iWorld
Hotstar + Disney VIP kickstarts IPL campaign, releases new spots
NEW DELHI- People across the country are waiting to watch the first game between Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings on their television sets or digital screens. Star India is the official broadcaster for IPL across television and digital screens. While Star Sports will telecast the live-action from Dubai on to the television sets across the world, Disney + Hotstar VIP will be streaming the same on the millions of mobile devices. The broadcaster is leaving no stone unturned to promote the tournament.
The streaming platform Hotstar + Disney VIP has launched a digital campaign #KoiYaarNahiFar to create excitement about IPL 13 that is all set to begin from September 19. The campaign delves into the thought that this year people will not be able to watch the matches with their friends due to Covid2019. However, they can still be together and have all the fun. Disney + Hotstar VIP is allowing the fans to create their own groups where they can watch the matches together while chatting to each other like they used to do it till last year.
Each ad film shows a fan in different situations. In the first ad, a person is dressed up as a superhero and is excited to meet his friends to watch the IPL match together but is stopped by his partner, who is also dressed in a superhero costume avatar, and tells him its better to watch at home as the outside world is not safe due to the Coronavirus.
In another video, a young boy is watching an IPL match with the family members, but the continuous disturbances and noises at home make it an unpleasant experience for him. He misses watching the match with his friends.
Brands are already making a beeline to join the festivities at IPL as it offers huge viewership, high recall, and good engagement with its target audience. Star has claimed that it has already sold 75 per cent of its inventory and brands across categories have expressed interest in the tournament.
It is expected that the viewership of the tournament on both television and mobile screens will go up.
e-commerce
American Express to acquire AI startup Hyper to boost automation
Deal targets expense management as AI reshapes corporate spending tools.
MUMBAI: From receipts to robots, the expense sheet is getting a brain upgrade as American Express moves to bring artificial intelligence into the heart of corporate spending. The company has announced plans to acquire Hyper, a relatively young but fast-rising startup founded in 2022 that builds AI-powered agents capable of organising expenses, generating reports, verifying compliance with budgets and policies, and nudging users with timely reminders. The deal, expected to close in the second quarter of 2026, underscores a growing shift among financial institutions to automate traditionally manual, time-heavy workflows.
Hyper counts Sam Altman among its backers, adding a layer of Silicon Valley credibility to the acquisition. While financial details remain undisclosed, the strategic intent is clear: deepen automation capabilities and sharpen American Express’s position in the competitive corporate spending ecosystem.
The two companies are not strangers. They previously collaborated in 2024 on a co-branded credit card product, suggesting that the acquisition is less a cold buy and more an extension of an existing relationship. With this move, American Express is effectively bringing that capability in-house, aiming to embed AI directly into its commercial services stack.
Chief executive Stephen Squeri had already signalled the direction of travel in a recent shareholder letter, describing AI as a “structural shift” in how businesses operate. The Hyper acquisition appears to be a direct response to that shift, particularly in expense management, where processes such as approvals, compliance checks and reporting remain ripe for automation.
Alongside the acquisition, the company is also expanding its product suite. A recently launched business credit card offers cashback and benefits at an annual fee of $295, with another card expected later this year moves that complement its broader push into commercial services.
Taken together, the strategy points to a future where managing expenses may require fewer spreadsheets and more algorithms. For American Express, the bet is simple, if businesses are rethinking how work gets done, the tools that power that work need to evolve just as quickly.
