GECs
Star Maa’s Bigg Boss Telugu Season 7 launches with a bang; onboards 19 sponsors
Mumbai: Bigg Boss Telugu, the most popular reality show in the twin states of AP & Telangana has kicked off its seventh edition with much enthusiasm. It has onboarded a whopping 19 sponsors spanning various categories such as FMCG, Construction/Real Estate, Jewellery, Durables, and Automotive, among others. Brands onboard include Dabur, Maruti, Jos Alukkas, Radha TMT, Indulekha, Freedom Edible Oil, Coke, Whisper, Centuary Fiber, Cera, Britannia, Kajaria Cements, Haier, Butterfly, Docilekart, Shastry Balm, Orill & Mondelez.
“Bigg Boss Telugu over the last 6 years on Star Maa has consistently been the most-watched Reality TV show in Telugu. The magic of Bigg Boss Telugu lies in its ability to bring families together and create unforgettable moments,” said Amrutha Nair, Head – Ad Sales and Strategy, Entertainment Network Channels, Disney Star. “We are thrilled by the response from brands for the seventh season of the show, it is a sign of a great festive season. Bigg Boss Telugu offers an exceptional platform for brands to leave a lasting impact, thanks to its extensive reach, and dedicated audience. It provides brands with an uncluttered media platform and numerous opportunities for sustained visibility, which can be rare during the bustling festive season. We look forward to presenting another engaging and entertaining season of the show to our Telugu viewers,” she added.
With the launch of the seventh edition of Star Maa’s Bigg Boss Telugu on 3 September 2023, it’s evident that the show has secured a special place in the hearts of Telugu audiences. The show’s ability to maintain relevance among diverse age groups and its unwavering commitment to enhancing entertainment for its loyal viewer base have been key factors contributing to its enduring success season after season.
The show’s campaign received immense traction this year too. With a central theme of everything being “upside down’ or “उल्टापुल्टा, the hashtag #BiggBossTelugu7 has achieved a remarkable reach of 1.5 billion, accompanied by over 8 million engagements.
In the prior season, an astonishing 8.4 crore (84 million) individuals were reached, with over 40 billion viewing minutes generated. These remarkable numbers underscore the show’s enormous popularity and influence. In this season, Bigg Boss Telugu has shifted to the coveted prime-time slot of 9:30 PM, enhancing its accessibility to a broader audience. This time adjustment is also a strategic step aimed at guaranteeing that the captivating drama and entertainment of the show reaches an even larger number of households.
As Bigg Boss Telugu gears up for another sensational season, with 100+ days of non-stop entertainment, it’s clear that its ability to innovate, engage, and captivate audiences across generations remains unwavering, while brands continue to capitalise on its unique association opportunities.
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.
