GECs
Star denies report on Phoenix pullout
MUMBAI: The Star Group has strongly refuted a recent report in the Financial Times that News Corp “has discussed withdrawing from Phoenix Satellite Television, its Hong Kong-based Chinese television joint venture.”
“We have not considered or discussed any exit from Phoenix. There is no logic in the report. Why should we pull out of what is an extremely profitable venture,” Jannie Poon, spokesperson at Hong Kong-based Star TV, News Corp’s Asian arm, has told Indiantelevision.com
The FT report, quoting people familiar with the situation, said News Corp was internally debating whether to sell of its entire 38 per cent stake in Phoenix over its JV partner’s failure to facilitate Star’s till now fruitless attempts to expand further in China. Star TV is currently restricted to upscale hotels and apartments and China’s southern province of Guangdong.
News Corp and Liu Changle, chairman of Phoenix, hold an equal 38 per cent stake (value roughly HK$ 2.2 billion at current exchange rates) in China’s leading commercial broadcaster.
GECs
Z launches ‘Dilfluencer Moments’ to boost brand engagement across screens
New omnichannel format blends TV characters, storytelling and digital reach to boost engagement and affinity
MUMBAI: Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (‘Z’) has unveiled ‘Dilfluencer Moments’, a new omnichannel media format designed to help brands cut through the clutter and turn audience attention into brand love.
With media access increasingly democratized, visibility alone no longer drives results. Shrinking attention spans and rising content noise have made memorability, emotional connection and action the real currency. Dilfluencer Moments addresses this by embedding brands into character-led, culturally resonant storytelling that travels seamlessly from TV to digital, social and creator ecosystems.
The format debuted with the “TumHoLovely” campaign on National Girl Child Day. Anchored in Hindi and Marathi shows, the campaign’s narrative extended organically across digital platforms, amplified by creators and community participation. A brand film featuring Sanya Malhotra further showcased how TV-originated cultural cues can spark broad engagement and virality. Within 24 hours, the campaign racked up 35 million total impressions, 20 million digital views, 2.5 million engagements and over 1,000 comments.
Laxmi Shetty, head – advertisement revenue, broadcast & digital, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd, said, “As consumers turn away from interruption-led communication, advertisers need moments that feel culturally earned and emotionally authentic. Dilfluencer Moments delivers reach at scale through character-first content systems that connect with audiences personally, transforming storytelling into brand love.”
Kartik Mahadev, chief marketing officer, ‘Z’ & Zee 5, added: “Access alone is no longer an advantage; affinity is. Affinity comes from storytelling, familiar characters and moments that stay with audiences across screens. Dilfluencer Moments lets brands participate meaningfully in moments audiences already love, travelling organically across linear, digital and social platforms at scale.”
By anchoring campaigns in high-trust television moments and extending them into digital and social ecosystems, Dilfluencer Moments enables brands to generate organic engagement, amplify virality and convert attention into long-term emotional equity.
With its national scale, deep emotional storytelling and character-first approach, Z is offering marketers a powerful new way to build affinity, cut through clutter and create culturally resonant brand moments that stick.
