ITV News
Singapore scores: Sportel Asia is back and ready to play ball
The sports media world’s biggest dealmakers are heading to the Lion City for two days of rights, revenues and relentless networking
SINGAPORE: Singapore is lacing up its boots. Sportel Asia returns to the Orchard Hotel on 24–25 March 2026, and the city-state, already a byword for slick connectivity and breezy deal-making, is bracing itself for an onslaught of broadcasters, rights holders, tech firms and the sort of people who can sell you a streaming package before you have finished your kaya toast.
The who’s who reads like a fantasy league of sports media. BeIN Sports, Fox Sports Australia, Warner Bros. Discovery, the Premier League, FIFA, the Bundesliga and World Rugby are among the confirmed names descending on Singapore. They are not coming for the hawker food, though that is a bonus. They are coming because Asia’s sports media rights market is growing fast, and nobody wants to be left offside.
The conference summit opens with a session bluntly titled “Sports Media Rights in Asia: Landscape, Challenges & What’s Next”, which, in fairness, covers rather a lot of ground. BeIN Sports APAC managing director Mike Kerr, FIFA director of media partnerships Jean-Christophe Petit, and Culver Max Entertainment head of content acquisition Shishir Gupta will be among those taking the podium. The session will be led by Shoto Zhu, chief executive of Sponsorforce, a man presumably well versed in the art of the pitch.
The programme swings between the tactical and the topical. Sessions on streaming piracy, the commercial clout of women’s sport, European football’s Apac land grab and the perennial holy grail of personalisation sit alongside a deep dive into Australia and New Zealand’s booming sports media scene. There is even a slot on K League and South Korean club football’s push to turn domestic drama into international content gold.
Sportel Asia executive director Agnès Marsan made no bones about the stakes. “Asia is projected to significantly increase its sports media rights value by the end of the decade,” she said. Participants are flying in from India, Japan, China, Malaysia, South Korea, Vietnam and beyond, proof, if any were needed, that the region has gone from emerging market to main event.
Singapore, of course, was always going to win this fixture. It offers neutral turf, world class infrastructure and a timezone that splits the difference between Europe and the Pacific Rim. For two days in March, it becomes the centre of the sports media universe, and everyone in the business knows it.
Game on.
ITV News
Paroma Dayal joins dentsu as VP, sports, e-sports, gaming & live experiences
Senior leader to steer brand partnerships and live experiences in fast-evolving space
MUMBAI: Paroma Dayal has taken on a new role at dentsu as vice president for sports, e-sports, gaming and live experiences, signalling the agency network’s sharpened focus on high-growth content ecosystems.
In her new position, Dayal will lead strategic expansion across sports and gaming, working at the intersection of brand partnerships, live experiences and integrated marketing solutions. The mandate reflects a broader industry shift where fandom, content and commerce increasingly converge.
Dayal brings over 15 years of experience spanning digital platforms, broadcast networks and advertising sales. Most recently, she served as senior client partner for APAC at Quora, where she worked on business strategy and client growth across the region.
Before that, she was associate director at MX Player, overseeing monetisation and brand solutions for MX Player and MX Takatak. Her earlier stint at Viacom18 Media Private Limited saw her rise to senior manager and group head north for ad sales and brand solutions across youth, music and English entertainment channels.
She also held roles at Viacom, managing advertising sales for brands such as MTV, VH1 and Comedy Central, and began her career with stints at Star India Pvt Ltd, India Today and NDTV.
Academically, Dayal completed an executive MBA from UCLA Anderson School of Management in 2024, adding formal training in brand management and digital marketing to her hands-on industry experience. She is also a graduate of Jesus and Mary College in New Delhi.
Her appointment comes at a time when brands are doubling down on sports and gaming as cultural touchpoints, not just media channels. With Dayal at the helm, dentsu appears set to play a more active role in shaping how brands show up in these fast-moving arenas.
