iWorld
Streaming war intensifies, as Amazon eyes MGM studios
KOLKATA: US tech giant Amazon is in talks to acquire the “Bond studio” MGM to bolster its ambition in the streaming media, according to reports. The mega-deal is being orchestrated by Amazon Studios and Prime Video senior vice president Mike Hopkins, along with MGM board chairman Kevin Ulrich.
Founded in 1924 MGM’s wide Hollywood library includes names like Bond, Hobbit, Rocky, and Pink Panther franchises as well as movies like The Silence of the Lambs, The Magnificent Seven, Four Weddings, and A Funeral along with a streaming service Epix.
Although media is not a big part of e-commerce giant Amazon’s portfolio, it has gradually increased focus on the segment. Prime Video’s viewer base has surpassed 175 million, the company revealed recently. According to reports, MGM has been looking for prospective buyers. While the company wants to value itself at $9 billion, others are valuing it at $5 billion.
At the end of 2020, there were already reports that MGM had tapped Morgan Stanley and LionTree to explore a sale. Even Apple and Comcast also reportedly spoke to the studio but they could not reach an agreement.
The reports came close on the heels of Discovery-AT&T’s media assets merger deal to build a new streaming giant. In the last few years, the global media and entertainment industry has witnessed a number of consolidations as the streaming competition rises.
eNews
Paisabazaar launches Credit Premier League 2.0
Nationwide campaign rewards highest credit scores with Rs 1 lakh top prize.
MUMBAI: When credit scores become a national league, even your CIBIL report starts feeling like it’s playing in the IPL and Paisabazaar has just kicked off the second season. Paisabazaar, India’s leading marketplace for financial products and the country’s largest free credit score platform, has announced the return of the Credit Premier League (CPL) 2.0, a fun, nationwide initiative to recognise and reward individuals with the highest credit scores.
Building on the success of the first edition, CPL 2.0 introduces higher rewards and broader participation. The individual(s) with the highest credit score in the country will win Rs 1 lakh, while state champions will each receive Rs 10,000. Additionally, all participants from the winning state, the one with the highest average credit score will also be rewarded.
All winnings will be credited directly to winners’ PB Wallet, allowing them to pay credit card bills, recharge mobiles, or settle utility bills seamlessly on the Paisabazaar platform.
Paisabazaar CEO Santosh Agarwal said the campaign aims to make credit awareness more engaging and mainstream. “With CPL, we are bringing together engagement, gamification and rewards to make conversations around credit scores more mainstream,” he noted. “Our focus remains on building a financially aware and credit-healthy Bharat.”
The first edition of CPL saw over 5.5 million participants, with the highest individual score touching 861. Delhi recorded the highest average credit score of 746.
Consumers can participate simply by checking their free credit score on the Paisabazaar platform or app. The CPL leaderboard and rankings will be available exclusively on the Paisabazaar App.
In a country where financial dreams are serious business, Paisabazaar has found a smart way to turn credit scores into an exciting game – because when your financial health gets rewarded, everyone wants to play.
