MAM
Phase 1 all set to start operations in Mumbai
MUMBAI: Phase 1, an experiential marketing agency based out of Bangalore has announced the launch of their full-fledged Mumbai operations. This office will be a hub to expand the company’s reach to the western region of India and offer clients the Phase 1 trademark expertise.
Phase 1 founder and managing director Oum Pradutt said, “Phase 1’s expansion to Mumbai is a result of the path-breaking projects that the company has executed for niche brands. In Mumbai, the company has seen exponential growth in the past years and has conceptualised and executed some memorable events. We would like to extend this expertise to our Mumbai clientele.”
Phase 1 brings with it over 18 years of expertise in event and experiential solutions, executed both in India and internationally.
The company headed by Pradutt, who is also vice president south for event and entertainment management association (EEMA) and member of the national executive committee (NEC), EEMA, has grown strength to strength since inception and is constantly diversifying into niche businesses and international markets.
“Phase 1’s operations are not restricted to events alone, though that is the core area of expertise. In keeping with the global economic and business trends we have diversified our portfolio to include MICE (meetings incentives, conferences, exhibitions) and IP (Intellectual Property),” informed Pradutt.
The MICE sector in 2010 was valued at a phenomenal US $5.7 trillion, and with India’s strategic position as one of the top growing economies in the world, MICE is the new dimension in events and experiential marketing programs, catering to high end clientele.
“Phase 1 has in its portfolio an eclectic mix of both lifestyle and numerous corporate events, as we diversify into niche sectors, like MICE and IP. In the coming years Phase 1 will focus on expanding its international business portfolio. The fact that we have established and expanded our base in two years, speaks volumes of the region’s potential and growing demand for quality agencies with creative edge,” he added. “We are excited at the prospects and are here for the long run. We firmly believe that experiential marketing programs are very powerful media for marketing brands,” Pradutt informed.
MAM
Netflix Q1 2026 earnings ad growth and content spending in focus
Streaming giant set to report results on Thursday after walking away from Warner Bros Discovery takeover.
MUMBAI: Netflix is about to hit play on its latest quarterly numbers and investors are hoping the plot thickens in all the right ways. The streaming leader reports its first-quarter 2026 earnings on Thursday, marking its first set of results since it walked away from a proposed takeover of Warner Bros Discovery. That failed bid would have handed Netflix prized franchises such as Game of Thrones and Friends on a silver platter, sparing the costly effort of building its own library. Instead, the company now faces tougher competition from a potential $110 billion Warner Bros-Paramount Skydance combination, should that deal close.
Analysts polled by LSEG expect Netflix to post a 15.5 per cent rise in revenue to $12.18 billion, with advertising contributing $634 million. The company raised US prices in March, a move some believe could prompt an upward revision to its full-year revenue forecast and nudge more subscribers towards the faster-growing ad-supported tier.
Netflix shares have climbed 13 per cent so far this year and are up roughly 26 per cent since the company stepped back from the $72 billion Warner Bros deal. With the merger drama behind it, the spotlight now shifts to how aggressively Netflix can expand its advertising business and live programming.
“We’re kind of entering another phase for the ad business, where they are becoming one of the largest scaled global advertising platforms,” said Gabelli Funds portfolio manager John Belton, which holds Netflix shares.
During the quarter, Netflix beefed up its live slate with a BTS concert streamed from Seoul that drew 18.4 million viewers worldwide and the 2026 World Baseball Classic, which became the most-streamed baseball game globally. Investors are watching for signals that the company will lean further into sports and other live events to fuel ad revenue growth.
The results come at a pivotal moment. Having dodged what could have been a debt-heavy acquisition, Netflix has the freedom and the cash to double down on its core strengths: original content spending and building a robust, scaled advertising platform. Whether the numbers deliver a binge-worthy performance or leave viewers wanting more, one thing is clear: the streaming wars are far from over, and Netflix is determined to keep its crown.
Expect plenty of drama when the figures drop after all, in the world of streaming, every quarter is its own cliffhanger.
