MAM
From bricks to bats Danube plays a new innings in cricket media
MUMBAI: Cricket may be played on grass, but Danube Group is taking it straight to the screen. The UAE-based conglomerate has stepped into an entirely new arena with the launch of Mr Cricket UAE Media Group, the country’s first digital media platform devoted exclusively to the sport that binds millions across borders.
Led by vice chairman Anis Sajan, popularly known in the region as Mr Cricket UAE, the move marks a decisive shift for Danube, whose business interests span real estate, retail, building materials and hospitality. This foray into digital sports media signals a broader ambition to tap into high-growth, culture-led sectors where audiences are driven by passion as much as consumption.
The launch in Dubai drew an unmistakably star-studded crowd, with cricketing names such as Dinesh Karthik, Eoin Morgan, JP Duminy, Angelo Mathews, Moeen Ali, Adil Rashid, Farhat Zaman and Khurram Khan in attendance, underlining both the platform’s intent and its early credibility within the global cricket fraternity.
Positioned as the UAE’s first cricket-focused digital media house, Mr Cricket UAE Media Group aims to reflect the country’s rising influence in the global sports economy. Headquartered in Dubai, the platform will deliver live and real-time cricket coverage, exclusive interviews with international players, premium studio shows, social-first short-form content and documentary-style storytelling rooted in cricket culture. Behind-the-scenes access across leagues and formats is also set to be a key pillar of its offering.
Speaking at the launch, Anis Sajan described the venture as both a professional milestone and a deeply personal one. He said the platform represents the culmination of a 45-year relationship with the game, shaped by fandom rather than financial intent. As the UAE cements its status as a global hub for cricket, he added, the platform aims to influence not just where the sport is played, but how it is experienced and consumed worldwide.
The timing is telling. The UAE already hosts major tournaments including the T20 World Cup, Asia Cup, ILT20 and T10 leagues, alongside a packed calendar of international fixtures. Mr Cricket UAE Media Group adds a new layer to this ecosystem, shifting the spotlight from hosting matches to shaping narratives, conversations and fandom around them.
While cricket sits firmly at the centre of its initial roadmap, the platform has its eye on expansion. Future phases will broaden coverage to other major sports, with the long-term goal of evolving into a multi-sport digital media destination that blends technology, entertainment and culture.
For Danube Group, the launch marks the beginning of a new vertical and a clear statement of intent. As it diversifies beyond physical industries into digital storytelling, the company is betting on sport’s unmatched ability to unite communities, cross cultures and command attention. Or as Sajan put it more simply, cricket remains his love, not his trade, and this new innings is being played straight from the heart.
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.
