News Broadcasting
Sony bids $40 million for Indo-Pak series
MUMBAI: Sony Entertainment Television (SET) has made a composite bid of $40 million to get the satellite TV telecast rights of the upcoming India-Pakistan cricket series, indicating a high price broadcasters are willing to pay to control cricket programming.
Sony’s offer to BCCI includes air time sales and telecast rights for India and international territories. The Madras High Court has already mandated the telecast feed of the matches to pubcaster Prasar Bharati, but kept all the other rights including air time sales and production contract with the BCCI to decide.
According to a source, Sony has made a three-tier bid, offering the cricket board different options for a deal.
As an alternate offer, Sony has bid $26 million for the international and India satellite TV rights. As a third option, Sony has made a bid of $10 million for international telecast rights, the source says.
“We have made different bids so that the board can weigh its options and take a decision accordingly. The only thing we have stayed out of is bidding for just the production rights,” the source adds.
Several broadcasters and sports marketing agencies have evinced strong interest in the India-Pakistan series. Nimbus Communications had bid in the range of $33-45 million, depending upon the “quality of coverage, type of the matches and swiftness in decision making.” This includes air time sales, sale of international rights and TV production for the series.
Dubai-based Ten Sports, Pakistan-based broadcast company ARY Digital and sports marketing firm TWI have also bid for the rights, according to industry sources.
News Broadcasting
Rising Bharat Summit 2026 spotlights India’s global ascent
PM Modi keynotes two-day event with ministers, diplomats and icons in New Delhi.
MUMBAI: India didn’t just host a summit, it threw a coming-out party for a nation ready to own the global stage. The News18 Rising Bharat Summit 2026, held on 27–28 February in New Delhi, emerged as a high-octane platform for ideas, vision and strategic dialogue, uniting national leadership, global policymakers, industry titans, defence strategists and cultural icons under the theme “Strength Within”.
Prime minister Narendra Modi set the tone with a keynote that framed India’s resurgence as a reclaiming of lost potential built over generations. “In previous industrial revolutions, India and the Global South were merely followers,” he said. “But in the era of Artificial Intelligence, India is a partner in decisions and shaping them.” He highlighted the country’s thriving AI startup ecosystem and the recent AI Impact Summit attended by over 100 nations.
Union minister Piyush Goyal (Commerce & Industry) stressed India’s readiness to scale exports and deepen manufacturing, while Ashwini Vaishnaw (Railways, I&B, Electronics & IT) positioned technology and infrastructure as twin engines of growth, especially in AI and digital trust. Jyotiraditya Scindia (Communications & North East Development) revealed India’s ambition to lead in 6G through the Bharat 6G Alliance and partnerships with over 30 countries.
Global voices added depth: former Singapore Foreign Minister George Yeo called India’s development “self-sustaining” and strategically vital; ex-UK Chief of Defence Staff General Sir Nick Carter asserted India deserves a seat at the great powers’ table; and former US Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez joined ambassadors from Norway, Germany and Sweden in discussions on geopolitical realignment, sustainability and defence preparedness.
Other speakers included veteran investor Ramesh Damani, World Gold Council CEO David Tait, Vianai Systems founder Dr Vishal Sikka, DeepTech Bharat Foundation co-founder Shashi Shekhar Vempati, defence experts Rajesh Kumar Singh, Sunil Ambekar, Patrick McGee, Tom Cooper and Adrian Fontanellaz, plus cultural and sporting icons Kangana Ranaut, Saina Nehwal, PR Sreejesh, Mohammed Shami, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mithali Raj, Anil Kapoor and Yami Gautam.
The summit was supported by Jio Financial Services (Presenting Partner), Phonepe and DS Group (Co-Presenting Partners), Pernod Ricard India and Kia Seltos (Powered By & Driven By), state governments of Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Uttarakhand (State Partners), and associate partners including NSE, M3M Foundation and Reliance Industries.
Broadcast live across News18 Network, CNBC-TV18 and CNBC Awaaz, the event reinforced India’s image as a confident democracy and emerging global power proving that when strength comes from within, the world can’t help but watch.
