Cable TV
Paula Malai Ali to host a sports show for men on ESS
MUMBAI: Asian television personality Paula Malai Ali has joined ESPN Star Sports (ESS). She will host a new magazine show on Star Sports – For Men Only.
From 6 October the show will be broadcast on Star Sports every Friday night at 7 pm. For Men Only is dedicated to men and their lifestyle. It will cover topics from fashion, electronics, sports, film, music and motoring – all things bright and shiny that matter to men.
Paula and co-host Kui Jien will anchor the show with a refreshing new take. Guests will also be invited onto the show to share their views across a range of subjects that are of interest to men. It may be recalled that AXN had done a similar initiative in India called The Man’s World.
ESS senior VP, production, Huw Bevan said, “Paula is a great addition to ESPN Star Sports, which already has a strong pool of talents. The unique positioning for the two channels – ESPN and Star Sports, paves the way for us to find personalities that fit each brand.”
“Paula’s popularity, and her invaluable experience and passion for working in television made her the obvious choice to present the new show on Star Sports.”
Over the past nine years, Ali has worked for various channels, the last being Channel [v]. Besides her work on TV, Paula has also presented several radio programmes in Malaysia. One of the highlights of her career was being featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show.
Known for her consummate professionalism, Paula is a hot favourite with everyone in the industry. Her celebrity status has also seen her become the ‘face’ of many international brands.
She says, “Having hosted a variety of programmes on Channel [v], this exciting move into the arena of sports broadcast will be a welcome challenge – I am looking forward to my new assignment. Sports is fast becoming a very popular form of entertainment in Asia and ESPN Star Sports is at the forefront of sports broadcasting. This is a fantastic opportunity and I know I will enjoy my new role.”
Cable TV
Hathway Cable appoints Gurjeev Singh Kapoor as CEO
Leadership change comes as cable TV faces shrinking subscriber base and modest earnings pressure
MUMBAI: Hathway Cable and Datacom has tapped industry veteran Gurjeev Singh Kapoor as chief executive officer, marking a leadership pivot at a time when India’s cable television business is under mounting strain.
Kapoor will take over from Tavinderjit Singh Panesar, who is set to retire in August after a long innings with the company. Panesar, chief executive since 2023, has held multiple leadership roles at Hathway, including his latest stint beginning in 2022.
Kapoor brings more than three decades of experience in media and entertainment. He most recently led distribution at The Walt Disney Company’s Star India business, now part of JioStar. His career spans television distribution and affiliate partnerships, with stints at Sony Pictures Networks India, Discovery Communications and Zee Entertainment.
Panesar, with over three decades in the industry, has worked across strategic planning, distribution and business development in media, broadcasting and manufacturing. His past associations include ESPN Star Sports, Star India, Apollo Tyres and JK Industries.
The transition lands as the cable sector grapples with structural disruption. Traditional operators are losing ground to streaming platforms, while telecom and broadband players tighten the squeeze with bundled offerings.
An EY report estimates India’s pay-TV base could shrink by a further 30 to 40 million households by 2030, taking the total down to 71 to 81 million. The slide follows a loss of nearly 40 million homes between 2018 and 2024, a contraction that has already wiped out more than 37,000 jobs in the local cable operator ecosystem.
Hathway’s numbers reflect the strain. The company reported a consolidated net profit of Rs 93 crore for FY25, down from Rs 99 crore a year earlier. Revenue inched up to Rs 2,040 crore from Rs 1,981 crore. As of December 2025, it had about 4.7 million cable TV subscribers and roughly 1.02 million broadband users.
Kapoor steps in with a familiar brief but a shrinking playbook. In a market where viewers are cutting cords faster than companies can reinvent them, the new chief executive inherits a business fighting to stay plugged in.
