Brands
Bigg Boss Tamil 9 sets screens ablaze on Jiohotstar
MUMBAI: Looks like the Bigg just got bigger! Bigg Boss Tamil Season 9 stormed onto Jiohotstar with a blockbuster opening, clocking an impressive 7.8 crore minutes of cumulative watch time on day one. That’s nearly 1.74 times the reach of its previous season, proof that Tamil Nadu’s favourite reality show still reigns supreme in living rooms across the state.
Hosted by Vijay Sethupathi for the second consecutive year, the show’s new season has lit up the festive mood, turning October into appointment-viewing season. And this time, fans aren’t just watching, they’re part of the action.
Jiohotstar has reimagined the Bigg Boss experience with interactive features like a 24 by 7 live chat feed and a buzzing fanzone where viewers can react to every drama-filled twist in real time. Adding a desi digital twist, Meme the Moment lets fans capture and share their favourite on-screen moments instantly, making sure every eyebrow raise and argument lives on beyond the episode.
Interestingly, nearly 47 per cent of total opening-day viewing came via connected TVs, showing how Tamil audiences increasingly prefer gathering around the big screen for a shared family watch.
Jiostar head of cluster, entertainment (South) Krishnan Kutty said, “The strong opening reflects how audiences are embracing interactive formats. We’re turning passive viewing into active participation, setting new standards for content and community engagement.”
With title sponsor Healthy Grocer and brand powerhouses like Asian Paints, Maruti Suzuki and Head & Shoulders joining the line-up, Bigg Boss Tamil 9 has kicked off not just a show but a full-blown celebration of entertainment, technology and fandom.
After roaring success across Hindi, Malayalam, Telugu and Kannada editions, the Tamil season’s fiery opening cements Jiohotstar’s position as the streaming stage where audiences don’t just watch, they live the drama.
Brands
Lululemon picks former Nike executive to be its next chief
Heidi O’Neill, who helped grow Nike into a $45 billion giant, will take the top job in September
CANADA: Lululemon has found its next chief executive, and she comes with serious credentials. The athleisure giant named Heidi O’Neill as its new CEO on Wednesday, ending a search that has left the company running on interim leadership since earlier this year. O’Neill will take charge on September 8, 2026, based out of Vancouver, and will join the board on the same day.
O’Neill brings more than three decades of experience across performance apparel, footwear and sport. The bulk of that time was spent at Nike, where she was a central figure in one of corporate sport’s great growth stories, helping take the company from a $9 billion business to a $45 billion global powerhouse. She oversaw product pipelines, brand strategy and consumer connections, and played a significant role in shaping how Nike spoke to athletes around the world. Earlier in her career, she worked in marketing for the Dockers brand at Levi Strauss. She also brings boardroom experience from Spotify Technology, Hyatt Hotels and Lithia and Driveway.
The board was unequivocal in its enthusiasm. “We selected Heidi because of the breadth of her experience, her demonstrated success delivering breakthrough ideas and initiatives at scale, and her ability to be a knowledgeable change and growth agent,” said Marti Morfitt, executive chair of Lululemon’s board.
O’Neill, for her part, was bullish. “Lululemon is an iconic brand with something rare: genuine guest love, a product ethos rooted in innovation, and a global platform still in the early stages of its potential,” she said. “My job will be to accelerate product breakthroughs, deepen the brand’s cultural relevance, and unlock growth in markets around the world.”
Until she arrives, Meghan Frank and André Maestrini will continue as interim co-CEOs, before returning to their previous senior leadership roles once O’Neill steps in.
Lululemon is betting that a Nike veteran who helped build one of the world’s most powerful sports brands can do something similar for an athleisure label that has genuine love from its customers but is still chasing its full global potential. O’Neill has done it before at scale. The question now is whether she can do it again.
