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Neo Cricket set to rebrand as Neo Prime
MUMBAI: As part of its strategy to focus on non-cricket sports, Neo Sports Broadcast has rebranded its cricket focussed channel to a premium all-sports channel.
Consequently, Neo Cricket will have its name changed to Neo Prime starting 3 June.
With reduced live cricket property and a surge in volume in multiple sports, NSB believes two all sports channel is the current need of the hour.
Neo Sports Broadcast COO Prasana Krishnan said, “Neo Prime is the prime feed of a premium all-sports channel. The channel will showcase HD ready sports content and will shortly launch its HD offering.”
The decision to rebrand Neo Cricket is twofold. One, the broadcaster doesn‘t have live cricket to run a dedicated cricket channel. Two, a lot of Neo Sports properties were overlapping creating scheduling conflicts.
“The network will shortly announce a slew of big ticket acquisitions and multiple all sports channels will ensure scheduling conflicts are addressed to maximise the network viewership,” Krishnan said.
As part of a long term strategy, Neo has been acquiring sporting events including Uefa Euro 2012, French Open, World Series Hockey, Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, Copa America and Rugby World Cup in addition to the existing bouquet of Asia Cup, German Bundesliga, Davis Cup, US PGA Tour, BWF Badminton Super Series, and Fed Cup.
Neo Cricket was born in the wake of the BCCI rights which now reside with Star India. Neo has adopted a strategy that would run with primarily other sports like football, hockey, tennis and badminton.
Also read: Neo Prime begins its journey as all sports channel
MAM
Lego brings Messi, Ronaldo, Mbappé, Vinicius together
Campaign clocks 314 million views ahead of FIFA World Cup 2026 buzz.
MUMBAI: Four legends, one frame and not a single tackle in sight. Lego has pulled off a crossover few thought possible, uniting Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior in a single campaign ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026 only this time, they’re building dreams brick by brick.
Titled “Everyone wants a piece”, the campaign features the quartet assembling a Lego version of the World Cup trophy, before placing miniature versions of themselves atop it, a playful nod to football’s ultimate prize. Shared widely across social media, the ad carries a pointed disclaimer: it is not AI-generated, a subtle but telling signal in an era where even reality is often questioned.
The numbers tell their own story. The campaign has already crossed 314 million views on Instagram across the players’ accounts, with fans hailing it as a rare, almost nostalgic moment particularly for the reunion of Messi and Ronaldo, whose last shared campaign ahead of the 2022 World Cup became one of the platform’s most-liked posts.
Beyond the film, Lego is extending the play with exclusive, player-themed sets tied to each of the four stars, part of a broader football-led programme designed to ride the global momentum building towards 2026. The idea, as echoed by the players themselves, leans into the parallels between football and play experimentation, creativity, failure, and triumph.
Messi described the sets as a way to bring on-pitch moments into an imaginative, hands-on world, while Ronaldo called the transformation into a Lego figure a rare honour, blending sport with storytelling. Vinícius, meanwhile, struck a more personal note, recalling childhood moments of building with Lego and framing creativity as a universal language that transcends borders.
The timing is no accident. With the 2026 World Cup set to run from June 11 to July 19 across the United States, Canada and Mexico, and featuring an expanded 48-team format, global anticipation is already building. Argentina, led by Messi, will enter as defending champions, adding another layer of intrigue.
For Lego, the campaign does more than celebrate football, it taps into its mythology. Because when icons become figurines and rivalries turn into play, the beautiful game finds a new kind of pitch. one built, quite literally, by hand.
