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Max goes max with Champions Trophy
MUMBAI: Just how strong a pull cricket is in India can be gauged by this piece of news. The Champions Trophy in England is still over two months away but already Max has sold out the sponsorship slots.
“Maruti and Samsung are the presenting sponsors, while there are six other (associate) sponsors. Over the last three to four weeks, we have fully booked the tournament and have been able to raise the benchmarks in terms of rates,” Sony Entertainment TV India’s ad sales and revenue management head Rohit Gupta said, adding that the company had been out in the market selling spots for the last three months.
Gupta further added that Sony used the cricket World Cup, instead of the last Champions Trophy in 2002, as a benchmark. “The World Cup is what we look at and our ad rates are higher than that,” he said, claiming that when Set Max airs cricket, it is bigger than the others.
“When India and Pakistan played on Max it gave a rating of 23-24. We package Extra Innings to attract new viewers. Most channels do not market cricket (though ESPN Star Sports may have different view on it). We do marketing activities like gully cricket with Mandira Bedi. That is the value advertisers see, ” Gupta pointed out.
Another factor that helped SET India in selling out sponsorships for Champions trophy was that Max had, in the past also, managed to attract ratings for non-India cricket. The bar had been raised to over four in the ratings. Before the World Cup it was 1.5. During the World Cup in South Africa last year in February and March across 54 matches it was 6.5.
The Holland Tourney in August for which Max recently acquired the rights will be sold separately. The attraction is in having the three top
teams in the world, India, Australia and Pakistan, play. “This has never happened before. The rates here will be even more than the Champions Trophy. It will as big as the India-Pakistan series in terms of viewership. It is not some small tournament that will lead to the Champions Trophy,” Gupta said.
As far as AXN and HBO are concerned, Gupta said that the ad rates for the channels had gone up by 15 per cent and had been going up over the past four quarters.
“AXN is really rocking well with shows like Fear Factor and Guinness World Records. Youngsters are increasingly taking to the reality genre. AXN’s (ratings) deliveries are higher than MTV and Channel (V),” Gupta said.
Gupta is also gung ho about the proposed India-Pakistan Challenge on AXN. “We are currently closing deals with sponsors and would be having loads of promotional activity around this. We will shortly reveal the kind of sports involved as well as the cities we will visit”. Gupta further admitted that Animal Planet and Nickelodeon were not significant contributors to the ad revenue kitty.
NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
