News Broadcasting
HBO looks to increase viewership base with ‘Big One’ programme block
MUMBAI: Think movies! Think big! Think HBO! That is the message HBO is looking to get across to the viewer when it kicks off its new programme block The Big One this month. During each quarter, at least one movie will be shown in the block.
For the first quarter that movie is Spiderman. The film airs on 30 January at 9 pm. On the corporate side Shruti Bajpai who used to be HBO’s marketing director South Asia has been promoted to HBO South Asia country manager. Speaking on the initiative Bajpai said, “Spiderman was one of the biggest theatrical releases in India and worldwide. The films that we will showcase in The Big One slot have done enormously well both critically and commercially. Spiderman is also keeping with our tradition of releasing a big movie in January.
“In 2002 it was The Mummy and in 2003 we had Mission Impossible II. Looking ahead we will be showcasing some of the biggest movies from last year over the next couple of years. Together they have earned around 70 per cent of the worldwide box office revenues. When we talk about building up quality partnerships, we mean it. “
HBO looks to rougish Denzel to spice up the action
In February, its big blockbuster is The Scorpion King with wrestler The Rock. Another film is Training Day for which Denzel Washington won an Oscar. In terms of original content, the channel will continue to showcase its own award winning movies like The Gathering Storm, Live From Baghdad as well as Mira Nair’s Hysterical Blindness. The channel is also considering bringing in another high value quality show besides Sex And The City.
“The show has held up extremely well since its launch. That is the test of any show and so the second season will commence this year. It has been in the top 10 for English general entertainment shows. It has bettered expectations in terms of the average ratings it got.” Bajpai said.
Wrestler turned actor The Rock will strut his stuff on HBO
It’s Oscar time next month. To celebrate the mood, the channel will have the block From The Greatest To The Latest. Every weekday at 9 pm an Oscar winner and nominee will be showcased back to back like Ben Hur and The Grinch. The films will get more and more new as 29 February approaches which is when the Oscars will be handed out, while ironically, the rights to telecast the show live have been bagged by arch rival Star Movies. Another theme will be The Rise of The Machines. The block will showcase Arnold Schwarzenegger. In March for the International Women’s Day, the channel will showcase the best work that actresses have done for Hollywood.
Maintaining that 2003 was a good year for the channel, Bajpai said that December saw 11 of the top 15 movies coming from the HBO stable. This was when it ran the Best of 2003 block. For the prime time 9-11 pm slot, its share was 42 per cent. AXN, Zee MGM, Hallmark and Star Movies shared the rest. Bajpai claims that primetime share was also highest when you took into account other niche channels like Discovery and Cartoon Network.
She points out that there had been a great deal of innovation in terms of targeting viewers. ” We were the first English movie channel to create a special block for youth which was HBO Generation Me. Our themes got bigger and better. Our Summer Action Marathon gave us a higher channel share than the competition. We were also able to expand our viewer base with the HBO Filmmaker series. That catered to the discerning viewer.”
News Broadcasting
Rising Bharat Summit 2026 spotlights India’s global ascent
PM Modi keynotes two-day event with ministers, diplomats and icons in New Delhi.
MUMBAI: India didn’t just host a summit, it threw a coming-out party for a nation ready to own the global stage. The News18 Rising Bharat Summit 2026, held on 27–28 February in New Delhi, emerged as a high-octane platform for ideas, vision and strategic dialogue, uniting national leadership, global policymakers, industry titans, defence strategists and cultural icons under the theme “Strength Within”.
Prime minister Narendra Modi set the tone with a keynote that framed India’s resurgence as a reclaiming of lost potential built over generations. “In previous industrial revolutions, India and the Global South were merely followers,” he said. “But in the era of Artificial Intelligence, India is a partner in decisions and shaping them.” He highlighted the country’s thriving AI startup ecosystem and the recent AI Impact Summit attended by over 100 nations.
Union minister Piyush Goyal (Commerce & Industry) stressed India’s readiness to scale exports and deepen manufacturing, while Ashwini Vaishnaw (Railways, I&B, Electronics & IT) positioned technology and infrastructure as twin engines of growth, especially in AI and digital trust. Jyotiraditya Scindia (Communications & North East Development) revealed India’s ambition to lead in 6G through the Bharat 6G Alliance and partnerships with over 30 countries.
Global voices added depth: former Singapore Foreign Minister George Yeo called India’s development “self-sustaining” and strategically vital; ex-UK Chief of Defence Staff General Sir Nick Carter asserted India deserves a seat at the great powers’ table; and former US Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez joined ambassadors from Norway, Germany and Sweden in discussions on geopolitical realignment, sustainability and defence preparedness.
Other speakers included veteran investor Ramesh Damani, World Gold Council CEO David Tait, Vianai Systems founder Dr Vishal Sikka, DeepTech Bharat Foundation co-founder Shashi Shekhar Vempati, defence experts Rajesh Kumar Singh, Sunil Ambekar, Patrick McGee, Tom Cooper and Adrian Fontanellaz, plus cultural and sporting icons Kangana Ranaut, Saina Nehwal, PR Sreejesh, Mohammed Shami, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mithali Raj, Anil Kapoor and Yami Gautam.
The summit was supported by Jio Financial Services (Presenting Partner), Phonepe and DS Group (Co-Presenting Partners), Pernod Ricard India and Kia Seltos (Powered By & Driven By), state governments of Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Uttarakhand (State Partners), and associate partners including NSE, M3M Foundation and Reliance Industries.
Broadcast live across News18 Network, CNBC-TV18 and CNBC Awaaz, the event reinforced India’s image as a confident democracy and emerging global power proving that when strength comes from within, the world can’t help but watch.
