Brands
Rohit Sharma reveals LALIGA brand identity in India
Mumbai: LALIGA, the largest football ecosystem in the world, is delighted to announce the launch of the upcoming LALIGA EA SPORTS season, with LALIGA Ambassador, Rohit Sharma and broadcasting partner, Viacom18.
Commencing on 11 Friday, August 2023, LALIGA – broadcasted on Sports18 and JioCinema in India – will enter a new era with an extensive transformation encompassing brand evolution, strategy, positioning technology, audio-visual, and digital innovation. The strategic partnership with EA Sports will seek to merge the physical & virtual worlds, with improvements in broadcasting, fan experience, and a resolute commitment to grassroots football.
The 2023/24 LALIGA EA SPORTS season will once again feature the greatest talents in world football and a host of talented new additions that provide the perfect showcase for what is Europe’s most competitive major league. Welcoming a host of new additions – Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid CF), Arda Güler (Real Madrid CF), Cesar Azpilicueta (Atlético de Madrid), and Jonathan Bamba (RC Celta de Vigo) – alongside established stars such as Robert Lewandowski (FC Barcelona), Vini Jr (Real Madrid CF), and Antoine Griezmann (Atlético de Madrid), the league will be at its competitive best with several challengers hoping to be crowned champions and secure the hotly contested European football spots at the end of the season. The league will also welcome newly promoted Granada CF – Champions of LALIGA HYPERMOTION – UD Las Palmas, and Deportivo Alavés back to the elite competition.
Speaking about the commencement of the new season & the new brand identity, LALIGA India managing director Jose Antonio Cachaza said, “We stand on the brink of an exhilarating new chapter, as LALIGA embarks on a transformative journey, set to redefine the very essence of our league and fan experience for the game of football. As we step into this new era, we are proud to continue with our esteemed LALIGA Ambassador, Rohit Sharma, and our trusted broadcasting partner, Viacom18, to bring the magic of LALIGA closer to the hearts and screens of all Indian fans.”
LALIGA India LALIGA brand ambassador Rohit Sharma added, “As LALIGA Brand Ambassador, I am truly excited to be a part of this incredible journey as LALIGA unveils its new brand identity and embarks on a path of innovation and excellence. LALIGA has always been a symbol of top-tier football, and its commitment to evolving with the times while staying true to its essence is truly commendable. India’s passion for football is undeniably growing stronger by the day, and LALIGA’s new avatar perfectly aligns with the aspirations of millions of football enthusiasts in the country.”
Viacom18 – Sports head of content Siddharth Sharma said, “Through our belief in revolutionizing the way sports is consumed in the country, we are ecstatic and align perfectly with LALIGA’s vision of innovation and delivering unparalleled content to our audience. Through our state-of-the-art broadcasting capabilities, we are set to provide Indian fans with a never-before-seen experience in sports and look forward to a season of tremendous possibilities.”
Recently breaking the 200 million follower mark on social media, LALIGA remains the most followed of Europe’s five major leagues, with fans enjoying original content in 20 different languages across 16 different platforms. With the overarching brand transformation, the new-look LALIGA mobile app will also feature a more personalized user experience, new content formats adapted to new consumer trends, and a revamped LALIGA FANTASY game. From a broadcast perspective, the league will utilise a greater use of augmented reality, a new bench, aerial and cinematic camera angles, and new and improved graphics packages. There will also be revolutionary broadcasting improvements such as interviews with the coaching staff, pre-match footage from inside changing rooms, and greater involvement of players across a host of different broadcast formats to boost the visibility of the league not only on TV but also on mobile and tablet screens.
Commercially, LALIGA continues to go from strength to strength with commercial net revenues projected to grow by over 10% this season and with guaranteed audiovisual rights revenues of over €2 billion until the 2026/27 season. EA SPORTS joins LALIGA as title sponsor for the first time this season in a historic milestone for both organizations, while PUMA, Microsoft, Mahou, and BKT continue as global sponsors. LALIGA’s regional partners in India include Dream11 & Hero Vired, with broadcast partners Sports18 and JioCinema ensuring an unprecedented viewing experience like never before!
