Sports
UK’s SIS to bag the Commonwealth Games rights
Doordarshan sources confirmed that the British group had been shortlisted out of the two consortiums – the other led by an Indian company – which had filed their bids when the last date (19 August) closed for this purpose, out of the five shortlisted earlier for production and coverage facilities in high definition television (HDTV).
NEW DELHI: UK-based Satellite Information Services (SIS) will bag the rights for producing and broadcasting the Commonwealth Games next year for the public broadcaster Doordarshan.
Sources, however, said that the matter had been referred to the Information and Broadcasting Ministry for its final decision along with some points raised by an empowered committee comprising top officials of Doordarshan and All India Radio.
Satellite Information Services Live of the United Kingdom has formed a consortium with SIS Broadcast and Satellite Information Services Ltd. as lead partner. SIS is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Satellite Information Services (Holdings) Ltd and is owned by a combination of leisure and financial investors.
The other shortlisted group was Nimbus Communications which had come in a consortium with Canadian Broadcasting Corporation as lead partner.
The others who had initially filed an Expression of Interest were Big Productions in consortium with the Beijing branch of Interpublic Marketing Services (Shanghai) Ltd. and Tokyo Broadcasting System Inc. as the lead partners; Nimbus Sports International Pte Ltd of Singapore in consortium with International Sports Broadcasting of the United States as the lead partner; and International Games Broadcast Services of Switzerland.
The Commonwealth Games 2010 are scheduled to be held from October 3 to October 14 next year. The estimated production cost for the event may turn out to be around $ 250 million, the source said.
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.
