eNews
CNN goes dark on Apple News in hardball play for better terms
ATLANTA: CNN has pulled the plug on Apple News. Over the weekend, the cable news giant quietly removed its content from the popular aggregator, ending a distribution deal that had funnelled millions of readers to its stories each month.
The split is temporary—for now. The two companies are locked in talks over a new agreement that would bring CNN back to the platform. But the move signals a harder line from the news network, which is determined to squeeze more money out of its digital operations.
Apple News has become crucial real estate for publishers as social media platforms retreat from news. The app drives enormous traffic and, through its $10-a-month subscription service Apple News+, generates millions in annual revenue for participating outlets. Publishers like People and Condé Nast have embraced it enthusiastically, building bespoke content for the platform.
Yet others remain skittish about handing over their audience to yet another tech giant. The memory of digital media’s Facebook era—when startups bet everything on the platform only to watch it abandon news—still stings.
CNN’s gambit reflects its broader pivot towards direct monetisation. Earlier this month it launched a paid subscription offering and began tucking more stories behind a paywall. The network is betting it can extract better terms from Apple—or prove it doesn’t need the tech titan’s traffic at all. The question now is who blinks first.
eNews
Swiggy sees record orders during India vs New Zealand T20 final
Chicken biryani tops match-day menu as fans order 7,500 times per minute at peak.
MUMBAI: India’s T20 final didn’t just break stumps, it broke Swiggy’s delivery records, proving cricket fans celebrate victories with plates, not just flags. Swiggy, India’s leading on-demand convenience platform, reported a sharp spike in food orders during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup final between India and New Zealand. On 8 March 2026, overall orders rose 23.2 per cent year-on-year compared with the same date in 2025, driven by fans turning living rooms into mini stadiums complete with match-day feasts.
Key highlights from the evening:
- Orders during peak match hours (7–10 pm) were 2.1 times higher than pre-match levels.
- The highest order rate hit 7,500 orders per minute at 19:45.
- Chicken biryani reigned supreme as the most-ordered dish, followed by masala dosa, chicken fried rice, garlic breadsticks and paneer butter masala.
While metros such as Bengaluru, Mumbai and Hyderabad led volumes, the cricketing fever spread nationwide. Among emerging cities, Thiruvananthapuram, Surat and Rajkot recorded the strongest order growth. Smaller markets including Shillong, Agartala and Port Blair also showed significant appetite, underlining the expanding footprint of quick-commerce food delivery across India.
The surge reflects a growing trend of pairing major sporting events with doorstep delivery, turning big matches into shared, convenient celebrations. In a night where every boundary mattered, Swiggy proved the real MVP might just be the delivery partner who kept the snacks and the vibes flowing without missing a single wicket.
