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World Cup to aid Sony’s bid to touch Rs 10b revenues this fiscal: Rajat Jain
MUMBAI: The World Cup will drive revenues of Sony into the Rs 10 billion mark this fiscal, MAX executive vice president and business head Rajat Jain claims.
Jain also asserted that the World Cup would ensure that the paid subscriber base of the Sony-Discovery bouquet rises from the current 10 per cent to around 20 per cent of its reach. According to Jain, Sony Entertainment has a reach of 33 million subscribers.
Jain said that historically the trend has been that in a year when the World Cup is on, 9 to 11 per cent of the total TV ad spend is what cricket carves out. Taking the upper range of 11 per cent, the TV ad spend that both Sony and national broadcaster Doordashan can together expect to rake in would be about Rs 3520 million (factoring indiantelevision.com’s estimate of total TV ad spend this fiscal at Rs 32 billion). Jain was speaking on the sidelines of a press briefing where MAX announced its mega plans for the forthcoming World Cup
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This more or less ties in with expectations from media analysts that MAX would get around Rs 2 billion and DD-Nimbus Rs 1.5 billion in ad revenues out of this tournament.
Jain also mentioned that India accounted for 80 per cent of the entire global cricket advertising spend of Rs 10 billion per annum; a trend valid for those years in which the World Cup was being held. Little wonder why the ICC considers Indian audiences to be so important that all the match fixtures during future World Cups would be scheduled to prime time in India.
The Indian cricket team may not necessarily win the World Cup but the Indian audiences have definitely beaten the world before the first ball has been bowled.
Jain added that MAX was charging a hefty premium for the approximately 5000 seconds per match available for the 51 ‘live’ matches. He claimed that the premium is comparable to what Star introduced when KBC became such a rage but media analysts dispute the claims.
Jain also debunked the threat of terrestrial channel DD easing away a substantial chunk of the total World Cup TV ad spend by claiming: “As far as TV spends are concerned, history shows that DD has always lagged behind the C&S channels. Ad agencies are also aware of the fact that DD’s higher reach has never translated into higher consumer purchases. A person who cannot afford to buy a cable connection cannot afford buy many of the products being currently advertised on TV channels,” Jain pointed out.
The total inventory available to advertisers is around 255,000 seconds and if Sony manages to get Rs 2 billion, then the average rate at which they sell the 10-seconds spots works out to Rs 78,431 (a rate that many advertisers and agencies would settle for). Agency sources claim that MAX had initially quoted a rate of around Rs 1,25,000 for a 10 second spot as MAX had initially targeted a total revenue of Rs 3 billion.
The Rs 3 billion mark is what Sony has publicly declared it will achieve but even according to media buyers who are more bullish on Sony’s ad toplines for the World Cup, it will take some doing for it to manage the Rs 2.5 to Rs 2.6 billion figure.
Thus far, Sony has been touting the fact that it will not budge on its rates, but it remains to be seen who will blink first, Sony or the advertisers. That in the end could well determine whether it comes out of this World Cup with Rs 2.5 to Rs 2.6 billion in its ad kitty or has to settle for something closer to the Rs 2 billion number some buyers are putting out.
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.
