Executive Dossier
‘Max is an extremely successful channel’ : Max Sr EVP and business head Sneha Rajani
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Multi Screen Media‘s hybrid channel Max has completed 11 years and today is a prime asset of the company.
While it telecasts the lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL), in the movie space it is in close fight with Zee Cinema for the top spot. 
In an interview with Indiantelevision.com’s Gaurav Laghate, Max Sr EVP and business head Sneha Rajani talks about how Max has successfully run its movie and cricket businesses separately and profitably.
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Max has been both, praised and criticised, for changes in cricket programming. Your comments… Cricket was predominantly male viewing till we came into the market. We knew that in order to increase the base, it couldn‘t be just confined to the men. We had to make it all inclusive. So we took some seriously bold steps like introducing a woman anchor way back in 2002 (Ruby Bhatia) and Extraa Innings.
In the 2003 World Cup, we had three women instead of one – and purists went ballistic. The ratings increased five times, women audience grew 200 per cent and Extraa Innings touched a 19 TVR. Another milestone was duplicating the success of Extraa Innings with movies – Extra Shots. Mandira Bedi became the first movie jockey.
From 2008 we are having IPL. There has been no dull moment since then – we are made for each other. |
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What about movies? 3 Idiots is, perhaps, the biggest coup that Sony has pulled off. Look at the ratings of the first three airings. |
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With so much controversies and bad publicity going around IPL, will it have any adverse impact on your revenue targets? |
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Max being a hybrid channel, the cost of investment is much higher compared to a pure play movie channel… And yes, as for cricket, the rights have been acquired for 10 years. We are well aware of the costs. But as far as movie acquisition is concerned, we know the prices have gone up tremendously, which is why we have been extremely careful about how many movies we have picked up this year and at what price. |
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But you have acquired very few movies this year? |
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As Colors is buying movies aggressively for its upcoming movie channel, what will be your plan of action? |
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So what are the parameters that you look for while acquiring the movies? |
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When you are airing movies, you do not have scope for creative programming. How is your channel different from the other movie channels? So far we have Extraa Shots – which has a different look to it every month. We shoot with TV stars; we have picture-in-picture type shots etc. It has been refreshed continuously over time. |
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But how will you differentiate between your channel, and say, Zee Cinema and Star Gold if everyone is playing the same movies? I can say 99 per cent of our library is exclusive, and so is Zee‘s and Star‘s. There are very few – around 50 films that are shared in the market. |
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So you don‘t believe in the syndication model? I think it is not right for the broadcasters and for the movie itself. I think producers also should not encourage this as it completely devalues the product. |
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But many channels have formed business models on syndication. Like Colors acquired first airing, Imagine TV got second airings… We had to acquire some movies on syndication as they were not available otherwise. But going forward, we have not acquired any film that is on syndication. It is outright acquisition model that we are following. |
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Which movies you had to take on syndication? |
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The window between theatrical release and TV premiere has shortened. But a movie channel gets the movie after it airs on the general entertainment channel. Is there a return on investment?
If not, why will Colors launch a movie channel? And let me tell you, I can‘t talk about the other movie channels, but Max is a very successful channel. Not just from the ratings point of few, but as a business it is extremely successful. And as you rightly said, the big premiere happens on a general entertainment channel simply because the effective rates on a GEC are far higher than a movie channel. But there is a model there which works, and that‘s why everyone is doing it. In other words, we recover what we invest. |
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But Zee Cinema is not investing heavily on acquisitions and rates higher than Max. So is it not a more effective business channel? And talking about Sony, even before we launched Max, our brand promise was that we are known for our blockbusters. Our strategies  are different. I wouldn‘t say theirs is more effective or ours is. And if you see the last five years, Max has been leading more than them. Obviously our strategy is also working. Also don‘t forget that Zee Cinema has got a first mover advantage. It‘s a far older channel. People are used to it and in the Hindi heartland they have a huge following. |
MUMBAI: Game faces on, pressure high India’s gaming ambitions are levelling up. Good Game, billed as the world’s first as-live global gaming reality show, has officially launched in India with a bold mission: to crown the country’s first Global Gaming Superstar.
Blending esports with mainstream entertainment, the show brings together competitive gaming, creativity and on-camera performance in a format that tests more than just joystick skills. Contestants will be judged on gameplay, screen presence and their ability to perform under pressure, reflecting how gaming has evolved from pastime to profession and pop culture currency.
Fronting the show are three high-profile ambassadors: actor and entrepreneur Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Indian cricket star Rishabh Pant, and gaming creator Ujjwal Chaurasia. The winner will take home Rs 1 crore ($100,000) among the largest prize pools for any Indian reality show along with the chance to represent India on a global stage.
Backed by a planned annual investment of up to Rs 100 crore, Good Game is also courting brand partners, promising a minimum reach of 500 million among India’s core youth audience. The creators position the show as a bridge between entertainment and interactive culture, offering long-format content, community engagement and commercial scale.
Auditions are now open to Indian citizens aged 18 and above, inviting amateur and professional gamers, creators and performers alike. Shortlisted candidates will be called for in-person auditions in Mumbai on 14 and 15 February, and in Delhi on 28 February and 1 March 2026.
With big money, big names and even bigger ambition, Good Game signals a shift in how India views gaming not just as play, but as performance, profession and prime-time spectacle.
