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Times Now ups ad rates amidst slowdown
MUMBAI: English news channel Times Now has taken up the challenge of upping its ad rates when the advertising economy is in the midst of a slowdown. Buoyed by ratings, the channel has hiked ad rates by 30 per cent across all time bands and its prime time 9 pm property ‘News Hour‘, anchored by Arnab Goswami, by 50 per cent.
Times Now, ET Now and zoOm CEO Avinash Kaul explains the rationale behind the move. “Times Now has had a high base of loyal viewers through its focus on hard-hitting and incisive news analysis. We continue to reign supreme in the English news genre for the 5th consecutive year and look forward to setting higher benchmarks for ourselves and for the industry. With our ever-increasing viewership share, we are positive that Times Now will always be the primary choice for the advertisers,” he says.
But how much does Times Now charge advertisers? “The channel charges Rs 3000 to Rs 3500 on an average for a 10 second spot and Rs 20,000 for News Hour,” says Times Now, ET Now and Zoom chief sales officer Hemant Arora.
Media buyers are not too sure that the revised rates would succeed. Several senior executives Indiantelevision.com spoke to believed that the targets were too aggressive without taking into account the ground reality.
Platinum Media CEO Basabdutta Chowdhury offered a mixed reaction. “News Hour, going by its popularity and perception, may be able to attract the rates the channel is targeting. It is a case of demand and supply and in this case, the demand is there. But when it comes to the average rate increase by 30 per cent, I am not so sure. Considering the current economic climate, the advertisers may be reluctant to pay extra.”
Kaul believes this is a calculated move. “We have not revised our ad rates in a long time. We are only correcting the rates. When it comes to increasing the rates, there is never a ‘good’ time, but one has to make a start. We have just come out of a bad (economic) year and the budget looks optimistic. We expect the year to be better and hope to capitalise on the good sentiment.”
News broadcasters, who are struggling to post modest ad revenue growth, consider this as a bold move. “While the ad rates are the purview of individual news channels, it is a fact that they have been undervalued until now. It has been the effort of news broadcasters to increase the ad rates on their channels. I believe it is a bold move on the part of Times Now and we need to wait and watch how it pans out for them. It is not going to be easy,” says the chief executive officer of a rival network.
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Lego brings Messi, Ronaldo, Mbappé, Vinicius together
Campaign clocks 314 million views ahead of FIFA World Cup 2026 buzz.
MUMBAI: Four legends, one frame and not a single tackle in sight. Lego has pulled off a crossover few thought possible, uniting Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior in a single campaign ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026 only this time, they’re building dreams brick by brick.
Titled “Everyone wants a piece”, the campaign features the quartet assembling a Lego version of the World Cup trophy, before placing miniature versions of themselves atop it, a playful nod to football’s ultimate prize. Shared widely across social media, the ad carries a pointed disclaimer: it is not AI-generated, a subtle but telling signal in an era where even reality is often questioned.
The numbers tell their own story. The campaign has already crossed 314 million views on Instagram across the players’ accounts, with fans hailing it as a rare, almost nostalgic moment particularly for the reunion of Messi and Ronaldo, whose last shared campaign ahead of the 2022 World Cup became one of the platform’s most-liked posts.
Beyond the film, Lego is extending the play with exclusive, player-themed sets tied to each of the four stars, part of a broader football-led programme designed to ride the global momentum building towards 2026. The idea, as echoed by the players themselves, leans into the parallels between football and play experimentation, creativity, failure, and triumph.
Messi described the sets as a way to bring on-pitch moments into an imaginative, hands-on world, while Ronaldo called the transformation into a Lego figure a rare honour, blending sport with storytelling. Vinícius, meanwhile, struck a more personal note, recalling childhood moments of building with Lego and framing creativity as a universal language that transcends borders.
The timing is no accident. With the 2026 World Cup set to run from June 11 to July 19 across the United States, Canada and Mexico, and featuring an expanded 48-team format, global anticipation is already building. Argentina, led by Messi, will enter as defending champions, adding another layer of intrigue.
For Lego, the campaign does more than celebrate football, it taps into its mythology. Because when icons become figurines and rivalries turn into play, the beautiful game finds a new kind of pitch. one built, quite literally, by hand.