Brands
Microsoft faces worst quarter since 2008 financial crisis
Cloud giant battles soaring AI costs and fierce competition from nimble startups.
MUMBAI: When the tech titan starts looking a little wobbly, even the Magnificent Seven can feel the tremors because Microsoft is currently starring in its own sequel, “Clouds and Doubts.” Microsoft is on track for its worst quarterly performance since the 2008 global financial crisis, according to Bloomberg, as investors grow increasingly uneasy about rising capital expenditure and intensifying competition from nimble AI firms. The company has been pouring money into AI infrastructure, yet markets are questioning when these hefty investments will finally deliver stronger revenue growth.
At the same time, investors are shifting away from traditional software stocks amid fears that AI startups such as Anthropic and OpenAI are developing autonomous agents capable of replacing established products, including those from Microsoft. Jonathan Cofsky, portfolio manager at Janus Henderson Investors, noted growing concern that customers may bypass Microsoft and deal directly with AI vendors, potentially disrupting its core business and putting pressure on pricing and margins.
Microsoft’s stock has tumbled 25 per cent in the first quarter, putting it on course for its largest drop since a 27 per cent fall in the fourth quarter of 2008. It has also emerged as the weakest performer among the so-called Magnificent Seven technology stocks, while a broader index tracking the group has fallen 14 per cent over the same period. The shares slipped a further 1.7 per cent after markets opened on Friday, marking a potential fourth consecutive session of declines.
Cofsky pointed out that Microsoft has become more capital intensive and that improved investor confidence will hinge on assurances that software growth will not slow materially. Despite the sell-off, the stock is now trading at less than 20 times projected earnings over the next 12 months, its lowest valuation level since June 2016. Its valuation remains slightly above that of the S&P 500 Index, although it has recently traded at a discount to the broader benchmark for the first time since 2015.
Bloomberg data shows Microsoft’s capital expenditure, including leases, is expected to surge to $146 billion in fiscal 2026, up around 66 per cent from $88 billion in fiscal 2025. Spending is projected to climb further to $170 billion in fiscal 2027 and $191 billion in fiscal 2028, based on average estimates. Investors are growing cautious about such levels of spending without clearer signs of stronger growth.
Microsoft’s Azure cloud division has reported a slight slowdown in growth compared with the previous quarter, while its Copilot AI product has seen limited user traction, prompting internal changes aimed at improving performance. Ben Reitzes, an analyst at Melius Research, warned in a March note that Microsoft’s upside in Azure could be constrained as the company works to address challenges related to its AI models and Copilot offering, adding that these issues are unlikely to be resolved in the short term.
Of the 67 analysts covering Microsoft, 63 maintain buy ratings, three hold ratings and one a sell rating. The average 12-month price target of $592 implies a potential upside of more than 64 per cent, the highest on record based on data going back to 2009. The stock is also trading below its 200-day moving average by the widest margin since 2009.
Reitzes suggested the dominance of buy ratings may indicate complacency among analysts, while highlighting risks in Microsoft’s productivity and business processes segment as well as its More Personal Computing division. In contrast, Tal Liani of Bank of America reinstated coverage with a buy rating, citing durable multi-year growth prospects across cloud and AI. Jake Seltz, portfolio manager at Allspring Global Investments, maintained that Microsoft retains strong long-term value and that its AI strategy is likely to be validated over time, viewing near-term concerns as a potential opportunity for longer-term investors.
The report highlights a growing divergence in market sentiment, with optimism around long-term AI potential weighed against immediate execution risks and investor uncertainty. In the world of big tech, even the mightiest clouds can have silver linings but right now, Microsoft’s investors are scanning the horizon for clearer skies.
