Sports
ESS sells 75% of inventory for Champions League T20
MUMBAI: ESPN Star Sports (ESS) said Wednesday it has sold 75 per cent of its on-air inventory for the Airtel Champions League Twenty20, which is set to kick off on 8 October.
The broadcaster has also roped in Coca-Cola as its beverage partner, while Onida has walked on board as the umpire sponsor. The deals are believed to be for a period of three years.
While ESS MD Manu Sawhney did not comment on the deal size at a media briefing, the Coca-Cola deal is said to be worth Rs 100 million.
On air, ESS has roped in Pepsi, Maruti Suzuki, Onida, Sony India, Airtel and Havells as sponsors.
There are no performance-linked deals for either the on-going Champions Trophy or this event. Earlier, ESS had signed a five-year deal with Airtel as the title sponsor for the Champions League.
Interestingly, with Pepsi and Coca-Cola taking on board as on-ground and on-air sponsors, there will be debate once again about which mechanism is more effective in terms of brand visibility.
Sawhney said ESS is holding back 15 per cent of inventory for the Champions Trophy which it will sell as India progresses. The media buyer, though, opines that ESS will have to be smart about how the remaining inventory is sold. If India loses its first match, then ESS will be on a tricky wicket.
Airtel Champions League Twenty20 chairman Lalit Modi said the winner gets $2.5 million in prize money. The runner up gets $1.3 million while the two losing semi-finalists get $500,000.
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.
