GECs
‘Sponsorship rates have reduced by 20 per cent’ : Mohit Burman – Kings XI Punjab co-owner
|
Kings XI Punjab, the Mohali team for Indian Premier League (IPL), was bought for $76 million by Bombay Dyeing deputy MD Ness Wadia, actress Preity Zinta, Dabur India director Mohit Burman and Apeejay Surrendra Group chairman Karan Paul.
The four shareholders together formed KPH Dream Cricket Private Limited, the holding company of Kings XI Punjab. 
Kings XI Punjab is eyeing sponsorship revenues while cutting down on marketing expenses.
In an interview with Anushree Bhattacharyya, Burman talks about how the economic downturn is going to upset the revenue targets of the team franchisees.
Excerpts: |
|
|
Since Kings XI Punjab did not go for three-year sponsorship deals, how difficult has it been to retain them for the second IPL edition?
As for new deals this year, we have signed up with United Spirits while Reebok is our apparel sponsor. We will be closing two more deals in the next four to five days. Overall, we are looking at signing eight to nine sponsors this year. |
|
|
Has the downturn in the economy forced sponsorship rates to fall? |
|
|
Does this mean that the revenue targets have gone awry?
The fact that the IPL is held after a long gap doesn’t help matters. Globally, leagues are played for eight to nine months with a short break, providing sponsors a continuous flow of events. |
|
|
Where do you see most of your revenues coming from? |
|
|
Do you plan to decrease the ticket prices to pack more audiences into the stadium? |
|
|
Have you lined up your licensing and merchandising strategies? |
|
|
Have you trimmed your marketing expense this year? |
|
|
|
|
What role will Preity Zinta play to promote the franchisee this year?
Preity Zinta is one of the owners and she is welcome to play whatever role she desires. She has already contributed a lot last year and as the tournament gets closer, I am sure she will help us in our marketing activities. |
|
|
What was the idea behind organising the Kings XI Punjab Cup? |
|
|
A few franchises have partnered with TV channels in search of cheer leaders. What are your plans? |
|
|
Are you looking at beginning a cricket academy as Ness Wadia said that the franchisee job is to acquire and groom new players? |
|
|
Will Brett Lee’s injury affect your team’s performance? |
|
|
You got England’s Ravi Bopara for $450,000, three times his starting price of $150,000. Would you call this an intelligent investment, looking at the present market scenario?
Kolkata Knight Riders bought Mortaza at a very high rate. So was that an intelligent investment? Every team has to decide on their player investments, keeping many things in mind. While it is true that Bopara was expensive, it is a fact that we needed an all-rounder. And there were two other franchisees who were bidding for him. I believe Bopara would have gone for higher if other franchisees had not run out of money. |
|
|
With the dates of the Lok Sabha polls coinciding with some of the IPL matches, how would franchisees be impacted if venues were changed?
The IPL committee had asked the franchisees to create a back-up plan. Franchisees have an option to play in one or two grounds in the nearby areas. Rescheduling, thus, will not affect the plans of the franchisees. |
GECs
Sahara One reports financial results, notes director exit and business realignment
Muted revenues, steady expenses and strategic adjustments shape company’s current phase
MUMBAI: In a tale where the sands seem to be slipping faster than they can be gathered, Sahara One Media and Entertainment Limited has reported another quarter of wafer-thin income and widening losses, even as a boardroom exit adds to the unease.
The company informed the Bombay Stock Exchange that its board, in a meeting held on April 4, approved its unaudited financial results for the quarter ended September 30, 2025. The numbers paint a stark picture. Total income for the quarter stood at just Rs 0.13 lakh, unchanged sequentially and sharply down from Rs 0.26 lakh a year earlier.
Losses, meanwhile, deepened. The company posted a net loss of Rs 24.16 lakh for the quarter, compared to Rs 18.81 lakh in the June quarter and Rs 39.69 lakh in the same period last year. For the six months ended September 2025, the cumulative loss stood at Rs 39.69 lakh, while the full-year loss for FY25 was reported at Rs 60.72 lakh.
Expenses continued to outweigh income by a wide margin. Total expenses for the quarter came in at Rs 24.30 lakh, led by employee benefit costs of Rs 6.51 lakh and other expenses of Rs 17.78 lakh. Earnings per share remained in the red at Rs (0.11) for the quarter.
The balance sheet reflects a company with significant assets on paper but limited operational momentum. Total assets stood at Rs 23,065.57 lakh as of September 30, 2025, broadly unchanged from March 2025. Equity share capital remained steady at Rs 2,152.50 lakh, while total equity was reported at Rs 18,004.85 lakh.
Cash and cash equivalents saw a modest uptick to Rs 6.75 lakh from Rs 4.68 lakh earlier, supported by a positive operating cash flow of Rs 180.01 lakh for the period.
Yet, beneath these numbers lies a more complex narrative. The company’s auditors flagged their inability to obtain sufficient evidence to form a conclusion on the financial statements, citing lack of access to records. They also raised concerns over the company’s ability to continue as a going concern, pointing to insufficient funds, delayed recoveries, and stalled content investments.
Adding to the governance overhang, the company disclosed that Rana Zia has resigned as whole-time director, effective October 16, 2025, citing other professional commitments. The resignation, noted and accepted by the board, also brings an end to her role across company committees.
Regulatory pressures continue to loom large. The Securities and Exchange Board of India has already initiated penal actions for non-compliance with listing norms, with trading in the company’s shares remaining suspended. There is also a risk of promoter demat accounts being frozen.
Legacy legal issues remain unresolved. A substantial deposit of Rs 694,027.88 thousand linked to the long-running OFCD dispute involving Sahara group entities is still under the purview of the Supreme Court of India. Restrictions on asset disposal continue to weigh on the company’s financial flexibility.
Operationally, challenges persist across multiple fronts. Advances worth Rs 1,92,916 thousand given for film content remain stuck, with delays in project completion and uncertain recoverability. The company’s YouTube channel, despite being operational, has generated no revenue for over three years due to compliance lapses. In a further twist, management has indicated that revenues may have been fraudulently diverted through unauthorised changes to its AdSense account, with a police complaint in the works.
There are also missed revenue opportunities. Television content rights continue to be used by a related party despite the expiry of the licence agreement, with fresh negotiations still underway.
For now, Sahara One Media and Entertainment Limited appears caught between legacy disputes and present-day operational hurdles. As losses linger and governance questions mount, the road to recovery looks less like a sprint and more like a slow trudge through shifting sands.
