MAM
MPL ropes in HockeyCurve for creative automation
NEW DELHI: Martech start-up HockeyCurve Technology Labs has won the account of Mobile Premier League (MPL), the fantasy gaming platform with more than 60 million users.
During the engagement, HockeyCurve will provide end-to-end dynamic creative implementation to deliver high performance digital campaigns for all the MPL gaming verticals. This will also include programmatic ad serving, creative analytics and automating all mainline campaigns into high performance digital sub-campaigns.
HockeyCurve co-founder and CEO Aditya Jagtap said, "We are really excited to have MPL on board. They have 50+ different games on their platform – which is a perfect recipe for building a true creative automation model for MPL. After deploying SportsPlex for broadcasters like Hotstar, Sony, ESPN, we are really kicked about expanding the product into the fantasy and gaming domain".
As a part of their recently launched IPL campaign, HockeyCurve deployed first of its kind real-time key player statistic based ads for MPL’s fantasy league. These ads were an instant hit with 3X increase in user engagement compared to standard banner ads and uplifted the programmatic advertising efficacy by almost two times compared to direct buy campaigns.
"With HockeyCurve ad-server, we got a three-in-one solution that offers personalised creatives, dynamic optimisation and granular analytics, which is super scalable for our growth team. This custom setup ensures our product offerings get seamlessly extended into our advertising across our digital media campaigns. We look forward to bringing more such automation campaigns in the coming months to enthral our users,” said Arpit Awasthi, MPL’s head of digital marketing.
Founded in 2016, HockeyCurve Technology Labs offers proprietary digital marketing products for programmatic media buying, dynamic creative optimisation (DCO) and other custom automation services to e-commerce, sports and OTT brands including Flipkart, Hotstar, ESPN, Amazon Prime Video, Sony, Zee5, Voot, Oyo, Grab and others.
Brands
Jubilant Foodworks to end Dunkin’ franchise in India
Pizza chain operator will not renew agreement when it expires at end of 2026.
MUMBAI: When the doughnuts stop turning and the coffee goes cold, even a global giant like Dunkin’ can find the Indian market a tough brew to crack. Jubilant Foodworks has decided not to renew its franchise agreement with Dunkin’ when the pact expires on 31 December 2026, according to a Reuters report. The operator, best known for running Domino’s outlets in India, said it would evaluate options for its existing Dunkin’ stores, including a potential sale or transfer of franchise rights, in consultation with the US-based brand.
The decision follows years of underperformance in a market where local tastes and intense competition have made it difficult for international coffee-and-doughnut formats to gain traction. Jubilant, which has increasingly focused on its core pizza business and newer bets like Popeyes, indicated that the exit would not materially affect its financial or operational position.
Dunkin’ accounted for just 0.61 per cent of Jubilant’s revenue in the fiscal year ending 2025 and recorded a loss of approximately Rs 191 million, according to a regulatory filing. The company operated 27 outlets as of December 2025, having shuttered seven stores over the preceding year.
The retreat comes even as Jubilant’s broader business shows signs of momentum. The company reported a 65 per cent rise in quarterly profit for the October to December period, reaching Rs 70.9 crore, up from Rs 42.91 crore a year earlier.
For Jubilant, the exit reflects a sharpening strategic focus. For Dunkin’, it marks another setback in a market that has proven resistant to imported café concepts without significant localisation.
In the cut-throat world of Indian quick-service restaurants, sometimes the sweetest deals are the ones you quietly walk away from leaving more room for the brands that truly rise to the occasion.
