MAM
Richa Parekh named senior marketing director
MUMBAI: Richa Parekh’s journey at JioHotstar has reached an important new chapter as she steps into the role of senior director of marketing. Parekh joined JioHotstar in 2022 and quickly became a driving force behind its digital engine.
As digital marketing lead, she spearheaded massive international rollouts for Disney Plus, launching the platform in 18 markets across the Middle East, Israel and South Africa and helping it hit one million subscribers within the first year. Her campaigns boosted brand visibility by more than 200 percent and contributed over 60 percent of all customer acquisitions through a blend of sharp performance marketing and organic strategy.
She also built India’s first in-house performance marketing team for the company, raising operational efficiency by more than a third. With more than ten paid channels under her command including TikTok, Meta, Snapchat, DV360 and Google Ads she helped triple revenue from platforms that had been weighed down by high acquisition costs.
Before her stint in streaming, Parekh led digital marketing at Aditya Birla Health Insurance where she launched award-winning campaigns such as Jump for Health and Rakho Poora Khayaal. She drove nationwide product pushes, managed celebrity-led initiatives and shaped health awareness conversations across India. Earlier roles at iProspect, Rediff, Reload Media and Performics added to her repertoire with major brand launches including Kotak 811 and large scale SEO, performance and programmatic mandates.
Across her career, Parekh has managed teams, built processes, optimised spends and delivered consistent, channel agnostic results. From financial services to entertainment, her track record blends creativity with data backed delivery.
In her new role at JioHotstar, Parekh is expected to deepen the platform’s marketing momentum as the streaming landscape heats up. If her past is any indication, subscribers could be in for another blockbuster chapter.
Brands
Neeraj Jha named head of sports business – India and South Asia at Warner Bros. Discovery
From Eurosport to WBD, Jha charts a new course for sports in India and South Asia
GURUGRAM: Neeraj Jha has been appointed head of sports business for India and South Asia at Warner Bros. Discovery, marking an exciting new chapter in a career that has long been at the crossroads of sports, media, and live entertainment.
Jha’s journey in the world of broadcast and sports media spans over two decades, from producing live shows at Ten Sports to shaping content strategy at Zee, IMG, and Eurosport. Most recently, he served as director of content, programming and acquisition at Warner Bros. Discovery, where he drove year-on-year Ebitda growth and steered the network’s programming, satellite planning, and on-air promotions. His expertise ranges from content acquisition and marketing to broadcast operations and strategic partnerships.
Colleagues praise Jha for thinking outside the box. “When constraints are immense, he delivers results no matter what,” one senior executive remarked, highlighting his knack for sourcing compelling content and intellectual property for the South Asian market.
Beyond the boardroom, Jha co-founded SEEtalks, a live event series designed to inspire audiences with compelling stories, reflecting his passion for storytelling and community engagement.
From launching daily sports news shows to localising global content like WWE Wrestling for Indian audiences, Jha’s career has been a blend of creativity and operational excellence. As he steps into this new role, the sports broadcasting landscape in India and South Asia is set for a fresh and dynamic chapter.
