iWorld
Bharti Enterprises completes 24.5 per cent stake acquisition in UK’s BT group
MUMBAI: Bharti Airtel’s Sunil Mittal has planted his company’s flag on the Britain’s biggest broadband and mobile company, the BT group. Earlier this week, Bharti Global, the international investment arm of Bharti Enterprises, completed the acquisition of a 24.5 per cent stake in BT from businessman Patrick Drahi. The stake was sold via Altice UK in two parts, the second of which is now completed.
Mittal had announced in August 2024 that he would be buying a 9.9 per cent stake immediately, and would buy the remainder later after his group gets the necessary regulatory approvals. The purchase of the remainder shareholding makes Bharti Enterprises the single largest shareholder in BT group. The entire transaction cost Bharti 4.32 billion Euros.
In a statement Mittal said he was delighted to have “completed our investment into BT. Bharti has long recognised the enormous potential of the business. BT’s renewed focus on optimisation, strengthening networks and driving consumer growth makes it well placed to consolidate its position as a leading global telecom company that delivers long-term value for investors.”
iWorld
Banijay Asia’s The 50 tops OTT charts with 8.1 million JioHotstar views
Reality competition becomes most watched show on JioHotstar in debut week.
MUMBAI: Fifty contestants walked into a palace, but millions of viewers showed up for the drama. Reality competition The 50, produced by Banijay Asia, has emerged as the most watched show on JioHotstar, clocking 8.1 million views in its debut week. The figure, reported by Ormax Media, places the show at the top of the OTT viewership charts and marks a strong opening for the digital reality format.
Adapted from a popular French format, The 50 brings together 50 personalities from television, digital platforms, music and reality shows inside a grand palace setting. Over the course of a 50 day competition, participants form alliances, compete in unpredictable tasks and navigate eliminations as the field steadily narrows.
Guiding the game is a mysterious figure known as The Lion, an unseen game master whose voice introduces twists, challenges and strategic turns throughout the show, adding an extra layer of suspense to the contest.
What distinguishes The 50 from typical reality competitions is its audience driven prize structure. Instead of the winner taking home the final reward, the prize is awarded to one of the winner’s registered followers through the show’s dedicated app. The mechanism effectively turns viewers into participants, allowing fans to have a direct stake in the outcome.
The contestant lineup features a mix of television actors, reality stars and digital creators, including Karan Patel, Urvashi Dholakia, Divya Agarwal, Mr Faisu and Dushyant Kukreja, each bringing their own fan following to the show.
With its blend of celebrity personalities, strategic gameplay and interactive viewer participation, The 50 has quickly carved out a strong foothold in India’s digital entertainment landscape. Its 8.1 million views in the opening week underline the growing appetite for large scale reality formats designed specifically for OTT audiences.
