News Broadcasting
Zee bags cricket rights, ESPN-Star loses out
Mumbai: Zee Telefilms Limited, Indias largest media and entertainment conglomerate today accepted the BCCI offer to increase the bid price to US$ 308 million, thus bagging the telecast rights for Indian cricket.
In lieu of the increase in bid price, BCCI has offered 144 days of International cricket, which is likely to go upto 160 days. This is against the earlier indicated offer of 108 days of international cricket for 4 years.
Expressing his feelings after winning the highest ever bid in the history of Indian cricket Subhash Chandra, Chairman Zee Network said, It is an overwhelming feeling to have finally been able to seal the deal which I always believed from the day one was legitimately ours.
Chandra, added, We did not get the schedule of cricket to be played until yesterday and so could share the schedule of payments with BCCI today. Considering all aspects we have accepted the new offer ensuring that the rights for the coveted series lie with the Indias largest media and entertainment conglomerate.
News Broadcasting
Times Network to air JVC Exit Poll across 5 regions on April 29
Four-hour broadcast spans states and Puducherry with data-led analysis
MUMBAI: Times Network is set to roll out what it calls one of its most expansive election programming efforts yet, culminating in the JVC Exit Poll on 29 April, with a multi-hour broadcast spanning key poll-bound regions.
The exit poll will air across Times Now and Times Now Navbharat, beginning at 5pm and 4pm respectively. Co-powered by Vedanta and Jindal Stainless, the programming aims to combine on-ground reportage with data-driven projections across West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam and Puducherry.
The network has deployed over 50 journalists across these regions, gathering voter sentiment and local insights in the run-up to polling. The effort builds on its ongoing election formats such as Election Yatra and Election Premier League, which have tracked campaign narratives and community-level issues.
In parallel, Times Now Navbharat has focused on constituency-level reporting in West Bengal through its Jan Gan ka Mann series, capturing voter opinions across diverse segments.
The coverage has also featured interviews with prominent political leaders. Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Congress leaders Ramesh Chennithala and V D Satheesan have appeared on the network’s election specials. From Tamil Nadu, voices including deputy chief minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran, BJP leader K Annamalai and NTK’s Seeman have also featured in discussions.
On the day of the exit poll, the network’s primetime anchors, including Navika Kumar, Zakka Jacob and Sumit Awasthi, will lead the coverage. They will be joined by a panel of political analysts, psephologists and senior journalists offering real-time insights and interpretation of trends.
The programming will integrate grassroots reportage with analytics from the JVC Exit Poll, aiming to give viewers an early sense of electoral outcomes ahead of the official results on 4 May.
With its combined English and Hindi broadcast reach, Times Network is positioning this effort as a comprehensive look at voter sentiment, blending field reporting, data and debate to decode what could lie ahead when the final mandate is revealed.
