iWorld
Disney+ Hotstar launches ‘Follow On’ for the T20 World Cup’s freemium users
Mumbai: Amidst the on-going ICC Men’s T20 World Cup fever, Disney+ Hotstar elevates the cricketainment experience with the launch of Follow On. This is a special video feed that gives a real-time account of the cricket match – complete with stats, expert opinions, and insights into the game. Disney+ Hotstar makes Follow On available for all users—subscribers as well as freemium users. Freemium users on Disney+ Hotstar will be switched to Follow On after the free live cricket timer (a free sampling of live cricket offered to freemium users) expires, to be able to follow the game seamlessly.
Follow On’s viewers can get analysis with graphics and visuals in Hindi by cricket commentators such as Sunil Vaidya, Sanjay Banerjee, Raman Bhanot, Vineet Garg, Naveen Srivastava, Reema Malhotra, Ajay Mehra, Padmajeet Sehrawat, and Manoj Sharma.
A Disney+ Hotstar spokesperson said, “Disney+ Hotstar has always delivered the best-in-class live sports experience in India. With Follow On, we’re raising the bar by democratising access to premium cricket entertainment by providing a real-time account of the cricket action to all users—including our freemium viewers.
“Every Disney+ Hotstar user is valuable to us, and we constantly strive to deliver innovation that helps users engage deeper with our platform. We look forward to rolling out Follow On to users, which will further bolster Disney+ Hotstar’s position as the one-stop-shop for cricketainment.”
eNews
Piyush Thakur steps down as Inshorts’ chief revenue officer
Former vice president and cro says exit marks a new chapter after close to a decade of building revenue and partnerships at Inshorts Group.
NOIDA: Piyush Thakur has stepped away from Inshorts Group after nearly 10 years with the company, marking the end of a long tenure that culminated in his role as chief revenue officer.
In a farewell note, Thakur said he was “turning a new page” after almost a decade at Inshorts, calling it one of the hardest professional decisions he has made. He added that his exit was not driven by uncertainty about the future, but by reflection on a long association with the company.
Thakur joined Inshorts in October 2016 as vice president and spent around seven years in the role before being elevated to chief revenue officer in April 2024, a position he held until April 2026.
He said his tenure was defined by “thousands of mornings, late nights, product debates and breakthrough moments”, as the company evolved into a large-scale digital news platform used by millions.
In his note, Thakur emphasised that Inshorts’ growth was a collective effort across teams, adding that engineers, designers, sales teams and customer support staff all contributed to building the platform. He said the company’s success was not the result of individuals but of “everyone who stayed, passed through, and left their mark”.
Before Inshorts, Thakur worked across several digital media and business development roles. At ESPN, he served as senior regional manager from October 2015 to October 2016, focusing on growth initiatives, strategic opportunities and video distribution.
At Times Internet, he worked for nearly three years, including as head of business development from April 2015 to September 2015 and chief manager from January 2013 to March 2015. His responsibilities included monetisation of mobile platforms, managing media and developer partnerships, and driving revenue across digital properties such as The Times of India and The Economic Times.
Earlier, he worked at Brandmovers as head of business development from June 2012 to June 2013, handling digital, mobile and social media marketing solutions, client development and strategic consulting. During this period, he also worked on advertising revenue, brand strategy and CRM-based solutions.
At Inshorts, Thakur’s role focused on revenue strategy, mobile and media partnerships, and growth initiatives across platforms. His profile highlights experience in mobile product management, digital business models, partner ecosystems and revenue expansion in high-growth environments.
