MAM
Delhi set for a smashing rally as Pickleball Now Grand Prix hits Gurugram
MUMBAI: Delhi’s sporting scene is about to get a spicy spin because the pickleball ‘pickle’ is officially popping off. Times Network is bringing the Pickleball Now Grand Prix – North Edition to The Blue Court, Sector 65, Gurugram, on 22 November, marking the next big serve in its multi-city initiative to popularise what has become one of India’s fastest-growing recreational sports.
And the capital is turning up in numbers. Over 200 players will battle it out across the daylong event, eyeing Rs 10 Lakh in prizes, trophies, media visibility and ranking prestige. All matches are affiliated with the Pickleball World Rankings (PWR), ensuring that every point scored counts for official rankings.
The Grand Prix features five categories designed to engage both intermediate and advanced players:
● Men’s Doubles – Advanced
● Men’s Doubles – Intermediate
● Mixed Doubles – Advanced
● Mixed Doubles – Intermediate
● Women’s Doubles, featuring randomly paired teammates for delightful unpredictability
The mix of competition levels paired with the sport’s quick-play energy ensures a day of tight rallies, clutch points and plenty of courtside drama.
Pickleball’s soaring popularity has drawn a premium roster of partner brands across lifestyle, tech, mobility and consumer categories. Among them:
● Presented By: Hell Energy Drink
● NBFC Partner: Aditya Birla Capital
● Official Timekeeping Partner: Just in Time
● Banking Partner: HDFC Bank
● Luxury Real Estate Partner: Arihant
● Celebration Partner: Radico Khaitan
● Equipment Partner: Joola
● Healthcare Partner: Dava India
● Education Partner: Amrita University
● Wealth Partner: Yes Securities
The mix underscores how pickleball has evolved from a recreational pastime to a premium, brand-magnet sport.
Beyond intense rallies and leaderboard climbs, the Pickleball Now Grand Prix weaves in a lifestyle showcase, high-energy brand experiences and a vibrant community vibe. It’s a sporting spectacle that mirrors the country’s growing appetite for accessible, fast-paced, aspirational sports.
With Delhi as the next stop, the Grand Prix promises to amplify the momentum adding visibility, structure and star power to a sport that’s quietly become India’s coolest weekend addiction.
For all updates, head to Pickleball Now because the North Edition is about to serve Delhi its most electrifying pickleball moment yet.
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.
