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Ten Sports to join Sony-Discovery bouquet
MUMBAI: Sony Discovery is carving out a powerful distribution bouquet. Its latest prize catch: Ten Sports.
The distribution deal is for five years. SET Discovery and Taj Television (India) signed the contract.
Ten Sports will join the Sony Discovery’s One Alliance distribution bouquet with effect from 1 April. Confirming this, SET Discovery president Shantonu Aditya says: “I am confident that this latest addition will complement the diverse mix of programming enjoyed by millions of viewers of TheOneAlliance.”
One Alliance is working out the price of the new bouquet which will include MTV, Nick, NDTV Profit, Animax, Discovery Travel & Living and Ten Sports.
Ten Sports was earlier distributed by Modi Entertainment Network but legal disputes affected the contract. For several months, Ten Sports could not collect pay revenues as it did not have a distribution team in place. Taj Television, the holding company for Ten Sports, was in negotiations with Zee Telefilms and Sony Discovery for a distribution deal.
Welcoming Ten Sports to TheOneAlliance bouquet, SET India CEO Kunal Dasgupta says: “With Ten Sports joining TheOneAlliance, we are sure of providing more value to our customers. The combination of the overall content of Ten Sports, and especially its cricket properties, MAX’s ICC Cricket rights will provide all sports fans in the country a great opportunity to savor the best events in the world .”
Adds Taj Television CEO Chris McDonald: “As a group, we are delighted with this development. Given the strength of TheOneAlliance distribution team on the ground, I am certain this is a step in the right direction. Ten Sports will continue to bring in quality sports coverage, including many hundreds of days of live cricket.”
Sony Discovery will now have two channels engaged in sports broadcasting – the hybrid Max channel which has the World Cup cricket telecast rights and Ten Sports which has the telecast rights to the Indo-Pakistan series next year. Ten Sports broadcasts cricket from Sharjah, the West Indies, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Morocco
In the new distribution bouquet, Sony-Discovery will have MTV, Nick, NDTV Profit, Animax and the recently acquired Sab TV. The other channels in the bouquet include Sony TV, Max, Animal Planet, NDTV and Discovery, each addressing a specific genre of entertainment.
NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
