MAM
Discovery ropes in HP as presenting partner for Mythbusters
MUMBAI: Discovery Channel, the flagship network in Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific‘s (DNAP) portfolio, has roped in leading information technology service provider Hewlett Packard as a presenting partner for its popular series Mythbusters.
The partnership, which includes on-air, on-ground and online elements, presents the new episodes of Mythbusters to viewers in Southeast Asia from 23 March to 28 April.
In addition to presenting brand new episodes, the on-air component includes a spot campaign for the HP Folio13 that will air on Discovery Channel, TLC and Animal Planet for the duration of the partnership.
Discovery Channel and HP will be running an online contest that will provide one lucky winner with a truly unique Discovery Channel experience – a trip for two to visit the Mythbusters lab in San Francisco.
As part of the on-ground activation there will be roadshows in four cities in Southeast Asia, kicking off 22-25 March at Gandaria City in Jakarta, Indonesia, and from 24-25 March at Central World in Bangkok, Thailand. Other locations are Marina Square in Singapore on April 14-15, and Mid Valley Mall in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on April 25-29.
At the roadshows, visitors will get the chance to test some “myths” associated with laptops, discover the unique features of the HP Folio13, and win prizes including exclusive Mythbusters merchandise at the various interactive booths. At the end of each roadshow, there will also be a HP Folio13 notebook to be won.
Talking about the partnership, DNAP vice president-advertising sales Jacqueline Tok said, “Leveraging on our synergies as market leaders, Discovery Channel and HP are working together for the first time to bring viewers new episodes of our hugely popular series Mythbusters. Our integrated campaign extends the viewing experience beyond television and provides our valued partner HP with customised solutions to further reach their target audience and launch their latest business UltrabookTM, the HP Folio13.”
The show will see special-effects experts Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman take on age-old myths and urban legends to show viewers what‘s real – and what‘s reel. The show will be aired on Discovery Channel every Friday at 9 pm (SIN/HK) across Southeast Asia.
HP South Asia and Taiwan (SEAT) vice president & general manager – Personal Systems Group Dennis Mark said, “We are excited to partner with Discovery Channel for a series of exciting roadshows that bring the HP Folio13 experience closer to SEAT markets.”
Digital
Content India 2026 opens with a copro pitch, a spice evangelist and a £10,000 prize for Indian storytelling
Dish TV and C21Media’s three-day summit puts seven ambitious projects before an international jury, and two walk away with serious development money
MUMBAI: India’s content industry gathered in Mumbai this March for Content India 2026, a three-day summit organised by Dish TV in partnership with C21Media, and it wasted no time making a statement. The event opened with a Copro Pitch that put seven scripted and unscripted television concepts before an international panel of judges, and by the end of it, two projects had walked away with £10,000 each in marketing prize money from C21Media to support development and international promotion.
The jury, comprising Frank Spotnitz, Fiona Campbell, Rashmi Bajpai, Bal Samra and Rachel Glaister, evaluated a shortlist that ranged from a dark Mumbai comedy-drama about mental health (Dirty Minds, created by Sundar Aaron) to a Delhi coming-of-age mystery (Djinn Patrol, by Neha Sharma and Kilian Irwin), a techno-thriller about a teenage gaming prodigy (Kanpur X Satori, by Suchita Bhatia), an investigative crime drama blending mythology and modern thriller (The Age of Kali, by Shivani Bhatija), a documentary on India’s spice heritage (The Masala Quest, hosted by Sarina Kamini), a documentary on competitive gaming (Respawn: India’s Esports Revolution, by George Mangala Thomas and Sangram Mawari), and a reality-horror competition merging gaming and immersive fear (Scary Goose, by Samar Iqbal).
The session was hosted by Mayank Shekhar.
The two winners were Djinn Patrol, backed by Miura Kite, formerly of Participant Media and known for Chinatown and Keep Sweet: Pray & Obey, with Jaya Entertainment, producers of Real Kashmir Football Club, also attached; and The Masala Quest, created and hosted by Sarina Kamini, an Indian-Australian cook, author and self-described “spice evangelist.”
The summit also unveiled the Content India Trends Report, whose findings made for bracing reading. Daoud Jackson, senior analyst at OMDIA, set the tone: “By 2030, online video in India will nearly double the revenue of traditional TV, becoming the main driver of growth.” He noted that in 2025, India produced a quarter of all YouTube videos globally, overtaking the United States, while Indians collectively spend 117 years daily on YouTube and 72 years on Instagram. Traditional subscription TV is declining as free TV and connected TV gain ground, forcing broadcasters to innovate. “AI-generated content is just 2 per cent of engagement,” Jackson added, “highlighting the dominance of high-quality human content. The key for Indian media companies is scaling while monetising effectively from day one.”
Hannah Walsh, principal analyst at Ampere Analysis, added hard numbers to the picture. India produced over 24,000 titles in January 2026 alone, with 19,000 available internationally. The country now accounts for 12 per cent of Asia-Pacific content spend, up from 8 per cent in 2021, outpacing both Japan and China. Key exporters include JioStar, Zee Entertainment, Sony India, Amazon and Netflix, delivering over 7,500 Indian-produced titles abroad each year. The top importing markets are Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, the United States and the Philippines. Scripted content dominates globally at 88 per cent, with crime dramas and children’s and family titles performing particularly strongly.
Manoj Dobhal, chief executive and executive director of Dish TV India, framed the summit’s ambition squarely. “Stories don’t need translation. They need a platform, discovery, and reach, local or global,” he said. “India produces more movies than any country, our streaming platforms compete globally, and our tech and creators win international awards. Yet fragmentation slows growth. Producers, platforms, and tech move in different lanes. We need shared spaces, collaboration, and an ecosystem where ideas, technology, and people meet. That is why we built Content India.”
The data, the pitches and the prize money all pointed to the same conclusion: India is not waiting for the world to discover its stories. It is building the infrastructure to sell them.
