MAM
ESPN to sell ad spots on DD for Indo-Pak series with Rs 220 mn minimum guarantee bid
NEW DELHI: ESPN Star Sports will sell advertisement spots on Doordarshan for the upcoming India-Pakistan cricket series, having bid an amount of Rs 220 million as minimum guaranteed revenue.
DD Director General Tripurari Sharan told indiantelevision.com that the public broadcaster had bid an amount of Rs 180 million.
ESPN, which holds the telecast rights for the one-day international and twenty20 series, also agreed to provide Doordarshan match feed without any embedded advertisement for terrestrial transmission.
Under the Sports Broadcasting Signals (Mandatory Sharing with Prasar Bharati) Act, 2007, ESPN will share 25 per cent of the revenues with Doordarshan.
The deal covers both the Pakistan series and the one-day international and twenty20 series with England next month. The series with Pakistan starts next week.
Sharan, in reply to a question, said no decision has been taken yet by the government on a plea by Prasar Bharati that its share should be more than 25 per cent.
The bidding process was conducted after the Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Ministry officials intervened to settle Doordarshan‘s differences with ESPN and the BCCI over providing feed without embedded advertisements.
Sharan said “ESPN had said there will be ‘digital commercial enhancement‘ of the feed coming from the BCCI.” This meant logos and other promotional material of the sponsors were to be part of the feed. Consequently, DD asked the Ministry to intervene, and the latter wrote to ESPN and BCCI saying that there would be no advertisements.
According to the Act, it is mandatory for the rights holder of any sporting event of national importance to share the feed with the public broadcaster. Doordarshan, in turn, is required to share 75 per cent of the advertisement revenue with the rights holder.
The party responsible for selling advertisements, called revenue management company, is decided through a bidding process. Doordarshan lost money on the India-Sri Lanka T20 series earlier this year when it bid Rs 200 million against ESPN‘s bid of Rs 20 million. Although it managed to earn the bid amount, it had to pay 75 per cent to ESPN and so lost revenue from the normal telecasts.
Brands
Lovetc appoints Tamannaah Bhatia as brand face
Ananya Birla’s premium colour cosmetics line gears up for strong second year with 30 per cent monthly growth and fresh face category launch.
MUMBAI: Lovetc is tinting its success story with a starry new shade Tamannaah Bhatia has just been named the face of Ananya Birla’s premium beauty brand. As the colour cosmetics label under Birla Cosmetics completes a vibrant first year in April 2026, it is entering its second chapter with impressive momentum. The brand has delivered 30 per cent month-on-month growth, expanded thoughtfully into offline and quick-commerce channels, and built a loyal following through a digital-first approach mixed with genuine consumer connections.
Priced between Rs 650 and Rs 1,850, Lovetc focused its debut portfolio on lips and eyes categories. Hero products such as Tint, Talk, Etc Radiant Glow Hydrating Tint (SPF 30 PA++), Pout, Perfect, Etc Matte Bullet Lipstick, and Melt, Miracle, Etc Treatment Oil-Infused Lip Balm quickly won hearts. Early shoppers showed strong purchase intent, with average order values ranging from Rs 1,200 to Rs 2,800 and an average of two items per transaction, signalling healthy basket-building and repeat purchases.
The brand made its mark in key metros including Mumbai, NCR, Chennai, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Patiala, Ludhiana, and Cochin, while Tier-2 cities surprised with robust demand and loyalty. On the distribution side, Lovetc entered 90 offline retail doors in year one and is on track to cross 150 doors by Q2 2026, choosing each outlet carefully to match its premium positioning.
To mark the milestone, Lovetc is stepping into the face category with the launch of Ace, Face, Etc 4K Blur Matte Foundation in eight shades tailored for diverse Indian skin tones. Additional innovations like the multi-purpose The Etc stick and longwear lip tint Love Bites are also in the pipeline.
Tamannaah Bhatia, known for her pan-India appeal across films and her authentic love for beauty, brings cultural relevance and credibility to the brand. Ananya Birla, founder of Birla Cosmetics, said, “Year Two is going to be big. The brief for every new launch remains the same: Does it perform? Is it playful? Is it kind to the person wearing it? Performance, playfulness, and kindness that is the promise we intend to keep. Bringing Tamannaah on board feels especially pertinent because she brings together an authentic love for beauty with a connection that cuts across audiences and geographies.”
Tamannaah Bhatia added, “I have always loved beauty as a form of self-expression, and what drew me to Lovetc is that it feels playful, thoughtful, and modern at the same time. I am excited to be the face of a brand that is creating products with both performance and personality.”
With deliberate growth, quality-focused retail expansion, and a celebrity partner who genuinely connects with beauty lovers nationwide, Lovetc is blending performance with personality in a market hungry for thoughtful premium options. As it steps into year two, the brand is proving that in beauty, the right tint can make everything glow a little brighter. Delhi, Mumbai, or a Tier-2 favourite Lovetc is colouring India’s beauty shelves with confidence and charm.
