iWorld
WinZO inks principal sponsorship deal with two PKL teams
Mumbai: Social gaming platform WinZO has been announced as the new principal sponsor for Future Group-owned Bengal Warriors and Adani Group’s Gujarat Fortune Giants for the Vivo Pro Kabaddi League’s (PKL) season 8.
Focusing on developing a culturally relevant sporting ecosystem, WinZO sees this sponsorship as organic and supporting local talent which promotes ‘Bharat ka Khel- Kabaddi,’ said the platform in a statement
With a presence in deepest parts of the country and 80 per cent of the user base consuming content in vernacular, WinZO persists to provide social interactive games and formats that are enjoyed by the masses. Hosting 80+ games in 12 languages for a user base of 65 million+, 90 per cent of WinZO’s user base is spread across tier 2 to tier 5 markets, it further said.
“Just like Kabaddi, WinZO is also homegrown and is building for Bharat. The opportunity struck an instant chord with us,” said WinZO co-founder and CEO Paavan Nanda. “We believe that the Vivo Pro Kabaddi League will certainly provide a massive boost to the growth of the sport and players in the country. It’s a matter of great pride for us to play our part in the advancement of Kabaddi in India.”
Vivo PKL, India’s professional Kabaddi league, is the second most viewed sporting event in the country, second only to the Indian Premier League (IPL), with a viewership of 430 million, said the statement.
“We are delighted to welcome WinZO as the lead sponsor for Bengal Warriors. The game Kabaddi has really found its rightful place as the largest sports league in India,” stated Bengal Warriors CEO Sandip Tarkas. “Bengal Warriors is one of the founding teams of Vivo PKL and is one of the most exciting teams in the league. With WinZO’s association, we are sure Kabaddi will make a BIG splash in the online games space as well.”
iWorld
JioStar revenue hits Rs 9,784 crore as cricket fuels 22 per cent growth
A surge in digital viewership and sports dominance fuels a blockbuster quarter for the media giant
MUMBAI: JioStar is batting on a flat pitch. The media titan’s fourth-quarter results for the financial year 2026 reveal a business scaling new heights, propelled by an unprecedented appetite for premium sports and digital-first storytelling.
Gross revenue for the quarter soared by 22.15 per cent to Rs 9,784 crore, up from Rs 8,010 crore in the third quarter. Operationally, the momentum was equally strong; revenue from operations climbed 21 per cent to Rs 8,372 crore. These figures underscore the firm’s successful integration following the Reliance and Disney merger, creating a dominant force in the Indian market.
The annual performance has been nothing short of a spectacle. Full-year gross revenue reached a massive Rs 36,248 crore, while annual profit after tax hit Rs 3,210 crore. This rapid expansion reflects JioStar’s ability to capture and monetise the massive growth in India’s media consumption.
Cricket proved to be the ultimate growth engine. The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 and TATA IPL 2026 delivered “record-breaking viewership” across both television and digital screens. The World Cup final alone drew a global peak concurrency of 72.5 million on JioHotstar, cementing its status as the nation’s premier streaming destination. On television, JioStar maintained a commanding 34.2 per cent viewership share, reaching a staggering 810 million viewers nationwide.
The digital numbers were just as impressive. JioHotstar averaged 500 million monthly active users, driven by consistent subscriber growth and innovative AI-led content discovery tools. These advancements are ensuring that JioStar remains at the cutting edge of the global “Race for Attention.”
With a firm grip on the country’s most valuable sporting rights and a rapidly growing digital footprint, JioStar is perfectly positioned for the future. It has built the ultimate content powerhouse—one that is ready to dominate the Indian living room for years to come.
