iWorld
FanCode locks exclusive Formula 1 India rights in deal running to 2028
INDIA: FanCode has extended its exclusive broadcast partnership with Formula 1, securing rights in India until the end of the 2028 season and tightening its grip on one of the country’s fastest-growing sports audiences.
Under the renewed multi-year deal, FanCode will stream every Formula 1 practice session, qualifying hour, sprint race and Grand Prix, offering wall-to-wall coverage tailored for Indian fans. The agreement also brings F1 TV Pro and F1 TV Premium directly onto the FanCode platform, widening access to onboard cameras, team radios and deeper race analytics.
The extension builds on a partnership that began in 2024 and coincides with Formula 1’s rapid rise in India, where the sport now claims a fanbase of about 79 million. FanCode said it will continue to invest in community-led initiatives, including live fan screenings and interactive viewing formats, to deepen engagement.
FanCode will also retain broadcast rights in Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka, reinforcing its position as Formula 1’s digital home across the Indian subcontinent.
The timing is opportune. From 2026, Formula 1 enters a new regulatory era, with fresh technical rules and the arrival of Audi and Cadillac as new teams. The debut of Arvid Lindblad, a driver of Indian heritage, is expected to further energise local interest.
Formula 1 chief media rights and broadcasting officer Ian Holmes, said the partnership had strengthened the sport’s reach in India and helped deliver a more immersive race-weekend experience. FanCode co-founder Yannick Colaco, said the renewal underlined the platform’s ambition to serve India’s most passionate sports communities with premium, fan-first coverage.
iWorld
Subedaar puts Indian original cinema on the global map with record-breaking Prime Video debut
MUMBAI: Prime Video has a runaway hit on its hands. Subedaar, the gritty action drama starring Anil Kapoor, has stormed to become the most-watched Indian original movie on the platform in its opening weekend, cracking the Top 10 across 31 countries and landing in 91 per cent of India’s pin codes within days of its March 5 premiere.
The film, a visceral, emotionally-charged story of a retired soldier, Subedaar Arjun Maurya, wrestling with civilian life amid crime and corruption, has struck a nerve. Directed by Suresh Triveni and co-starring Radhikka Madan, Mona Singh, Saurabh Shukla, Aditya Rawal, Faisal Malik, and Khushboo Sundar, the film is already being hailed as a showcase for what Indian original storytelling can achieve on the world stage.
“Subedaar’s success is a reflection of the growing scale and global resonance of Indian storytelling,” said Nikhil Madhok, director and head of originals at Prime Video India. “The film’s emotional narrative, its rooted portrayal of a soldier confronting his toughest battles beyond the battlefield, has struck a chord. Anil Kapoor delivers an acting masterclass, while Suresh Triveni’s solid direction and great performances from the ensemble cast have resulted in love and appreciation from customers across the world.”
Kapoor, 62, has been here before, but rarely at this altitude. Written by Triveni and Prajwal Chandrashekar, with dialogues by Triveni, Saurabh Dwivedi, and Chandrashekar, the film is a production by Opening Image Films in association with Anil Kapoor Film & Communication Network (AKFCN), produced by Vikram Malhotra, Kapoor, and Triveni.
Subedaar streams exclusively on Prime Video in Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu across India, and in over 240 countries and territories worldwide.
For Prime Video, the numbers tell the real story: one weekend, one film, a global footprint, and a very loud signal that Indian original cinema is no longer just travelling well. It’s arriving.
