iWorld
Amazon ropes in Excel for Inside Edge (updated)
MUMBAI: Amazon is leap frogging and getting more and more local production houses on board for the launch of its premium video service — Prime Video — in the country. After getting Vishal Bhardwaj and Vidhu Vinod Chopra on board, Amazon has now managed to rope in Ritesh Sidhwani and Farhan Akhtar-owned Excel Entertainment to make its show — Power Play, it is stated on Excel’s web site.
Amazon Prime Video and Excel Media and Entertainment are also coming together to launch Amazon India’s original show, titled ‘Inside Edge’. It is a story that does not mince words, pulls no punch, and takes no prisoner. And beneath it all, it is a story of passion, courage, and love, New Kerala Dotcom reported.
Amazon Video India director and country head Nitesh Kripalani said that they were very excited to announce Amazon India’s original “Inside Edge” partnering with Excel, launching in over 200+ countries worldwide. Indians love both cricket and entertainment; and Excel’s expertise in storytelling makes them the perfect choice for Amazon Original.
Excel Entertainment’s director Ritesh Sidhwani confirmed that they are working on a series but has not revealed anything about Amazon’s involvement or other details.
Sidhwani said that they have worked on the shows for the eight-nine months. Power Play is a show based on cricket and showbiz-theme. A person aware of the matter has suggested that Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti are also involved in the making of Power Play.
This move from Excel is also tied to its move into the digital space. The company has recently acquired a 10 per cent stake in mobile application Flickbay.
Another crime-based show is also said to be in the works. It is a gangster epic set in Mirzapur in Uttar Pradesh. The production for the same will start in December. It is said to be loosely based on Narcos, a series produced by Netflix. It will also be in Hindi and English and the producers will get a presence on Amazon’s global platform, including some degree of branding and promotion.
Amazon has set aside around $300 million from Jeff Bezos’ recently announced $3 billion additional investment. The amount will be used to produce original content as well as acquire rights of the local content. Amazon has already hired Aparna Purohit as head for creative development.
Netflix, which launched in India last year, has also announced its first Indian original series – Sacred Games.The series will be based on Indian Author Vikram Chandra’s critically acclaimed best-selling novel of the same name. For this, it has partnered with Phantom Films to produce and shoot the Hindi-English series in multiple locations of India.
iWorld
JioStar revenue hits Rs 9,784 crore as cricket fuels 22 per cent growth
A surge in digital viewership and sports dominance fuels a blockbuster quarter for the media giant
MUMBAI: JioStar is batting on a flat pitch. The media titan’s fourth-quarter results for the financial year 2026 reveal a business scaling new heights, propelled by an unprecedented appetite for premium sports and digital-first storytelling.
Gross revenue for the quarter soared by 22.15 per cent to Rs 9,784 crore, up from Rs 8,010 crore in the third quarter. Operationally, the momentum was equally strong; revenue from operations climbed 21 per cent to Rs 8,372 crore. These figures underscore the firm’s successful integration following the Reliance and Disney merger, creating a dominant force in the Indian market.
The annual performance has been nothing short of a spectacle. Full-year gross revenue reached a massive Rs 36,248 crore, while annual profit after tax hit Rs 3,210 crore. This rapid expansion reflects JioStar’s ability to capture and monetise the massive growth in India’s media consumption.
Cricket proved to be the ultimate growth engine. The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 and TATA IPL 2026 delivered “record-breaking viewership” across both television and digital screens. The World Cup final alone drew a global peak concurrency of 72.5 million on JioHotstar, cementing its status as the nation’s premier streaming destination. On television, JioStar maintained a commanding 34.2 per cent viewership share, reaching a staggering 810 million viewers nationwide.
The digital numbers were just as impressive. JioHotstar averaged 500 million monthly active users, driven by consistent subscriber growth and innovative AI-led content discovery tools. These advancements are ensuring that JioStar remains at the cutting edge of the global “Race for Attention.”
With a firm grip on the country’s most valuable sporting rights and a rapidly growing digital footprint, JioStar is perfectly positioned for the future. It has built the ultimate content powerhouse—one that is ready to dominate the Indian living room for years to come.
