iWorld
Epic On partners with Amazon Pay
KOLKATA: IN10 Media Network’s OTT platform, Epic On– recently launched in an all-new and reimagined avatar – has partnered with Amazon Pay. Through this collaboration, Amazon Pay users can avail 20 per cent discount of up to Rs 100 on the annual membership of Epic On.
To avail this exclusive offer, users can select Amazon Pay as their mode of payment on EPIC ON’s payment page or directly access it from the Amazon Pay app. The offer is valid till 30 September.
In sync with its new brand proposition Dekho| Suno |Khelo (Watch | Listen | Play), EPIC ON brings a wide range and magnitude of content, enabling users to Watch, Listen, Play, Read & Engage with multiform content on a single app!
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“With the new Epic On, we enter an exciting phase, bringing a diverse mix of multiform content across formats on one online platform,” Epic On COO Sourjya Mohanty said.
“We are happy to partner with Amazon Pay to offer an exclusive proposition that’s designed keeping the user at the epicentre. With our dense content library, we are certain all those who consume content digitally and want convenience will find content of choice on Epic On,” Mohanty added.
Read more coverage on Amazon Pay
Commenting on the partnership, Amazon Pay India director Manesh Mahatme said “We are glad to partner with Epic On to allow Amazon customers to seamlessly pay for their subscriptions. This is one more step toward ubiquitous acceptance of Amazon Pay across online merchants.”
iWorld
Bill Ackman’s Pershing Square makes $64 billion bid to acquire Universal Music Group
Ackman pitches NYSE relisting plan as UMG board weighs unsolicited offer
The hedge fund has proposed a business combination that values UMG at €30.40 per share, representing a hefty 78 per cent premium to its current trading price. The offer includes €9.4 billion in cash alongside stock in a newly formed entity, with shareholders set to receive €5.05 per share in cash and 0.77 shares in the new company for each UMG share they hold.
Under the proposal, UMG would merge with Pershing Square SPARC Holdings Ltd and re-emerge as a Nevada-based entity listed on the New York Stock Exchange. The move is designed to boost investor visibility and potentially secure inclusion in major indices such as the S&P 500.
Pershing Square Capital Management ceo Bill Ackman argued that while UMG’s operational performance remains strong, its market valuation has lagged due to external factors. “UMG’s stock price has languished due to a combination of issues that are unrelated to the performance of its music business,” Ackman said, pointing to concerns ranging from shareholder overhang to delayed US listing plans.
Ackman also flagged what he sees as untapped potential in UMG’s balance sheet and a lack of clear capital allocation strategy. He added that the market has not fully recognised the value of UMG’s €2.7 billion stake in Spotify, alongside gaps in investor communication.
The proposed transaction would also result in the cancellation of around 17 per cent of UMG’s outstanding shares, while maintaining its investment-grade balance sheet. Pershing Square has said it will fully backstop the equity financing, with debt commitments secured at signing. The deal is targeted for completion by the end of the year.
UMG, however, has struck a measured tone. The company confirmed that its board has received the non-binding proposal and will review it with advisers. It reiterated confidence in its current strategy and leadership under Lucian Grainge, signalling no immediate shift in stance.
The proposal comes at a time when global music companies are navigating evolving investor expectations, streaming economics and capital allocation pressures. For Pershing Square, the bet is clear: sharpen the financial story, relist in the US, and let the music play louder in the markets.
Whether UMG’s board is ready to change the tune remains to be seen, but the spotlight on its valuation just got a lot brighter.
