Sports
Neo Cricket ropes in Tata DoCoMo as season partner
MUMBAI: Neo Cricket which is looking for six to eight season partners has managed to rope in Tata DoCoMo.
A media buyer, while declining to comment on the size of the investment, notes that the commitment starts with the seven match ODI series between India and Australia. It continues till the South Africa series next year.
The buyer further notes that with this sustained visibility, the company will be able to plan its marketing activities better. Neo Cricket is looking to charge rates similar to what Sony had got for the IPL. When contacted Neo Sports Broadcast COO Prasana Krishnan declined to comment.
It is expected that the Australia series will do better than the Champions Trophy. Though, if there is a drop compared with previous bilateral ODI India series then serious questions may be raised by advertisers about the viability of the ODI format.
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.
