MAM
Foxymoron’s Suveer Bajaj launches digital publication Man’s Life
Mumbai: Suveer Bajaj, co-founder of independent digital advertising agency FoxyMoron and the media network Zoo Media on Thursday announced the launch of a digital publication – Man’s Life which will be exclusively dedicated to men’s lifestyle.
The publication will feature internet-based video, and written content on various segments that include sports, lifestyle, auto, and entertainment.
Popular television presenter and sports commentator Suhail Chandhok will lead the sports editorial. Consulting editor and actor Eva Pavithran will lead the lifestyle editorial, while presenter and content creator Chinmaya Sharma will be in charge of entertainment editorial.
The first phase of the publication will be a video-first content approach by creating video IPs and branded content solutions with upcoming influencers, who will act as digital brand ambassadors. The platform currently offers brand services like creating video IPs, advertiser-funded programmes, advertorials, white labelled content, affiliate marketing, native advertising opportunities, and influencer marketing.
The second phase will introduce the e-commerce aspect of the business model and the introduction of regional content.
“We observed a massive gap in advertising options exclusively for men. We thought if we have successfully built brands for our clients through the network over the years, why not create our own brand leveraging our own skills and experience? I believe that Man’s Life community will be integral in dictating the consumer journey from the discovery to the trial phase,” said Bajaj.
Man’s Life sports editor Suhail Chandhok said, “Sport always brings a sense of upliftment and with everyone being home and video content consumption being at an all-time high, I’m excited about leaning on my experiences to engage with millennial and Gen-Z sports fans through relatable content and also spark some really interesting conversations.”
Man’s Life is published by Mammoth Media, the media publishing house of Zoo Media.
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.
