Sports
ESS ropes in Samsung and Hero Honda as sponsors for Champions T20
MUMBAI: MUMBAI:Ahead of the Airtel Champions League Twenty20, ESPN Star Sports (ESS) has announced more on-ground sponsors. Samsung and Hero Honda have come in as associate sponsors while USL is the hospitality partner.
As had been reported earlier by Indiantelevision.com, the beverage partner is Coca Cola while Onida is the Umpire Partner. As far as on-air sponsorship deals are concerned the co-presenting sponsors are Bharti Airtel, Hero Honda and Onida. There are six associate sponsors – Samsung, Yahoo, Maruti Suzuki, Pepsi, Sony and Havells.
ESS has so far sold 95 per cent of its inventory. Says ESPN Software India MD RC Venkateish, “ We are well on the way in realizing our commercial objectives.”
ESPN Star Sports has become the largest investor in the game of cricket with leading boards including England, Australia, ICC and Champions League Twenty20 in its fold.
Sports
After Virat Kohli’s exit, One8 Commune Bengaluru shuts down
Outlet near Chinnaswamy closes amid rent row, compliance issues mount
BENGALURU: The One8 Commune outlet near M. Chinnaswamy Stadium has shut down following a court order, bringing a turbulent chapter for the high-profile dining destination to a close.
The immediate trigger was a legal dispute over unpaid dues. The outlet, operated by Trio Hills Hospitality, had reportedly defaulted on rent payments for nearly six months. Including maintenance charges and revenue share commitments, the outstanding amount is said to have crossed Rs 2 crore. A Bengaluru civil court subsequently directed the closure of the premises until all financial obligations are cleared.
The shutdown comes months after Virat Kohli, whose brand name lent the outlet its identity, had already distanced himself from the Bengaluru franchise. According to reports, concerns around repeated compliance-related issues prompted his team to withdraw the association. The removal of the One8 branding is believed to have impacted footfall, further straining the business.
The outlet had also faced regulatory scrutiny over the years. In 2024, authorities booked the establishment for operating beyond the 1:00 am curfew. The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike had issued notices over missing fire safety clearances, while an FIR was filed for violating tobacco regulations by not providing a designated smoking zone under applicable laws.
In response to the closure, the brand maintained that the issue stemmed from building-level compliance responsibilities linked to the property owner rather than operational lapses on its part. It also denied that financial default was the primary reason, reiterating that customer safety remained a priority.
For now, the shutters remain down. While a reopening is theoretically possible if disputes are resolved, the absence of Kohli’s brand association makes a return under the One8 banner increasingly unlikely.
