News Broadcasting
ESPN’s X Games VIII to be seen in 200 countries
MUMBAI: X Games VIII, which claims to be the worlds premier action sports event, is slated to receive the largest worldwide television distribution of any previous X Games event.
The free-to-the-public action sports competition took place between 15 and 19 August in Philadelphia and was featured extensively in the US on ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC, which for the first time presented a prime-time X Games telecast, on 18 August between 7 and 9 pm ET, part of 20 hours of original coverage on the three networks.
Meanwhile ESPN International, which owns or operates 25 television networks outside of the US, will televise X Games VIII to more than 113 million households in over 140 countries and territories early next month. In addition, ESPN has syndication agreements with terrestrial broadcasters in Brazil (Globo), Great Britain (BBC, C5), Japan (NHK, FUJI-TV) and Spain (TV 3). Eurosport, the most widely distributed channel in Europe, serving more than 54 countries and 90 million households, will also televise X Games VIII in September.
ESPN Internationals distribution efforts, coupled with the extensive coverage that will be provided in the US on ABC, ESPN and ESPN2, means X Games VIII will be televised to more than 300 million households in over 200 countries and territories worldwide. Supplemental news highlights and sports anthology programmes could take these figures even higher.
ESPNs X Games franchise currently includes events in the US and around the world. In addition to the Winter X Games and X Games, which are held in the US, ESPN stages annual international X Games competitions in Latin America, Europe, and Asia, including a six-stop Asian Xtour.
Next year, ESPN will debut the X Games Global Championship, an event that will feature six teams representing different regions of the world – US, Europe, Canada, South America, Asia and Australia – with the goal of crowning an one of them the X Games Champion.
News Broadcasting
Kamlesh Singh receives Haldi Ghati Award from MMCF
India Today Group editor honoured for three decades of journalism at Udaipur ceremony.
MUMBAI- Kamlesh Singh just turned a lifetime of sharp words into a shiny shield because when journalism wakes up a society, even the Maharana of Mewar wants to pin a medal on it.
The Maharana of Mewar Charitable Foundation (MMCF) conferred its prestigious Haldi Ghati Award on Kamlesh Singh, a senior editor at the India Today Group, during a ceremony in Udaipur on 15 March 2026. The national award, instituted in 1981-82, recognises “work of permanent value that initiates an awakening in society through the medium of journalism.”
Singh, who leads several editorial initiatives including Aaj Tak Radio, the Teen Taal community and The Lallantop, was presented the honour by Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar, Managing Trustee of MMCF. The citation highlighted his three decades of contributions to Indian media, innovations in digital journalism, mentoring young reporters, and his popular podcast persona “Tau” on Teen Taal, which fosters thoughtful public discourse.
The Haldi Ghati Award, named after the historic Battle of Haldighati symbolising valour and resilience, is one of four national awards given annually by MMCF. Past recipients include Tavleen Singh, Piyush Pandey and Raj Chengappa.
Other honourees this year included Padma Vibhushan Pt Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Vedamurti Devvrat Rekhe, Treeman of India Marimuthu Yoganathan, Vir Chakra Capt Rizwan Malik, and US-based researcher Molly Emma Aitken, who received the Colonel James Tod Award for contributions to understanding Mewar’s spirit and values.
In an era where headlines often shout louder than substance, the MMCF quietly reminded everyone that real journalism isn’t about noise, it’s about the quiet, persistent work that stirs society awake, one thoughtful story at a time.
