eNews
Goal partners with Times Internet to drive growth in India
NEW DELHI: Digital sports content company Perform Group’s portal Goal has entered into a strategic partnership with Times Internet for delivering worldwide content.
Through this partnership, Goal is looking to continue its growth in India, leveraging Times Internet’s 100 million monthly unique users. Perform and Times Internet will collaborate in creating a unique blend of local and international football coverage.
As part of the collaboration, Times Internet will have exclusive rights to the Goal brand in India and will drive local commercialization of Goal across both desktop and mobile. Perform will continue to leverage the Indian edition for key regional and global partnerships.
A key enabler for the growth of the partnership will be Times Group’s ability to cross-promote the Goal brand, both across its wider sports vertical and offline publications. Both of these initiatives are set to position Goal as the pre-eminent football destination in India.
Times Global Partners (TGP) business head Puneet Singhvi said, “The partnership with one of the largest global football sites gives us an ideal platform to build a strong destination for the rapidly growing base of soccer enthusiasts in India. We aim to use this partnership to evangelize the sport and make it more mainstream. We also look forward to working with Indian and International advertisers to roll out sponsorship and other advertising opportunities for this sought after and affluent audience segment.”
Perform Group Media Asia-Pacific EVP James Peel added, “Goal’s partnership with Times Internet and the Times of India property is an incredibly exciting development in the growth of Goal, both locally in India and regionally. Not only does it reinforce Goal’s standing as the leading football property globally, but leverages a time of unprecedented interest in Football in India. Times of India is the leading digital publisher in India and, combining Goal’s unique IP and content with India’s largest online audience, we will deliver a range of unique and compelling digital advertising opportunities for brands and advertisers.”
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.
