iWorld
Voot ropes in Swiggy & CoinDCX as ‘co-powered by sponsors’ for Bigg Boss OTT
Mumbai: Days before Bigg Boss OTT debuts exclusively on Voot, the streaming platform has successfully onboarded food delivery platform Swiggy and cryptocurrency exchange platform CoinDCX as co-powered by sponsors for the reality show.
The OTT special edition will be hosted by Karan Johar for the first six weeks following which it will be aired on Colors TV. The deal will allow the two brands to engage with consumers through industry-first innovations, said the platform on Tuesday.
Swiggy is among the earliest digital-first companies in India and will use this occasion to celebrate its seventh birthday with both viewers and contestants. Swiggy will deliver one of the most special IPs of Bigg Boss OTT that will enable fans to digitally interact with their favourite contestants once a week, it said.
While CoinDCX is looking to build trust through education to foster awareness and credibility with respect to the cryptocurrency industry. They have chosen to partner with Bigg Boss OTT with a host of innovative content integrations and digital interactivity that will build awareness and educate users about cryptocurrency. A trivia quiz “Hazaaron Jeetenge Karodo Inaam” has been specially designed for Bigg Boss fans on Voot along with CoinDCX’s Learn team, giving viewers a chance to play and win multiple prizes as they watch their favourite reality show.
Apart from the digital interactivity, CoinDCX is also set to garner deep brand exposure and visibility through an exclusively designed branded zone in the house, where CoinDCX will share a screen with the entertaining contestants of the house, setting up space for some juicy conversations, arguments, and fights amongst them.
Viacom18 digital ventures, head – AVOD (Voot), Chanpreet Arora said, “Bigg Boss OTT is a pioneering step that blends entertainment and technology seamlessly. Given the all-digital play, Bigg Boss OTT is designed to empower the viewer with one-of-a-kind interactive features brought to life through polls, quizzes, voting, and a lot more, thus changing the narrative of reality shows and bringing in a whole new paradigm of engagement. Bigg Boss OTT, power-packed with gamification and engagement, has successfully garnered patronage of cutting-edge brands and we are excited to welcome Swiggy and CoinDCX as our ‘co-powered by’ sponsors. We are driven to explore newer ways to keep our viewers engaged while partnering with top-notch brands for India’s biggest reality show!”
Elaborating on the partnership, Swiggy, director-marketing, Umesh Krishna K said, “Bigg Boss has been a marque property in Indian entertainment for more than a decade. When we started our partnership with Voot for Bigg Boss in 2018, we were taken aback by the scale of viewership on VOD. Bigg Boss helps us connect with our core audience through advertising and meaningful integrations, and we hope that the engagement will be far-reaching this year around.”
Talking about the collaboration, CoinDCX, head of marketing and communications, Ramalingam Subramanian said, “I believe the audience that CoinDCX appeals to is well-aligned with Voot. The OTT platform already has a large share of the audience that falls under the same category which we focus on. This makes it a perfect fit for us. CoinDCX has been a pioneering player in the crypto space in India with a vision to make crypto accessible to Indians. Our association with Voot for Big Boss OTT should further help CoinDCX in creating awareness and educating retail investors about cryptocurrency as an asset class.
The show will start streaming on Voot from 8 August.
iWorld
Bill Ackman’s Pershing Square makes $64 billion bid to acquire Universal Music Group
Ackman pitches NYSE relisting plan as UMG board weighs unsolicited offer
The hedge fund has proposed a business combination that values UMG at €30.40 per share, representing a hefty 78 per cent premium to its current trading price. The offer includes €9.4 billion in cash alongside stock in a newly formed entity, with shareholders set to receive €5.05 per share in cash and 0.77 shares in the new company for each UMG share they hold.
Under the proposal, UMG would merge with Pershing Square SPARC Holdings Ltd and re-emerge as a Nevada-based entity listed on the New York Stock Exchange. The move is designed to boost investor visibility and potentially secure inclusion in major indices such as the S&P 500.
Pershing Square Capital Management ceo Bill Ackman argued that while UMG’s operational performance remains strong, its market valuation has lagged due to external factors. “UMG’s stock price has languished due to a combination of issues that are unrelated to the performance of its music business,” Ackman said, pointing to concerns ranging from shareholder overhang to delayed US listing plans.
Ackman also flagged what he sees as untapped potential in UMG’s balance sheet and a lack of clear capital allocation strategy. He added that the market has not fully recognised the value of UMG’s €2.7 billion stake in Spotify, alongside gaps in investor communication.
The proposed transaction would also result in the cancellation of around 17 per cent of UMG’s outstanding shares, while maintaining its investment-grade balance sheet. Pershing Square has said it will fully backstop the equity financing, with debt commitments secured at signing. The deal is targeted for completion by the end of the year.
UMG, however, has struck a measured tone. The company confirmed that its board has received the non-binding proposal and will review it with advisers. It reiterated confidence in its current strategy and leadership under Lucian Grainge, signalling no immediate shift in stance.
The proposal comes at a time when global music companies are navigating evolving investor expectations, streaming economics and capital allocation pressures. For Pershing Square, the bet is clear: sharpen the financial story, relist in the US, and let the music play louder in the markets.
Whether UMG’s board is ready to change the tune remains to be seen, but the spotlight on its valuation just got a lot brighter.
