iWorld
Hotstar creates record of 10 mn plus concurrent viewers for IPL finale
MUMBAI: They helped Hotstar hit a world record for concurrent online viewing a few days ago with 8.26 million viewers in the IPL first qualifier game on 22 May. Once again, the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) helped Hotstar create a new record of over 10 million concurrent users for the Vivo IPL 2018 finale that witnessed CSK’s Shane Watson hit a century and safely take the team to its third trophy.
While Hotstar viewers could see the number hit 10.7 million, sources say that Hotstar will do a thorough check but can safely say that the number is between 10.3-10.7 million. Just for the season, the OTT platform from Star India increased its bandwidth to 10 million concurrent users at a time, with help from technology partner Akamai. A source from Star India says, “The numbers are insane, no other platform can handle the scale which we have achieved. We are going to check and recheck with Akamai regarding the numbers.”
As Watson continued to slash through to his ton, viewers kept building up, especially for the last four overs. A sudden hike from eight million to 9.1 million and then to 9.7 million was witnessed before it breached the coveted mark to hit 10.7 million.
The result of the final was the same as the first qualifier. SRH batted first setting a target of 179 runs in 20 overs, but the batting line-up of CSK was ready with all guns firing. The second innings started where the SRH bowlers dominated the powerplay but Shane Watson played the innings of his life scoring 117 off just 57 deliveries. SRH has defended low scoring games of 118 and 132 runs playing against Mumbai Indians and Kings XI Punjab respectively but could not halt CSK’s Watson.
Hotstar, apparently, has played a key role in helping team Uday Shankar and Sanjay Gupta get closer to their revenues. Sources indicate the advertising revenues accruing courtesy the Vivo IPL are in the region of Rs 350 crore. Even rivals acknowledge that it is a landmark figure Hotstar has managed to achieve. To top that is the subscription revenue – guesstimated at around Rs 100 crore – which the streaming service has notched up so far.
Star India has four more seasons of IPL for now and it is surely going to take this success and look forward to beating its own record. For the next season, it will have to increase the bandwidth to accommodate new viewers.
iWorld
OpenAI hits back at Elon Musk’s lawsuit ahead of trial
Company calls claims “baseless” and accuses Musk of trying to disrupt a rival.
MUMBAI: When the stakes are measured in billions and egos are involved, even Silicon Valley titans can turn a courtroom into a battlefield. OpenAI has issued a sharp public response to Elon Musk’s ongoing lawsuit, accusing the billionaire of filing the case to harass a competitor rather than address genuine concerns. In a strongly worded statement shared on its official X account, OpenAI described Musk’s allegations as “baseless” and suggested the lawsuit is an attempt to disrupt the company as the case heads toward trial later this month in Oakland, California.
The response comes after Musk’s legal team recently amended the complaint, proposing that any damages potentially exceeding $150 billion should go to OpenAI’s nonprofit entity rather than to Musk personally. OpenAI questioned the timing and motive behind this change, calling it a late-stage attempt to “pretend to change his tune” on the nonprofit structure.
The company further labelled the lawsuit a “harassment campaign”, arguing that Musk’s actions are driven by personal rivalry, ego, and a desire for greater control and financial upside.
At the heart of the dispute is Musk’s claim that OpenAI has abandoned its original nonprofit mission of developing artificial intelligence for the benefit of humanity. A co-founder who left in 2018, Musk is seeking governance changes, including the removal of CEO Sam Altman from the nonprofit board, and the return of certain financial gains linked to Altman and President Greg Brockman.
OpenAI has firmly rejected these allegations, maintaining that its current hybrid structure, a public-benefit corporation overseen by a nonprofit parent remains true to its long-term goals. The company has also previously accused Musk of anti-competitive behaviour aimed at weakening its leadership.
As the case prepares for a jury trial, this public exchange highlights the deepening rift between two of the most influential figures in the AI revolution and raises broader questions about governance, mission, and power in the fast-moving world of artificial intelligence.
In the high-stakes game of AI, it seems the real drama isn’t just inside the models, it’s playing out in courtrooms too.
