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Viacom18 shatters records with landmark Paris 2024 Olympics broadcast
Mumbai: In their first-ever Olympics broadcast, Viacom18’s Paris 2024 coverage became the most comprehensive Olympic presentation yet in India, delivering the highest-ever viewership for the Olympics in India across linear and digital platforms. Over 17 crore viewers came to JioCinema and Sports18 Network amassing an unprecedented watch-time of over 1500 crore minutes as more people watched Olympics content for longer than ever before in India.
For the first time, Olympics coverage in India was presented across 20 concurrent feeds, on JioCinema for free, as fans watched their preferred action and Indian performances anytime, anywhere on their preferred device making it the most-watched Olympics ever. The 17 sports-wise feeds and three curated feeds, all available in 4K gave viewers the ability to track the finest athletes in the world in action at Paris 2024.
On linear platforms, Sports18 – 1, Sports18 – 1 HD, Sports18 – 2 ran India-focused feed, Global Action was available on Sports18 – 3. Sports18 – 1 and Sports18 – 1 HD presented the Games in English with Tamil and Telugu available on the language button. Sports18 – 2 offered Paris 2024 in Hindi.
“Paris 2024 is a prime example of how non-cricket sporting action is continuing to grow in adoption amongst Indian audiences. Both the viewership scale and the enthusiastic advertiser participation bear testimony to that. Our Olympic coverage was not just a world-class production, it allowed viewers to watch the action with studio experts (former Olympians), with commentary in local languages, along with compelling storytelling, and fascinating live & non-live coverage of every event across two weeks,” said Viacom18 – digital CEO Kiran Mani. “Our endeavour is to constantly enhance the sports viewing experience, engaging sports fans across all screens and for longer, while giving advertisers the avenues and opportunities to reach their consumers most effectively.”
The innovations in the digital viewing experience for Paris 2024 democratised access to the pinnacle of sports in an unprecedented way. Viacom18 presented the Olympics in four languages with an expert panel of former Olympians like never before, along with the biggest ever on-ground coverage of the event by an Indian broadcaster with a crew of 20+ people and ground presence across six venues. To top it up, presenting the Games with educative and exciting commentary and content that captured all the emotion and effort attached to each sport expanded user interest.
The immersive coverage tipped off with a dedicated camera feed on the India float throughout the Opening Ceremony giving viewers a ring-side view of the Indian contingent. In addition, viewers enjoyed coverage of India’s glorious moments with live interviews alongside a domain expert from the studio. The opening ceremony was made available across Sports18 Network, Colors Network, VH1 and MTV besides being free on JioCinema.
For advertisers, the expansive presentation presented an unparalleled opportunity to engage with a highly passionate and diverse audience. As many as 69 brands, most to date in the history of Olympics broadcasting in India, saw the value in associating with the quadrennial spectacle leading to advertising revenue increasing 2.6x over the previous edition. The Viacom18 presentation’s co-presenting partners were Reliance Foundation, SBI, and JSW. Coca Cola India Ltd, Herbalife were associate partners while other top advertisers included RBI, AMFI, Aditya Birla Capital, Air India, Bacardi Martini India Ltd, MRF among others.
The Paris 2024 presentation offered innovative ad assets like Split Screen ads, four-sided Squeeze Backs, contextual assets like Super Start, Winning Moment, Super Saves and Branded Tabs on Medal Tally, and Schedule, coupled with brand presence during key India moments which helped the advertisers to establish an associative value with the event.
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.
