MAM
Multi Screen Media ropes in early sponsors for IPL at 10% higher rates
MUMBAI: Aiming at growth in a slowing economy, Multi Screen Media (MSM) has roped in early sponsors for the IPL at rates that are 10 per cent higher than the previous year.
Vodafone, Pepsi, Tata Photon and Idea are the four advertisers who have returned, indicating faith in the Indian Premier League (IPL) despite the brand value of some of the Indian cricketing icons being eroded due to their poor performance in Australia.
Co-presenting sponsors are coughing out around Rs 680-700 million and associate sponsors Rs 480 million each, according to sources.
The fifth edition of the IPL is obviously gaining from a lean cricketing calendar year. The cricket World Cup was also there last year, just preceding the IPL.
According to a media buyer, telecom companies are looking at this event in a big way this year. “Last year, you had the cricket World Cup just before the IPL which affected interest. This year there is no such issue. The Asia Cup which takes place just before the IPL is a much smaller event,” he explains.
The IPL that kicks off on 4 April will still have to counter a tough economy when companies are cutting down on their ad spends. While not revealing any client names or targets, MSM president networks sales, licensing and telephony Rohit Gupta is hopeful of managing some sort of growth. At the same time, he concedes that it is a challenge managing to do this level of revenue.
The IPL, which saw a dip in ratings last year, will be marketed heavily this year. Says Gupta, “At the franchisee meeting in Goa, the stakeholders were clear that there is a need to push up the ratings. You will definitely see more buzz around the event. A bigger push will be made compared to last year, not just by Max but by all the stakeholders. With no World Cup, the IPL will also have have a clearer run this year.”
MAM
Time brings TIME100 Next franchise to India with Reliance
List to spotlight 100 emerging leaders, gala set for December 2026 in Mumbai.
MUMBAI: It’s about time India’s next wave got a global spotlight and now, it’s on the list. New York-headquartered Time is expanding its TIME100 Next franchise to India, partnering with Reliance Industries Limited to launch TIME100 Next India, its first international extension of the rising leaders platform. The announcement was made at the Time100 Gala in New York by Jessica Sibley and Nita Mukesh Ambani, signalling a strategic push to tap into India’s growing influence across sectors.
The India edition will recognise 100 emerging leaders from the country and the global Indian diaspora, spanning business, science, sports, arts and social impact. The list will be curated by Time’s editorial team and published online, continuing the franchise’s focus on identifying individuals shaping the future.
The initiative will culminate in a gala event scheduled for December 2026 at the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre, anchoring the platform within India’s cultural and business ecosystem.
TIME’s broader Time100 franchise has steadily expanded its global footprint since 2021 through events and impact-led initiatives. Executives noted that India’s growing pool of influential voices and innovators made it a natural next step for the platform’s international ambitions.
For Reliance, the partnership aligns with its broader push to support emerging talent and ideas on a global stage. For Time, it marks a timely bet on India not just as a market, but as a talent engine shaping the next chapter of global leadership.
