MAM
IPL 2022: Bombay Shaving Company inks partnership deal with Mumbai Indians
Mumbai: Homegrown grooming brand Bombay Shaving Company has signed on as the ‘official grooming partner’ of Mumbai Indians for the upcoming season of Indian Premier League (IPL).
As part of this association, the brand logo will be seen on player helmets, caps and kits right through the two-month carnival of cricket. It will appear at the stadium, on TV, in social media, and across all other Mumbai Indians marketing touchpoints in the city, said the brand in a statement. “The company aims to reach over 300 million men and women across India over the next three months as partners of the T20 Cricket extravaganza 2022,” it added.
“We’re not only immersed in Mumbai Indians, we intend to become an integral part of the lives of the people in Mumbai and the state of Maharashtra,” said Bombay Shaving Company COO Deepak Gupta. “We are planning to expand our distribution to 1,00,000 stores by the end of this year, stock up shelves with some of our best products, and paint the town blue with exciting merchandise, offers and activities for both – customers and partners. We understand the love people of the city have for the team, and we want to be the brand that brings them closer to the team.”
“We have always believed in associating with brands which resonate and support our objective to create the best fan experience,” stated Mumbai Indians’ spokesperson. “Bombay Shaving Company brings a seamless brand and team connect as our partner and we look forward to having a successful collaboration with them in a season where we eagerly await welcoming and entertaining the fans in the stadiums.”
More than anything else, it’s been a meeting of values with the franchise. Beyond the blue, and similarities in name, Mumbai Indians represent the sentiment of the nation – with a wonderful mix of players and faces from every region. As a brand and company built with the intent to bring a smile on faces across India, and help them put their ‘best look forward’, there couldn’t have been a better platform and team to partner with. It’s been the most spontaneous choice,” commented Bombay Shaving Company founder and CEO Shantanu Deshpande.
Earlier this year, the grooming brand made its presence felt in the recently concluded India vs Sri Lanka series. This partnership is set to further propel the brand, according to a statement.
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.
