Gaming
Linebat News partners with cricket legend Dawid Malan
Mumbai: Linebat News, an esteemed international sports gaming company, has made a significant announcement that is poised to make waves within the cricketing community. The company proudly declares its exclusive partnership with the esteemed England cricket star, Dawid Malan.
Originating from England, Dawid Malan is a name synonymous with excellence in cricket. With an impressive career extending across different game formats, Malan has made a lasting mark in cricket history. Known for his prowess as a top-order batsman and astute fielder, Malan’s strategic gameplay and his consistent dedication have led to recognition in both local and global arenas. His achievements on the field and charismatic persona make him the perfect fit for this prestigious role.
By teaming up with Dawid Malan, Linebat News boosts its global presence in cricket. Malan, as ambassador, brings his expertise and passion to endorse Linebat News, showing their dedication to top-notch betting. This partnership aims to raise Linebat News’s profile and engage cricket fans worldwide, reinforcing its reputation as a trusted betting platform. Through strategic marketing and collaboration, Linebat News aims to offer innovative solutions that serve cricket enthusiasts globally.
Deeply humbled to have Dawid Malan on board, Linebat News family in a statement shared, “We are thrilled to have Dawid Malan join us as our brand ambassador. Dawid’s exceptional talent, integrity, and dedication to his sport perfectly align with Linebat News’ values of excellence and trustworthiness. We believe his association with Linebat News will not only enhance our brand visibility but also strengthen our bond with sports enthusiasts. Together, we look forward to reaching new heights and delivering unparalleled experiences to our customers.”
Excited about the latest association, renowned cricketer Dawid Malan shared, “I am pleased to become a brand ambassador for Linebat News, a platform offering sports fans endless fun in a secure environment.”
Speaking more about his ardent passion for cricket, Dawid shared, “I have built my career on passion, dedication, and learning when to take a risk and when to play safe and I see all these elements in Linebat News and I am looking forward to an exciting partnership”
Among Dawid Malan’s notable accomplishments is his setting of the record for the highest total score (129) in a single series in Twenty20 international cricket in 2019. He was also honored as the best player in Twenty20 International cricket by the ICC in 2020 and became the first to top the Twenty20 International cricket player rankings, surpassing luminaries such as Virat Kohli and Babar Azam.
Assuming the role of Linebat News ambassador, Malan brings forth his expertise and fervor to endorse the platform, underscoring Linebat News’ commitment to delivering unparalleled gaming experiences. This partnership aims to amplify Linebat News’ visibility and engage cricket enthusiasts worldwide, consolidating its standing as a premier gaming platform.
Malan’s achievements also transcend international cricket, as he actively contributes to various club teams and tournaments worldwide, showcasing his strategic acumen and exceptional batting technique.
In essence, the partnership between Linebat News and Dawid Malan ushers in a new era of excitement and innovation in sports gaming. As Linebat News continues to push boundaries and redefine the gaming landscape, Dawid Malan’s involvement underscores the brand’s unwavering dedication to excellence and customer satisfaction. Together, they are poised to make a substantial impact, captivating audiences and heightening the allure of sports gaming to unprecedented levels.
Gaming
India’s broadcasters say no to Fifa World Cup 2026
Fifa has slashed its asking price by 65 per cent but India’s broadcasters are still not buying
MUMBAI: The world’s biggest sporting event cannot find a single taker in the world’s most sports-mad nation. Fifa’s television rights for the 2026 World Cup remain unsold in India, and the clock is ticking loudly.
To shift the property, world football’s governing body has already swallowed hard and cut its asking price from $100m to $35m, bundling in the 2030 edition as a sweetener. It has not worked. Indian broadcasters have looked at the offer, done the sums and quietly walked away.
The reasons are brutally simple. The 2026 tournament, co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, kicks off in a time zone that turns India’s primetime into a graveyard shift. Most matches will air between midnight and 7am IST, a scheduling catastrophe for advertisers chasing mass reach. The 2022 Qatar edition was a gift by comparison, with matches dropping neatly into Indian evenings. North America offers no such luxury.
The market itself has also changed beyond recognition. The merger of Star India and Viacom18 into JioStar has gutted the competitive tension that once sent sports rights prices soaring. Where rival bidders once slugged it out, there is now a single dominant buyer, and it is in no hurry. JioStar has valued the rights at roughly $25m, a full $10m below Fifa’s already-discounted floor price. That gap has so far proved unbridgeable.
Broadcasters are also nursing a ferocious cricket hangover. Between 2022 and 2023, Indian media houses committed well over $10bn to cricket rights alone, covering IPL, ICC events and BCCI domestic fixtures combined. After a binge of that scale, appetite for a football package that delivers a fraction of the ratings, in the dead of night, is close to zero.
The economics of football broadcasting make the maths even harder. Cricket, with its natural breaks every few overs, is an advertiser’s paradise. Football offers a 15-minute halftime and precious little else. Recovering a nine-figure rights fee from a single half-hour ad window is a stretch at the best of times. These are not the best of times: the Indian government’s tightening grip on real-money gaming and gambling advertising has vaporised a category that once underwrote the economics of big sporting events.
Nor is the World Cup an anomaly. Indian Super League valuations have cratered. English Premier League rights have softened across successive cycles. The cooling of football as a broadcast commodity in India is structural, not cyclical.
With the tournament opening on 11th June, Fifa is running out of road. It may yet blink and meet JioStar at $25m. Or it may go direct, streaming the entire tournament on its own platform, Fifa+, or cutting a digital deal with YouTube, and hoping that a generation of Indian football fans finds its way there without a broadcaster to guide them.
Either way, the beautiful game’s Indian chapter is looking decidedly ugly.
