GECs
Star India rev growth offset by incremental rights expense, weakness in ad rev: Disney management
MUMBAI: The purchase of 21st Century Fox, which was aimed at helping Walt Disney Company's future plans, is causing initial pain to the Bob Iger-led media conglomerate. In its fiscal third quarter result for 2019, Disney missed earnings expectations partly because of the worse-than-expected performance of Fox assets. Star India, the newly acquired premium property of Disney after the completion of the merger, was not able to live up to expectations.
“We estimate Star generated about $150 million of operating income in the third quarter last year. Star's results this quarter came in well below our expectations and were driven primarily by a meaningful step-up in rights cost for the quadrennial Cricket World Cup and the Indian Premier League as revenue growth was more than offset by the incremental rights expense,” Disney Senior EVP and CFO Christine McCarthy said.
Despite the initial challenges, Disney CEO Bob Iger highlighted the benefits of the deal such as the addition of Star and Hotstar to the Disney portfolio giving a significant presence in India. He added that it is a huge market with interesting dynamics notably, a rapidly rising middle class with a strong and growing appetite for media, especially sports. He also noted that Hotstar’s broad array of premium sports rights will serve it well over the next five years especially as it expands the service into markets across Southeast Asia.
“It was the quadrennial Cricket World Cup, of course. They have their Indian Premier League, which is ongoing, but this is once every four years for the World Cup. There were a couple of significant games that were rained out. They have insurance coverage for some of those, but any proceeds would be in future periods. And there was also some weakness in advertising revenue that was related to the local advertising market,” Iger commented on Star’s performance in India.
Disney also continued to spend big on streaming services such as Disney+, ESPN+, the platforms where it sees its future. Moreover, the firm also took full operational control of streaming platform Hulu, which further affected the balance sheet.
Disney’s earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter decreased 28 per cent to $1.35 from $1.87 in the prior-year quarter where it was expected $1.74 by the analysts. Total revenue stood at $20.2 billion against the consensus estimate for $21.4 billion.
GECs
Asianet Television Awards 2026 celebrates women power in Malayalam TV
“She is the Colour” theme honours icons as ceremony airs on March 14 and 15 at 7 PM.
MUMBAI: If television lights up living rooms, this year Asianet decided to let women provide the colour. The Asianet Television Awards 2026 turned the spotlight firmly on women empowerment with the theme “She is the Colour”, celebrating the strength, resilience and achievements of women who continue to shape society and the Malayalam entertainment industry.
The ceremony honoured several distinguished personalities whose journeys have left a lasting cultural imprint. Among them was legendary playback singer Vimala Varma, widely recognised as the first Malayalam playback singer. The evening also paid tribute to Padma Shri awardees Devaki Amma and Vimala Menon for their exceptional contributions in their respective fields.
Leading women from the Malayalam film industry were also recognised during the event, including actor Shweta Menon, who currently serves as president of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists, and National Award winning actor Surabhi Lakshmi.
The awards ceremony brought together a glittering lineup of actors and industry figures, including Jayasurya, Vijay Babu, Asha Sarath, Lena, Esther Anil, Anumol, Akhila Bhargavan, Sarayu Mohan, Prajod Kalabhavan, Gayathri Suresh, Sabumon Abdusamad, Swasika, Tini Tom, Sijoy Varghese, Kailash, Veena Nandakumar, Sabareesh Varma, Ansiba Hassan and Dinesh Prabhakar. Kishan Kumar, executive vice president Malayalam at JioStar, was also present at the event.
Beyond individual recognitions, the awards celebrated excellence across Malayalam television, acknowledging artists and technicians whose work continues to drive the industry forward.
The evening also offered plenty of spectacle, with elaborate dance performances, stunt acts and comedy skits performed by popular television and film personalities, turning the ceremony into a full fledged entertainment showcase.
Viewers will get to watch the celebrations when the Asianet Television Awards 2026 air on Asianet on March 14 and 15, Saturday and Sunday, from 7 pm onwards, bringing the star studded tribute to homes across Kerala and beyond.
