News Broadcasting
Omnicom, WPP frontrunners in race to buy into Sportsworld
Global sports-related marketing major Sportsworld Media Group, the company that owns the worldwide rights to ITV’s Popstars, is currently the target of a buy-out by a number of media majors.
Sources indicate that WPP Group and Omnicom, both among the world’s largest communications groups, are the two most likely candidates which may acquire a stake in Sportsworld.
If Omnicom does acquire a stake in Sportsworld there will be no lack of synergy. Sportsworld CEO Geoff Brown has been quoted in an earlier interview as saying his strategy was really to create an Omnicom-style vehicle and be a consolidator within the industry. And John Bernbach, non-executive chairman of Sportsworld, is a founding director of Omnicom.
Sportsworld’s problems arose after it announced at the end of January that full-year profits for the year to 30 June were likely to be below market expectations at between 9 million and 10 million.
Even though the company said the second half should be lifted by renewed sponsorship activity and a range of newspaper linked promotions connected to football’s World Cup and the Winter Olympics, to name just two major sports events, this could not prevent a run on the company’s share price which led to a major fall in its share value.
According to a company source, media reports regarding the state of the company and its finances have been overly exaggerated. The actual situation is that the company is still making operating profits and its financials are sound, the source asserts.
In India the company is a very new entrant (just six months old) but has already made a mark with two gameshow formats it licensed and that have taken off in a big way. Super Selector on ESPN Star Sports has proved a winner for the channel while Star India’s Channel [V] has given its full to make sure that [V] Popstars is a success.
On the cricket front, Sportsworld has won the rights to market in India the in stadia hoardings for the upcoming tour to the West Indies by the Indian cricket team. According to the source, all the inventory available has already been sold.
He further stated that Sportsworld was in advanced negotiations with all the big broadcasters to licence their shows and some major announcements on that front could be expected soon.
News Broadcasting
Times Now Summit 2026 to convene top leaders as network marks 20 years
Policymakers, global voices and industry leaders gather to shape India’s roadmap to 2047
NEW DELHI: Times Network is turning 20 and using the moment to set the agenda for India’s next 25 years. The broadcaster will host the Times Now Summit 2026 on March 26 and 27 in New Delhi, bringing together a heavyweight lineup of policymakers, global leaders and industry voices under the theme “Celebrating Times Now @ 20, Shaping India @ 100.”
The two-day summit aims to move beyond rhetoric to results, with keynote addresses, panel discussions and debates focused on India’s growth story, its challenges and the road ahead. Designed as a platform for high-impact dialogue, the event will evaluate promises versus performance while spotlighting actionable solutions to accelerate the country’s trajectory.
The speaker roster reads like a power list. Amit Shah, minister of home affairs and minister of cooperation; Ashwini Vaishnaw, minister of railways, minister of information and broadcasting, and minister of electronics and information technology; Hardeep Singh Puri, minister of petroleum and natural gas; and Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu, minister of civil aviation will headline discussions.
They will be joined by political leaders and public figures including Akhilesh Yadav, national president of Samajwadi Party and member of parliament; Manish Sisodia, former deputy chief minister of Delhi; Harmanpreet Kaur, captain of the Indian women’s cricket team; and Kriti Sanon, actor and entrepreneur, among others.
Global perspectives will come from Lindy Cameron, British high commissioner to India, and Juan Antonio March Pujol, ambassador of Spain, alongside other international voices.
Day one will also double up as a branding pivot for the network, with the unveiling of a new identity that positions Times Network not merely as a broadcaster but as a bridge connecting India to the world and the world to India in a continuous exchange.
The summit underscores Times Network’s ambition to remain at the centre of national conversations, curating dialogue that shapes policy, business and culture.
As India marches towards its centenary as an independent nation, the message from Times Now Summit 2026 is clear: the next chapter will be written not just in studios or boardrooms, but on platforms that bring power, policy and people into the same room — and force the future into focus.
