iWorld
Ab Raaton Raat Ban Jao Sarkar with WatchN’Play on Hotstar
MUMBAI: With cricket season in full swing, Hotstar, India’s leading premium streaming platform, has taken the excitement to another level. Users can now become part of the on-field action with Hotstar’s cricket game, WatchN’Play, which users can play while they watch the match on their mobile phones. Putting your cricket smarts to the test has never been more rewarding, as the grand prize being given away after each and every match, is a Mahindra KUV100 NXT.
Most people in India are self-styled cricket experts providing running commentary on player performance and the ebb and flow of the match, as they watch their favourite sport. Watch’NPlay gives them a chance to put this skill to good use. Through the game, Hotstar users also get to win exciting prizes from partners like Cadbury, Big Bazaar, FBB, Domino’s and PhonePe.
With over 60 matches through the entire season, and one Mahindra KUV100 NXT, along with 10 lakh other prizes, being given away at the end of each match, the game has already made Hotstar viewers across India proud car owners, with winners in metros of Mumbai, Bangalore, and New Delhi, as well as cities such as Jaipur, Kochi, and Indore, among others.
To convey to viewers that with Watch ’N Play more people can win a big prize than ever before, Hotstar has placed hoardings across cities saying “raaton raat ban jao sarkar”. Often, there is cynicism and disbelief around games promising big prizes and Hotstar recognizes and addresses that with hoardings communicating “yeh vaada nahi hai bekaar”. The intention is to make sure that people realize that this is a very real and rare opportunity for viewers to win big with cricket, every single day. The outdoor campaign is also accompanied by a new ad film wherein we see winners popping up in every town.
Turning spectators into participants, WatchN’Play is set to elevate the viewers’ experience by engaging them with the game more deeply than ever before.
iWorld
Bill Ackman’s Pershing Square makes $64 billion bid to acquire Universal Music Group
Ackman pitches NYSE relisting plan as UMG board weighs unsolicited offer
The hedge fund has proposed a business combination that values UMG at €30.40 per share, representing a hefty 78 per cent premium to its current trading price. The offer includes €9.4 billion in cash alongside stock in a newly formed entity, with shareholders set to receive €5.05 per share in cash and 0.77 shares in the new company for each UMG share they hold.
Under the proposal, UMG would merge with Pershing Square SPARC Holdings Ltd and re-emerge as a Nevada-based entity listed on the New York Stock Exchange. The move is designed to boost investor visibility and potentially secure inclusion in major indices such as the S&P 500.
Pershing Square Capital Management ceo Bill Ackman argued that while UMG’s operational performance remains strong, its market valuation has lagged due to external factors. “UMG’s stock price has languished due to a combination of issues that are unrelated to the performance of its music business,” Ackman said, pointing to concerns ranging from shareholder overhang to delayed US listing plans.
Ackman also flagged what he sees as untapped potential in UMG’s balance sheet and a lack of clear capital allocation strategy. He added that the market has not fully recognised the value of UMG’s €2.7 billion stake in Spotify, alongside gaps in investor communication.
The proposed transaction would also result in the cancellation of around 17 per cent of UMG’s outstanding shares, while maintaining its investment-grade balance sheet. Pershing Square has said it will fully backstop the equity financing, with debt commitments secured at signing. The deal is targeted for completion by the end of the year.
UMG, however, has struck a measured tone. The company confirmed that its board has received the non-binding proposal and will review it with advisers. It reiterated confidence in its current strategy and leadership under Lucian Grainge, signalling no immediate shift in stance.
The proposal comes at a time when global music companies are navigating evolving investor expectations, streaming economics and capital allocation pressures. For Pershing Square, the bet is clear: sharpen the financial story, relist in the US, and let the music play louder in the markets.
Whether UMG’s board is ready to change the tune remains to be seen, but the spotlight on its valuation just got a lot brighter.
