MAM
Neo bolsters French Open coverage with a dual feed
MUMBAI: The Neo Sports Network will debut a dual feed broadcast plan for the tennis Grand Slam the French Open. The tournament runs from 26 May-9 June.
The aim of this effort is to ensure that tennis fans do not miss out on any top stars playing simultaneously at the French Open as the network‘s two channels, Neo Prime and Neo Sports, will have live feeds from separate courts.
This is the first time that anybody has done this for a tennis Grand Slam where two channels were used to broadcast separate feeds through the course of the event.
This initiative means that fans will have access to 225 hours of live content on the Neo Sports Network, which is almost twice as much as the 130-140 hours that are typically set aside for live coverage of a Grand Slam across broadcasters.
Neo Sports Broadcast COO Prasana Krishnan said, “The attraction of the French Open is extremely high and Neo‘s coverage is taking it to significant new landmarks. Last year, the reach of the event was a third better than Wimbledon and nearly equal to the other two Grand Slams put together. This year, we will be taking this to greater heights with dual feed coverage and nearly doubling live coverage to 225 hours, which is in line with our strategy to bring in more novelty with non-cricket properties.”
The dual feed will ensure at least 45 additional hours of live content in prime time, providing a win-win situation for both viewers and advertisers.
There will also be live updates and contests on the Neo Prime Twitter handle (@neoprimetv) through the two week period to add to the interactive experience.
ZenithOptimedia managing partner Navin Khemka though doesn‘t feel that the dual feed will make much of a difference in terms of the ad revenue that the event gets. “The sport is too niche. A crore or two more isn‘t going to matter much. The rate isn‘t that high. I think that the aim is more about keeping the two channels alive.” A tennis Grand Slam makes around 3-5 crore in ad revenue.
Rafael Nadal is gunning for an unprecedented eight title, Roger Federer is hunting for that 18th Grand Slam, and Novak Djokovic is just a trophy away from completing a career Grand Slam.
Brands
Ekart expands IKEA partnership with EV deliveries in Chennai
3PL to handle 600 plus products with 48 hour delivery via EV fleet.
MUMBAI: Flatpacks are going electric and your sofa might now arrive with a smaller carbon footprint. Ekart has expanded its partnership with IKEA to power last-mile deliveries in Chennai, doubling down on speed, scale and sustainability in one of India’s key urban markets. Under the collaboration, Ekart will manage end-to-end large-format deliveries for IKEA across the city using a 100 per cent dedicated electric vehicle fleet. The move makes Chennai the second major market after NCR-Delhi where Ekart handles IKEA’s last-mile logistics, signalling a broader rollout of EV-led supply chains.
The mandate is no small load. Ekart will oversee deliveries for over 600 products from IKEA’s catalogue, ranging from furniture to home décor—categories that demand specialised handling and precision logistics.
Backed by its technology-driven fulfilment network, Ekart is targeting deliveries within a 48-hour window, offering real-time tracking and end-to-end visibility from warehouse to doorstep. The focus is clear: faster turnarounds without compromising on control or customer experience.
The EV-first model also aligns with both companies’ sustainability goals, as urban logistics increasingly shifts towards zero-emission solutions. For IKEA, which continues to expand its omnichannel presence in India, reliable and eco-conscious last-mile delivery is becoming central to scale.
For Ekart, the partnership reinforces its positioning as an enterprise-grade logistics player in large-format commerce. The company already supports over 1,800 retail, D2C and enterprise brands, spanning last-mile delivery, part-truckload services and warehousing.
As India’s logistics ecosystem evolves, this collaboration highlights a growing trend: delivery is no longer just about distance, it’s about efficiency, experience and increasingly, emissions.
