iWorld
Telecom Italia & Rupert Murdoch’s Sky partner for Internet TV service
MUMBAI: Fibre-optic cable TV has landed in Italy as part of a strategic partnership between Telecom Italia and Rupert Murdoch’s Sky. The companies will be sharing their assets and their respective expertise to bring forth a key business project that will also boost ultra-broadband demand in Italy.
With this partnership, the two companies take a crucial step forward towards “convergence” between media and TLC, as the deal makes way for the first “quadruple play” offer in Italy, integrating landline and mobile services, broadband and ultra-broadband connectivity and premium television content available “anytime and anywhere” on all Internet-connected devices.
The excellence of content and the uniqueness of Sky’s viewing experience turn into drivers for spreading TIM’s ultra-broadband and, at the same time, the access to Telecom Italia’s latest generation networks allows Sky to benefit from a new distribution platform for its content and services offer.
The initiative strengthens TIM’s strategy in distributing innovative services and confirms its role as technology enabler thanks to very high-speed networks, thus bringing more and more households closer to the very quality of content and the new modes to enjoy the Sky-branded viewing experience.
Similarly, the agreement with Telecom Italia does carry a strategic meaning for Sky too, as it makes all its wide-ranging offer of programs and exclusive services available on broadband and on ultra-broadband networks as well thus extending pay TV scope to reach out, for example, those prospects who reside in the city centers of the many Italian art cities and cannot install the satellite dish and therefore access Italy’s best TV offer.
The TIM Sky joint offer will be available for TIM’s private customers with a fibre-optic connection from 30 to 100 Mbit/s and 20 Mbit/s ADSL.
With TIM’s broadband and ultra-broadband networks, Sky’s television offer and user experience will equal those available via satellite. An offering featuring more than 150 channels, with all the quality of HD (about 60 HD channels and one 3D channel) and with all the innovative features that make viewing experience unique, from Sky On Demand, the video-library with more than 2500 titles to be watched at any time, to Restart, the service enabling subs to restart a movie already on air from the very beginning. All the other My Sky HD features allowing customers to record their favorite programs, pause a live show or watch again whatever scene with the replay, will be active within the summer.
For the first year, the TIM Sky offer will be proposed, as a promotion, starting from €14 per month for users already with fibre or ADSL connectivity and from €39 per month for a quadruple play package (internet landline and mobile, voice and TV content).
Telecom Italia CEO Marco Patuano said, “Today, in Italy, with Sky, we are starting a new collaboration model between Telco and Media Companies that allows us to go to the market with a fully convergent offer. We are convinced that this strategic deal is an important driver for the development of the new ultra-broadband networks and of the innovative technologies that are at the core of our business plan featuring more than 5 billion euros investments for the three years period 2015-2017. We are particularly pleased with this partnership as it allows our customers to access exclusive and high quality content thanks to Telecom Italia’s technological expertise and Sky’s editorial richness.”
“This partnership is an example of how two leading companies, that have always been investing in innovation, can join together to create something that until recently was not even possible in Italy, therefore boosting demand, so far only potential, for quality pay TV also through ultra-broadband. From now on Telecom Italia’s fibre will bring all the richness of content and the excellence of Sky’s viewing experience, with HD, on demand, Restart, My Sky features, into the houses of millions of Italian families who, for various reasons, could not install a dish. Sky is currently present on all the main distribution platforms and this agreement does carry a strong strategic value for us as it broadens Sky’s commercial prospects base. To understand its importance just think that in the UK almost 20% of households enjoy a pay TV offer through cable or broadband,” added Sky Italia CEO Andrea Zappia.
iWorld
Uber spotlights Rs 25 bike rides with music led IPL campaign
Uber uses 15 second music films with Divine and Roll Rida to push Rs 25 rides
MUMBAI: In a season where ads usually swing for sixes with celebrity spectacle, Uber has chosen to play a clever single sharp, fast, and straight to the point. Uber has rolled out a distinctly stripped-down IPL campaign, putting its product Uber Bike rides starting at Rs 25 for up to 3 km front and centre, rather than leaning on big-budget storytelling. The campaign features hip-hop artist Divine in Mumbai and Roll Rida in southern markets, using music as the primary vehicle for recall.
IPL advertising has long been dominated by high-production narratives packed with cricketers and film stars. Uber’s approach flips that playbook. Instead of elaborate storytelling, the brand opts for 15-second music-led films quick, rhythmic bursts designed to mirror the pace of urban mobility itself.
The message is deliberately simple, affordable, fast rides that cut through city traffic. No layered plots, no extended build-up just a functional promise delivered with cultural flair.
In the Mumbai-led film, Divine zips through traffic on an Uber Bike, turning the Rs 25 price point into a hook with his signature wordplay around “pachisi”. The campaign cleverly reframes affordability as a moment of delight, the kind that leaves commuters with a “32-teeth smile” after beating traffic at minimal cost.
Meanwhile, Roll Rida’s version leans into southern sensibilities, blending Telugu and Tamil influences with high-energy visuals. Set to the beat of tape drums, the film celebrates how low-cost rides can unlock a more connected and vibrant city experience. Together, the films reflect a conscious push towards regional authenticity, rather than a one-size-fits-all national narrative.
The campaign also signals Uber’s sharper focus on India’s growing bike taxi segment. While the company offers multi-modal services spanning cars, autos, metro integrations and intercity travel, this push zeroes in on two-wheelers as a key growth lever in dense urban markets.
By anchoring the campaign around a Rs 25 entry price for short distances, Uber is targeting everyday commuters, particularly younger users navigating congested cities where speed and cost matter more than comfort.
With IPL advertising clutter at its peak, even the most straightforward message risks getting lost. Uber’s answer is to embed the proposition within culture using music, regional nuance and repeat-friendly short formats to drive recall. The creative team has also layered subtle visual cues including multiple references to “25” within frames encouraging repeat viewing and reinforcing the core message without over-explaining it.
The campaign reflects a broader shift in advertising priorities. As attention spans shrink and media environments get noisier, brands are increasingly favouring clarity over complexity and speed over scale.
Uber’s IPL play may not shout the loudest, but it lands where it matters in the everyday commute. Because sometimes, in a marketplace full of grand narratives, a Rs 25 ride is story enough.
