MAM
Channel [V] opens its 2nd café in Gurgaon
MUMBAI: In line with its plans of opening 30 outlets over five years, yuth entertainment channel, Channel [V], has opened the second outlet of its café, ‘[V] Spot Café + Bar‘, in Gurgaon.
The first outlet was launched last year in Saket, New Delhi.
Pune and Bangalore will be the next stop. Said Channel [V] EVP and GM Prem Kamath, “Gurgaon is the second among the 30 outlets that have been planned over the next 5 years. Pune and Bangalore will be up in the next three months. While it serves as a great on–ground presence for the brand, it is also proving to be a very robust revenue generator. The Gurgaon outlet is being launched with a 3 day ‘I Love Gurgaon’ festival where local talent will get a chance to perform with established professionals.”
The café not only offers budding artists on air coverage but also gives its customers a chance to record video message for anyone on the Video wall shown later on Channel [V].
“It’s time to say goodbye to the dreary long drives to Delhi in search of entertainment, as [v] Spot Café+Bar is now in Gurgaon!! It’s time to hit the Spot in your very own neighbourhood,” [v] Spot Café+Bar leisure streak hospitality master franchisee director Devdeep Singh said.
Youth preferences in music, style, products, food, technology and entertainment have all been kept in mind while working on the offerings of the café. Each element in the café gets its inspiration from various themes associated with Channel [V], the channel said.
MAM
Star Sports under fire for ‘cringe’ India vs South Africa Super 8 promo
Broadcaster accused of arrogance and disrespect as fans slam Super 8 promotion
AHMEDABAD: Star Sports is facing a wave of criticism after its latest promotional campaign for the India–South Africa T20 World Cup Super 8 match triggered a fierce social media backlash, quickly dubbed “Cupcakegate”.
The advertisement, released this week, hinges on a cupcake metaphor that many viewers have condemned as patronising and disrespectful. In the clip, an Indian supporter mockingly offers a pink cupcake to a South African fan, a visual jibe widely interpreted as portraying the Proteas as a soft, easily beaten opponent.
The backlash has been swift across platforms such as X and Reddit, with fans and commentators accusing the broadcaster of tone-deaf bravado at a crucial stage of the tournament. The criticism is sharpened by the context: both India and South Africa arrive in the Super 8s unbeaten, undermining any suggestion of a one-sided contest.
Online, the cupcake symbol has been read as carrying multiple barbs. Some users argue it alludes to South African president Cyril Ramaphosa’s domestic nickname, while others see it as recycling the long-running “chokers” trope associated with South Africa in ICC tournaments. The casting choice has also drawn scrutiny, with viewers noting the physical disparity between the actors playing the two fans, which critics described as a cheap attempt to belittle the opposition.
Even Indian supporters have joined the pile-on. Many warned that such chest-thumping marketing risks “jinxing” the team, pointing to past tournaments where aggressive campaigns preceded unexpected defeats.
Star Sports is no stranger to rivalry-led advertising, having struck gold with its earlier “Mauka Mauka” series. But analysts say the cupcake campaign misreads a fanbase that has grown less tolerant of overtly mocking narratives and more attuned to sporting parity and respect.
India and South Africa meet on Sunday, 22 February, at the 132,000-seat Narendra Modi Stadium. With South Africa securing their Super 8 berth through a commanding win over the UAE, the fixture is widely billed as a heavyweight clash, not the walkover the ad appears to suggest.
