GECs
Canal+, NDS battle comes to a close
MUMBAI: The creation of an Italian pay television platform Sky Italia through the acquisition of Telepiu has meant one less headache for Rupert Murdoch.
One of the conditions that was put forth by Murdoch in his acquisition of Vivendi Universal’s Telepiu satellite pay TV platform was that the litigation between the two parties would end. This includes Stream’s litigation against Telepiu and Vivendi Universal subsidiary Canal+’s litigation against NDS. A couple of days ago Vivendi sold Telepiu to News Corp and Telecom Italia for 871 million euros in debt and cash. News Corp will own 80.1 per cent of Sky Italia and the rest by Telecom Italia.
A year ago in March Canal Plus had filed a suit against NDS for a billion dollars. It claimed that NDS engineers had hacked its security system and then made the relevant codes available for hackers on the Internet. NDS makes similar TV security systems. Canal Plus claims that its smartcard technology allows encryption of signals by broadcasters. So the process of revenue collection from subscribers is smooth. It claimed that security measures were running fine until March 1999 when its software code was copied and published on the website DR7.com. It claims to have spent more than $US35 million on the technology. It had accused NDS of getting its smartcards and sending them to an NDS laboratory in Israel for analysis.
Murdoch now will concentrate on fighting rampant piracy in Italy’s pay TV market. He also have to contend with the free to air channels. Earlier Vivendi’s Telepiu and Murdoch’s Stream were suffering huge losses. In 2001 Telepiu lost $300mn and Stream $200mn as a result of football deals
MUMBAI: Lights, camera… connection because this time, the game isn’t just about winning, it’s about who’s with you. Sony Pictures Networks India is gearing up to launch a new reality game show, Tum Ho Naa, expanding its unscripted slate with a format that promises both emotion and engagement.
The show will premiere soon on Sony Entertainment Television and stream on Sony LIV, with Rajeev Khandelwal stepping in as host. Known for his measured screen presence and selective choices, Khandelwal’s return to television adds a layer of familiarity and credibility to the upcoming format.
While specific details of the gameplay remain under wraps, the positioning suggests a reality format that leans as much on emotional resonance as it does on competition, an increasingly popular blend in Indian television, where audiences are gravitating towards content that offers both stakes and storytelling.
Khandelwal, reflecting on his return, noted that his choices have often been guided by instinct rather than convention, describing Tum Ho Naa as a project that feels “close to the heart”. His association also signals Sony’s continued focus on anchoring new formats with recognisable faces who bring both relatability and depth.
The launch comes at a time when broadcasters are doubling down on original non-fiction formats to drive appointment viewing, even as digital platforms expand parallel reach. By placing the show across both linear television and OTT, Sony appears to be aiming for a dual-audience strategy capturing traditional viewers while engaging digital-first consumers.
As the countdown to premiere begins, Tum Ho Naa positions itself not just as another game show, but as a reminder that sometimes, the biggest prize on screen isn’t the jackpot, it’s the journey shared along the way.
