iWorld
Disney+ Hotstar signs 13 sponsors for IPL 2022
Mumbai: Streaming major Disney+ Hotstar has roped in 13 sponsors for the 15th edition of the Tata IPL 2022. Dream11 has come onboard as the ‘co-presenting’ sponsor, with Tata and Cred as the ‘co-powered by’ sponsors. Swiggy, Pristyn Care, Zepto, Ather Energy, Niyo, Parle Agro, Spotify, Livspace, L’Oreal and Spinny have been signed-on as associate sponsors.
Tata IPL is scheduled to commence on 26 March and the tournament will be broadcast live on Disney+ Hotstar and the Star Sports Network.
“In the next few weeks, the entire nation will be gripped by T20 fever with the commencement of Tata IPL,” said Disney Star head – ad sales Nitin Bawankule. “There is heightened interest from advertisers across categories for the upcoming season of Tata IPL owing to the addition of new teams and rejig in the pre-existing squads, thus an opportunity for them to reach out to a new set of audiences. The advertiser sentiment is extremely positive, all key features including Super 4s, Super 6s, Fall of Wickets and Milestones have sold out on our platform already. We look forward to delivering an impactful T20 season for our advertisers.”
“Disney+ Hotstar presents brands with the opportunity to reach highly engaged, affluent audiences across India through its sharp targeting options on live sports, an industry first. The platform has a host of innovative advertising and branded content solutions for businesses to reach out to, engage with their audiences more effectively, and tell their brand stories on live cricket like never before,” said the statement.
iWorld
X launches XChat messaging app on iOS with calls and encryption
Standalone app marks shift from “everything app” vision, adds E2E messaging.
MUMBAI: From one big app to many small chats, X seems to be splitting its ambitions. X has rolled out its standalone messaging app, XChat, to iOS users, opening up a new front in its evolving product strategy. The app allows users to connect with existing X contacts through private and group messages, file sharing, as well as audio and video calls. The launch follows a limited beta phase, where the platform tested the product with a smaller user base to refine the experience. Now available publicly, XChat marks a notable pivot from earlier ambitions championed by Elon Musk to turn X into a single “everything app” combining messaging, payments, commerce and more.
Instead, the company under xAI ownership and backed by SpaceX appears to be building a suite of standalone applications, each targeting specific use cases while expanding its broader ecosystem.
At launch, XChat includes end-to-end encrypted messaging, PIN-based access, disappearing messages, and features such as message editing, deletion for all participants, and screenshot blocking. The company has also said the app is free from advertisements and tracking mechanisms, positioning it as a privacy-first alternative in a crowded messaging space.
However, security claims around the platform are likely to face scrutiny. Earlier iterations of XChat drew criticism from experts who argued it fell short of established encrypted platforms like Signal. With the wider rollout, the app is expected to undergo fresh evaluation to assess whether those concerns have been addressed.
Beyond messaging, XChat will also house X’s Communities feature, which is being discontinued on the main platform due to low usage and spam concerns. Migrating these users could provide an early boost to adoption, effectively turning XChat into both a communication and community hub.
The move underscores a broader recalibration at X less about cramming everything into one app, and more about spreading bets across multiple touchpoints, one message at a time.
