News Broadcasting
Nimbus bags cricket ad sales contract with DD
Close on the heels of an agreement with Prasar Bharati for TV production of international cricket in India from 2002 to 2004, Nimbus has signed another deal with the pubcaster.
This time, for exclusive handling of all ad sales on the cricket series between India and Zimbabwe currently being aired on DD. The arrangement between DD and Nimbus, which claims to be the only tenderer to make it to the financial round, visualises a minimum guarantee of Rs 70.02 million and a revenue share of 70:30 in favour of DD. Nimbus will begin with the production of the TV pictures of the India-Zimbabwe series in February 2002, ending with the Australian tour of India in 2004, as per the agreement signed earlier this month.
All five series are to be aired in India exclusively over Doordarshan. Prasar Bharati, which owns the world rights, has also licensed broadcasts over several international networks across the world, claims Nimbus. WSN won the contract, after a pre-qualification process followed by a financial tender, winning over rival bids made by TWI and WorldTel. The contract is for a sum of Rs 284 million (approx $ 5.80 million).
World Sport Nimbus, a joint venture between the UK based World Sport Group and India based Nimbus Communications, has recently acquired from World Sports Group, its 50 per cent equity in Global Cricket Corporation (GCC). GCC’s other 50 per cent equity is owned by News Corporation. GCC holds the commercial rights of all ICC cricket till 2007. Claiming that the acquisition had been on the cards for quite a while, WSN director Venu Nair says, “This completes our participation not just in the management of the commercial rights of the ICC business but also in its ownership.”
WSN has also been commissioned by the International Cricket Council (ICC) to produce and distribute a weekly global cricket show titled ICC Cricket World for worldwide distribution. The show has been licensed to Channel 4 in the UK for free TV. Negotiations for airing in India, Middle East, Australia, South Africa and several other territories are at an advanced stage for the show that premieres in late February 2002.
News Broadcasting
Mihir Bhatt appointed as chief content officer at News18 Studios
The media veteran brings two decades of experience across television, digital and radio to one of India’s biggest broadcast networks, Disney+ Hotstar, Discovery+
NEW DELHI: Network18 has a new strategist in the building. Mihir Bhatt, one of Indian media’s more versatile operators, has joined News18 Studios as chief content officer, stepping into a role that will see him shape content strategy, build multi-platform properties and drive brand partnerships across the network.
Bhatt brings more than two decades of experience spanning television, digital and radio, with a track record of doing something rare in Indian media: combining editorial ambition with hard commercial results. At Times Network, where he served as managing editor and chief business officer of Times Influence, he built one of the industry’s more respected content studios, launching marquee properties such as the India Economic Conclave, the Times Now Summit and Leaders of Tomorrow. He also pushed the network into premium OTT territory through tie-ups with Disney+ Hotstar and Discovery+.
His resume stretches well beyond the studio. Bhatt has led Global Investor Summits for multiple state governments, worked alongside the World Economic Forum and played a pivotal role in launching the Indian Pickleball League. Earlier, as editor of Zee Business, he pioneered investor education initiatives that are still cited as industry benchmarks.
At News18 Studios, Bhatt will report to chief executive S Shivakumar and will oversee the studios execution vertical alongside revenue verticals covering emerging markets and campaigns. Sidharth Saini, Hemanth Kumar and Nimar Sarkaria will work under him.
Rahul Joshi, managing director and editor-in-chief of Network18 Group, made the announcement in an internal communication. “Mihir’s ability to build enduring brands, foster strategic partnerships and navigate a rapidly evolving media landscape will be instrumental as we continue to strengthen our position and explore new avenues of growth in the Studios business,” Joshi said.
In a media industry lurching between disruption and reinvention, Network18 has bet on a man who has spent two decades thriving in exactly that chaos. Whether he can do it again, at greater scale, is the question worth watching.
