iWorld
OTT: VEQTA is exclusive Major League Baseball partner for India
MUMBAI: In what could be the best news for baseball fans in India, VEQTA, India’s only digital broadcast network (OTT) dedicated to sports, has announced its partnership with Major League Baseball (MLB), the world’s top baseball league from USA. With this first of its kind multi-year partnership, VEQTA will give baseball fans in India access to an all-new never seen before content experience.
This partnership between one of the world’s most iconic sports leagues and India’s next generation sports platform will help build a larger fan base for baseball in the region. VEQTA will be the official home of Major League Baseball in India with exclusive long term OTT rights. VEQTA will serve the widest offering of MLB games ever in India, with over 20 live games each week during the regular season (April through September); and full coverage of the league’s “Jewel Events” — All-Star Game (July), Wild Card Games, Division Series, League Championship Series, and the World Series (October/November).
MLB and VEQTA will also launch a variety of initiatives together to build the sport further in the country including promotional activities, events, fan activation and engagement.
VEQTA, with its key partnerships with global sports bodies, will additionally serve over 6000 hours of live sports content in 2017 across Tennis, Fight Sports, Motorsports, Football, Basketball, Rugby, Athletics, and of course Baseball.
VEQTA co-founder & director Vikram Tanwar said, “Baseball has a niche audience here and we wish to grow it further. Through this partnership, Indian baseball fans will have access to exclusive baseball content not available in its entirety on any other platform. VEQTA is proud to bring this experience to India and assert our commitment to offer the best sports content from across the globe to Indian fans.”
MLB is amongst the largest league systems by revenue across any sport. It is also the world’s biggest league by total attendance with over 73 million fans attending MLB games in 2016.
Major League Baseball VP – international media sales and marketing partnerships Dominick Balsamo said, “MLB on VEQTA will serve Indian baseball fans with comprehensive coverage of the league from Opening Day through the World Series, and present the game on an exciting platform that promises to attract new baseball fans and players in India.”
iWorld
Rusk Media announces Battleground Season 2 on Amazon MX Player
Fitness reality show returns in April 2026 with bigger challenges and mentors.
MUMBAI: The arena is reopening and this time the competition promises even more sweat, strategy and spectacle. Rusk Media has confirmed the return of its fitness reality format Battleground for a second season, set to stream on Amazon MX Player from April 2026. The announcement follows the breakout success of the show’s debut season, which positioned itself as a high energy blend of sport, strategy and reality television. Season 1 brought together 16 contestants for a 28 day test of endurance and discipline, as aspiring athletes and fitness enthusiasts competed in physically demanding challenges and team based battles.
Divided into four teams, the participants trained under a panel of mentors drawn from the fitness and lifestyle space, with former Indian cricketer Shikhar Dhawan serving as the show’s Super Mentor.
The format quickly found an audience among digital viewers and was listed among the most binged titles on Amazon MX Player. The show also picked up industry recognition, winning the “Most Popular Non Fiction Show” honour at the IWMBuzz Digital Awards 2025.
The first season also drew a slate of brand partnerships, including Honda Bigwing, Charged, American Pistachio Growers, Bigmuscles Nutrition, Ritebite Max Protein, Plix and Sparsh CCTV, highlighting the show’s appeal to brands targeting India’s rapidly growing youth and fitness audience.
For Season 2, the producers say the format will evolve with tougher physical challenges, a sharper competitive structure and deeper mentor involvement while continuing to focus on discovering the next generation of Indian fitness personalities.
Rusk Media, chief executive officer and co founder Mayank Yadav said the first season proved the appetite for competitive fitness storytelling. “Battleground was always envisioned as more than a show. Season 1 demonstrated that there is a massive audience for aspirational fitness competition at scale. With Season 2 we are going even bigger in ambition, intensity and opportunities for contestants and partners,” he said.
Rusk Ads lead Rahul Arora added that the series has also evolved into a strong platform for brand integration and advertiser engagement. “Season 1 showed that Battleground is not just compelling content but a powerful brand ecosystem. As we move into Season 2, we are looking to deepen brand collaborations and build more integrated partnerships,” he said.
With a larger format, an expanding fan base and a new season set to arrive in April 2026, Battleground is positioning itself as one of India’s emerging fitness reality franchises in the digital entertainment space.
