MAM
Maa TV pads up again with India A – Pak one-dayer
MUMBAI: Maa TV is at it again: cricket. The channel which has been successfully running its Tollywood cricket trophy since 2003, has now acquired the telecast right of a cricket match involving India (A) and the touring Pakistan team.
The channel will telecast the match live. The one dayer will be played at the Uppal stadium Hyderabad on 30 March.
“Cricket is not new to Maa TV. In 2003, apart from the Tollywood trophy, we had also telecast a match between Indian cricket stars and the Tollywood stars. So we have the expertise when it to comes a high-profile match,” says Maa TV executive director Rajendra Prasad.
The channel acquired the telecast rights from the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) for Rs. 2 million. According to Prasad, other expenses cost the channel another Rs. 5 million. The channel has set a target of Rs 10 million as ad revenues from the match. The channel also holds the ground rights of the match.
“By now, we have got a billing of Rs. 6 million. We hope to bill the remaining Rs. 4 million by 29 March evening,” says Prasad.
Maa TV has roped in Head & Shoulders as the title sponsor of the event. The associate sponsors are Thumps Up and Vicks. Co-sponsors include Andhra Bank, Pareas Pharma and D-cold.
Prasad promises international level telecast quality for the match. “We will have 12 main cameras and there will be a stump camera and another one to help the third umpire. We have taken extra care to deliver a quality telecast,” he says.
The telecast will begin at 8:30 am. From 8:30 to 9 am, the channel will telecast Maa Extra Innings, a curtain raiser.
Maa TV telecast the latest edition of the Tollywood Trophy on 13 February. As per the TAM data provided by the channel, the property recorded an average TVR of 9 in CS4+.
MAM
Ad:tech honours 2026: Full list of winners announced
Expanded awards spotlight winners across 22 categories as industry doubles down on intelligent automation
NEW DELHI: Marketing’s tech elite took the spotlight as the ad:tech honours 2026 returned with a sharper focus on AI, data and immersive media, signalling how deeply technology now underpins brand strategy. Held at Yashobhoomi on March 17, the second edition drew industry leaders to celebrate innovation that is reshaping engagement and performance.
Presented with the International Advertising Association India chapter and new partner Huella, the awards expanded from 8 to 22 categories, tracking the rapid convergence of creativity, automation and analytics.
The winners’ list reads like a snapshot of marketing’s future. In affiliate and partner marketing, Lyxel & Flamingo – Boat and Paytm Ads – Giva took silver. Mobavenue Media Private Limited struck gold in AI-driven dynamic creative optimisation, alongside a silver for Laqshya Media Limited.
Creative AI collaboration saw Rediffusion Brand Solutions Private Limited win gold, with Saltinc Consulting Private Limited securing silver. Laqshya Media Limited continued its strong run, taking gold in AI conversation agents and adding multiple wins across categories, including silver in GenAI-led creative and both gold and silver in interactive DOOH campaigns for Tanishq and Tata Coffee.
Predictive AI honours went to Strong Metrics and Tyroo, both silver, while Orient Bell Limited picked up silver in immersive retail tech. In GenAI-led creative, Laqshya Media Limited, Salt – Kotak and Sumimoto each secured silver, reflecting the crowded race in generative creativity.
Publicis bagged silver in influencer management and gold in performance marketing, where it shared the stage with Arm Worldwide and The Trade Desk, both silver. Glad U Came Private Limited stood out with gold in influencer measurement and analytics.
Marketing automation saw CereOne Media Pvt. Ltd. and Globale Media win silver, while ADMOTT Private Limited claimed silver in OTT innovation.
Programmatic media categories highlighted the shift to advanced targeting and connected screens. Mobavenue Media Private Limited clinched gold in connected TV advertising, with Animmoov Digital Media Pvt Ltd – Asus and Lyxel and Flamingo taking silver. Cheggout Services Private Limited won silver in retail media advertising, while Paytm Ads – Versuni secured gold.
On social platforms, Vayner Media India took gold in community and UGC engagement, with Under 25 – Oppo winning silver. Segumento rounded off the list with silver in the innovation category.
Jaswant Singh, country managing director at ad:tech India, underscored the momentum, saying generative AI and data-driven decision-making are now central to marketing impact. Neena Dasgupta, IAA mancom member and chief executive and founder at The Salt Inc Consulting, added that the awards celebrate not just technology, but “the people, the creativity, and the relentless effort behind it.”
Backed by Comexposium Group, ad:tech New Delhi has long tracked digital disruption. Now, with the honours, it is rewarding those who are not just adapting to change but engineering it.
In an industry racing towards automation, the message from 2026 is unmistakable. The future of marketing will be written not just in ideas, but in algorithms.
