MAM
GiveIndia’s ‘Team for Humanity’ fundraiser supports COVID-19 aid in India
MUMBAI: Online giving platform, GiveIndia has launched the ‘Team for Humanity’ fundraiser to provide financial support to low-income families who have lost an earning member to COVID-19. This immediate financial aid can help ease the loss of grieving families who are at greater risk of falling further into poverty.
With 250,000+ families losing earning members to COVID-19, this aid will help them tide through this difficult time, as only 30 per cent of bereaved families can sustain for over a month in their current financial state. Through this fundraiser, low-income families of COVID deceased will receive a one-time cash support of Rs.30,000 (approximately $ 400/family), said the platform in a statement.
Through one of the largest collaborative efforts towards COVID relief, the initiative has already seen support from the likes of Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Mary Kom, Dua Lipa, Lilly Singh, Pep Guardiola, Robert Pires, Yuvraj Singh, Sunil Chettri, Washington Sundar, Devdutt Padikkal and Kareena Kapoor among others. Companies including PUMA, Facebook, Myntra and Miss Malini have also joined the cause. DDB Worldwide is the communication partner for the fundraiser.
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GiveIndia founder 2.0 & CEO Atul Satija said, “COVID’s impact has pushed many families into poverty, especially those who have lost their only breadwinner and are facing hardships for everyday survival. It is heartening to see members of the sports fraternity coming together to help vulnerable communities – sports is a great way to unite people. We are grateful to Puma, DDB and others for supporting families of the COVID deceased through their Team for Humanity fundraiser.”
“PUMA is happy to partner with GiveIndia and DDB for the Team for Humanity fundraiser to support relief initiatives to help those impacted by COVID-19. Losing a loved one is heartbreaking and there are so many families dealing with all kinds of losses due to the ongoing pandemic. We hope this initiative helps vulnerable families across the country mitigate the impact of the pandemic as they take the first step to stability. Each donation- no matter the amount- will help families adjust to their new reality and come out stronger. Together, we can win the battle against COVID-19,” said PUMA India & Southeast Asia managing director Abhishek Ganguly.
Facebook India director and head of partnerships Manish Chopra said, “We’ve all seen the impact the pandemic has had across communities, and we are happy to partner with GiveIndia in their efforts to help affected families move forward. Facebook’s SocialForGood initiative is focused on supporting large community causes by bringing together public figures and creators to raise awareness and funding and it is heartening to see the sports and entertainment community coming together to help those in need.”
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.
