iWorld
NGC US teams up with VOD service provider Akimbo
MUMBAI: This is an initiative that sees National Geographic in the US trying to leverage the strength of emerging digital media delivery platforms.
American company Akimbo Systems which claims to be the first company to deliver digital-quality video-on-demand (VOD) to any television through a broadband-Internet connection has announced a deal with National Geographic Television & Film (NGT&F).
NGT&F has joined a list of companies that provide video programming for the Akimbo Service. Akimbo offers consumers a video-on-demand (VOD) service that is delivered to televisions via the Internet and allows consumers to create their own personal television experience.
The Akimbo Service will be offering a selection of titles from National Geographic’s library consisting of 25,000 hours of adventure, science, natural history, current affairs and cultural programming. In addition, feature films will include Inside the Pentagon,, Ambassador: Inside the Embassy, Egypt: Quest for Eternity and 21 Days to Baghdad.
Akimbo CEO Josh Goldman said, “The National Geographic brand is recognised and respected worldwide. Movies and documentaries from their vast library represent the type of A-level programming that makes the Akimbo Service unique. Now, Akimbo users can access these informative and educational programmes on demand.”
The Akimbo Service works with the Akimbo Player. This is a set-top box that can store up to 200 hours of video, and provides consumers with viewing controls such as pause, rewind and archive. The Akimbo Player has an onscreen programme guide and a customised remote control. The Akimbo Player utilises widely adopted technology for playback including Windows Media 9 technologies for audio and video compression, and digital rights management.
MUMBAI: If cricket were a binge-worthy series, this one just dropped its most explosive pilot yet. The opening weekend of the 2026 edition of the Indian Premier League has come out swinging, smashing records across both television and digital platforms and reaffirming the tournament’s unmatched pull in India’s sporting and media landscape.
Backed by two high-octane matches featuring 200-plus run chases, the tournament delivered a combined reach of over 515 million viewers across linear TV and digital platforms via JioStar’s broadcast ecosystem, including Star Sports and JioHotstar. More tellingly, engagement surged alongside reach, with total watch-time hitting 32.6 billion minutes, a sharp 26 per cent jump over the opening weekend of the previous season.
The numbers reveal a deeper shift in how India watches cricket. Connected TV (CTV) consumption rose by 30 per cent, while peak concurrency on digital platforms jumped 61 per cent, signalling a growing appetite for shared, big-screen streaming experiences. On traditional television, the momentum held strong, with TV ratings (TVR) climbing 24 per cent compared to earlier seasons’ opening matches.
A key driver of this spike has been the evolution of the viewing experience itself. This season introduced differentiated feeds, most notably a Hindi CTV broadcast featuring cricketing voices such as Ravichandran Ashwin, Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh, Virender Sehwag and Irfan Pathan. Blending expert analysis with a watch-along format, the feed has added a conversational, almost second-screen feel without requiring viewers to leave their screens.
According to JioStar CEO for Sports Ishan Chatterjee, at the opening weekend underscores not just scale but also the depth of engagement that live cricket continues to command. He noted that the combination of large-screen viewing and digital interactivity is creating a more immersive and personalised experience, while also delivering tangible outcomes for brand partners.
From the league’s perspective, the early numbers point to a tournament that continues to reinvent itself. Arun Singh Dhumal, Chairman of the IPL, said the strong start reflects how high-quality cricket paired with enhanced viewing formats is resonating with audiences nationwide, while Board of Control for Cricket in India secretary Devajit Saikia highlighted the “quality of engagement” as a key takeaway, not just the scale.
Commercially too, the opening weekend signals robust advertiser confidence. The broadcast is led by co-presenting sponsors including Google (Search AI Mode), Campa Energy, and Havells & Lloyd, alongside co-powered partners such as Birla Opus, Hero Motocorp and Amazon. A long tail of associate sponsors from OpenAI and Asian Paints to Flipkart and Amul further reflects the league’s unmatched ability to aggregate advertiser interest at scale.
Taken together, the opening weekend numbers are less a spike and more a statement. With 515 million viewers, 32.6 billion minutes of watch-time, and double-digit growth across formats, IPL 2026 has not just started strong, it has set the tone for a season that looks poised to push the boundaries of both sport and spectacle.
