GECs
Tender deadlines for slate of sports properties coming up
MUMBAI: It’s a week of hectic activity ahead for sports broadcasters, with the deadlines for submission of tenders for a number of big and not so big properties coming up over the next few days.
The big daddy of them all of course is the ICC’s cricket rights, for which the present deadline for bids submission is 10 November.
Also up for bidding are the tenders for English Premiere League football (7 November deadline) and the rights to Bangladesh cricket (8 November).
As far as the Big One is concerned, up for grabs are the audio-visual rights for 18 ICC tournaments starting from the second half of 2007 till the World Cup in 2015.
The current agreement with Global Cricket Corporation (a News Corp subsidiary), which began in 2000, ends in March/April 2007 with the World Cup in the West Indies. GCC, which won the global rights with a $ 550 million bid, had sold the satellite rights for the Indian subcontinent territory to Sony Entertainment Television India for $ 208 million.
Market speculation on how high the bidding will go this time round range from at least a billion dollars to even as high as $ 2 billion.
While Sony is the “incumbent broadcaster” for ICC cricket, it is ESPN Star Sports which currently holds the rights to both Bangladesh cricket as well as EPL.
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.
