MAM
Ajit Sawant joins KnightsAD as MD
MUMBAI: Indian performance-based AD network & global affiliate partners KnightsAD Digital Media Associates has roped in Ajit Sawant as the co-founder and managing director. Sawant will be based out of Mumbai and his role will involve ensuring delivery of business prospects and meeting advertisers’ targets. In addition, he will look after the company’s financial aspects and management of publishers.
With nearly a decade’s experience in the value added services (VAS) industry, Ajit joins KnightsAD from Techzone – an Eros International company, where he was responsible for business development as well as employee and client relation management.
KnightsAD CEO Malik Gilani said, “Ajit’s insights will bring a new dimension to the way we view our consumers. With his level of business intellect and work ethics, we are sure KnightsAD will achieve greater heights.”
Sawant said, “My formative years in the VAS industry and in-depth study about this field, have helped me develop strong fundamentals in this space. Mobile advertisers are providing targeted and personalized ads to cater to different market segments.”
Prior to his role at Techzone, Sawant has worked with digital distribution and new media company, Shotformats Digital Productions.
KnightsAd recently announced its expansion into Sri Lanka and the middle eastern regions of the UAE, Kuwait and Qatar. The company has partnered with the leading telecoms and content companies in the new regions. Their partners include Oreedoo in Kuwait and Qatar, DU in UAE and dialog in Sri Lanka.
MAM
Paramount set to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery in $81 billion deal
Shareholders back merger, combined entity could reshape streaming and studios.
MUMBAI: Lights, camera… consolidation, Hollywood’s latest blockbuster might be happening off-screen. Shareholders of Warner Bros. Discovery have voted in favour of selling the company to Paramount in a deal valued at $81 billion rising to nearly $111 billion including debt setting the stage for one of the biggest shake-ups in modern media. The proposed merger, still subject to regulatory approvals, would bring together a vast portfolio spanning HBO Max, CNN, and franchises such as Harry Potter under the same umbrella as Paramount’s own heavyweights, including Top Gun and CBS.
At the heart of the deal is streaming scale. Executives have indicated plans to combine HBO Max and Paramount+ into a single platform, potentially creating a stronger challenger to giants like Netflix and Amazon’s Prime Video. Current market data suggests HBO Max holds around 12 per cent of US on-demand subscriptions, compared to Paramount+’s 3 per cent, together still trailing Netflix’s 19 per cent and Disney’s combined 27 per cent via Disney+ and Hulu.
Paramount CEO David Ellison has signalled that while platforms may merge, HBO’s creative identity will remain intact, stating the brand should “stay HBO” even within a broader ecosystem.
Beyond streaming, the deal would redraw the map for film production. Combining two of Hollywood’s oldest studios Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros., the new entity aims to scale output to over 30 films annually, while maintaining a 45-day theatrical window. Warner Bros. currently commands around 21 per cent of the US box office, compared to Paramount’s 6 per cent, underscoring the strategic weight of the acquisition.
But scale comes with scrutiny. Critics warn that fewer players could mean reduced consumer choice, rising subscription costs, and potential job cuts as the combined company looks to streamline overlapping operations while managing billions in debt.
The news business, too, faces a reset. CNN would join forces at least structurally with Paramount-owned CBS, raising questions about editorial independence and positioning. The merger has already drawn political attention in the United States, particularly given perceived ties between the Ellison family and Donald Trump, though the company maintains that newsroom autonomy will be preserved.
If approved, the deal would mark another milestone in Hollywood’s consolidation wave shrinking the industry’s traditional “big six” studios to a “big four”, with Paramount joining Disney, Universal, and Sony at the top table.
In an industry built on storytelling, this merger may well become its most consequential plot twist yet.
