News Broadcasting
Disney & Adlabs give family entertainment a ‘Movie Magic’ experience
MUMBAI: The weekend is fast approaching and the family and kids are all geared up for some fun! What if you could catch a movie, play some games and maybe even watch a magic show, all in just a couple of hours? Well, Disney has given the family entertainment experience a new meaning, as they unveiled the Disney and Adlabs Movie Magic experience.
Known for their story telling heritage, Disney has now tied up with Adlabs to bring to their audience what they call “experiential engagement.” The Disney Movie Magic experience is primarily based on getting kids to use their “pester power” to drive the whole family into the theatre every weekend. Adlabs across six cities including Mumbai, Pune, Nashik, Mangalore, Meerut and the National Capital Region (NCR), will be dedicated to showing classics from the Disney stable such as The Incredibles, Finding Nemo, The Lion King, Aladdin, Tarzan, Chicken Little, The Princess Diaries, 102 Dalmatians and many more.
This new initiative was kicked off here in Mumbai with newly launched animated feature Cars. What’s more, for this special screening about 150 kids from NGO’s including Make-a-Wish Foundation and St. Katherine were invited. From games, tattoos, face paint to a magic show, all the kids sported various Disney characters on their arms and faces and it seemed like they had a frolicking time. Also, Rand De Basanti star and avid Disney fan, Kunal Kapoor was present to pep up the kids.
Keeping up this spirit every weekend, kids will be able to avail of special food and beverage offers along with monthly in-cinema contests and a chance to win Disney merchandise. The branding experience is taken a step further with specially designed movie tickets incased in Disney’s Movie Magic branded envelope, which will contain a token gift related to Disney movies. Adlabs locations will also be decorated in keeping with the fantasy world of Disney.
Unveiling the new logo and commenting on their efforts to enhance the Disney entertainment experience, The Walt Disney Company (India) managing director Rajat Jain said, “There is no such concept as a children’s movie, but rather a family viewing experience. The endeavor of the brand will be to build the emotional connect between the content and the consumer and we are working on constant innovations to deliver this.”
“‘We’re pleased to provide families with a new weekend entertainment option that engages the whole family together. Disney’s Movie Magic is a unique wholesome entertainment experience for families, which will be available through leading multiplex chains across India,” adds Jain.
Disney’s Movie Magic will be promoted extensively through a comprehensive marketing campaign including television, in-cinema and print advertising bolstered by onground, ATL and online initiatives. Going forward, this initiative will include a loyalty programme, special schemes with schools and more exciting offerings to add the magic of Disney to special festivals and holidays.
Adlabs Films Limited COO Tushar Dhingra said, “Movie going is a social activity and an emmersive experience and we attempt to create an experiential journey for the family. We should never underestimate the repeat power of this segment of the audience. The before and
after experience will keep them coming back for more.”
Commenting on their marketing efforts, Dhingra added, “We have the advantage of an in house inventory, that will produce advertisements to attract the kids segment and apart from the media mix, word of mouth should give it a good start.”
When queried as to why this offer has strategically omitted other bigger metros Dhingra said that even tier 2 and tier 3 cities have reflected a great demand for such forms of entertainment however, they do plan to roll out similar initiatives in the other metros soon.
The in-cinema promotions show a bored father and son playing table tennis in an unenthusiastic way, until they find out about the new Disney and Adlabs Movie Magic offer. The next scene catches the whole family enjoying the entertainment and fun. Similar advertisements have been rolled out in the print including the Mumbai Mirror and Bombay Times.
This offer will be applicable to the morning shows on every weekend between 9 to10 and will be priced at a Rs. 90.
News Broadcasting
News TV viewership jumps 33 per cent as West Asia war draws audiences
BARC Week 8 data shows news share rising to 8 per cent despite T20 World Cup
NEW DELHI:Â Even as individual television news channel ratings remain under a temporary pause, the genre itself is seeing a clear surge in audience attention.
According to the latest data from Broadcast Audience Research Council India, television news recorded a 33 per cent jump in genre share in Week 8 of 2026, covering February 28 to March 6.
The news genre accounted for 8 per cent of total television viewership during the week, up from 6 per cent the previous week. The spike in attention coincided with escalating geopolitical tensions involving the United States, Israel and Iran, which have kept global headlines firmly fixed on West Asia.
The rise is notable because it came at a time when cricket was dominating television screens. The high-stakes stages of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, including the Super 8 fixtures and semi-finals, were being broadcast during the same period.
Despite the cricket frenzy, viewers appeared to be toggling between sport and global affairs, boosting the overall share of news programming.
The surge in genre share comes even as the government has enforced a one-month pause on publishing ratings for individual news channels. The move followed regulatory scrutiny of the television ratings ecosystem.
While channel-level rankings remain temporarily out of sight, the genre-level data suggests that when global tensions escalate, audiences continue to turn to television news for real-time updates.
