcase a total of 8 thrilling fights, bringing together 16 elite boxers across various weight categories: Super Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, Super Welterweight, Welterweight, Super Lightweight, Lightweight, Featherweight, Super Bantamweight, and Super Flyweight.
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PNB partners Kiwi to launch credit-enabled UPI for users
Targets 180 million customers; RuPay card offers 0.5 per cent to 1.5 per cent cashback
MUMBAI: Swipe, tap, or scan credit is quietly slipping into the rhythm of everyday payments, and Punjab National Bank wants in on the action. The state-run lender has partnered with Kiwi to roll out credit-enabled UPI payments for its 180 million customers, marking a significant push to blend traditional banking with India’s fast-evolving digital payments ecosystem.
At the centre of the collaboration is the launch of the PNB Kiwi Credit Card on the RuPay network. The card is designed with a digital-first approach, offering fully online onboarding and seamless integration with UPI, allowing users to transact via scan-and-pay while accessing credit.
The offering also brings in a rewards layer, with cashback ranging from 0.5 per cent to 1.5 per cent on online transactions, positioning the product as both a convenience play and a spending incentive.
The move comes as UPI continues to dominate India’s digital payments landscape, increasingly blurring the lines between debit-led transactions and credit access. For PNB, which operates over 10,000 branches around 60 per cent in semi-urban and rural areas, the partnership signals a targeted effort to extend formal credit to segments that have traditionally remained underserved.
The collaboration also reflects a broader industry shift, where banks and fintech platforms are converging to embed credit directly into payment flows, reducing friction while expanding access.
With RuPay credit cards gaining traction and UPI evolving beyond peer-to-peer transfers, the PNB–Kiwi tie-up positions both players at the intersection of scale, accessibility, and the next phase of digital finance in India.
