iWorld
Planetcast expands online content streaming services with acquisition of Switch Media OTT, Australia
Mumbai: Planetcast Media Services, a leading media technology services provider in India and Southeast Asia, today announces the acquisition of one of its key partners, Switch Media, a white-label OTT platform provider deployed across Asia-Pacific, Europe and the US. The transaction, which has been finalised, will transfer full control of all Switch Media’s assets to Planetcast.
Founded in 2006, the Australian-headquartered Switch Media has innovated and delivered complex, multi-award-winning online streaming solutions, from ingest to delivery, for major brands and live events worldwide, including the Summer and Winter Olympics, FIFA World Cup and Formula 1 for customers such as Foxtel Australia and Media Prima Malaysia. Switch Media is already a strategic partner of Planetcast and has been providing cutting-edge OTT solutions to the company. The acquisition enables Planetcast to fully integrate Switch Media’s online video solutions with Planetcast’s unified platform, NexC and ensure that Switch Media’s OTT product roadmap is perfectly aligned with Planetcast’s customer requirements.
“Switch Media is the perfect acquisition for Planetcast’s NexC platform, providing us with proven world-class OTT capabilities that are a vital cornerstone of our media services and solutions portfolio and one that will help us build out our international expansion strategy,” said Planetcast’s CEO, Sanjay Duda. “Battle-tested across varied customer segments such as Pay TV Operators, broadcasters and Telcos, Switch Media’s OTT platform has successfully hosted some of the most sensitive global sports and entertainment properties. We welcome the Switch Media team to the Planetcast family. We are looking forward to more tightly integrating its feature-rich OTT solutions with NexC, our cloud-first unified-service platform, to ensure that our customers can streamline content operations and drive monetisation.”
Commenting on its plans for Planetcast, Apollo Global head of India Private Equity Utsav Baijal said: “Because Planetcast adds significant value to its Indian and Asian customers, we are actively looking for such synergistic cross-border, global transactions such as Switch Media as the most effective way to build their international footprint and capability set.”
Developed over almost two decades, Switch Media’s modular and flexible solutions meet the media and entertainment industry’s changing requirements, through a versatile workflow engine that enables customers to ingest, manage, deliver, monetise, and analyse online video. The result is exceptional online content for viewers and a flexible suite of capabilities enabling customers to drive OTT monetisation.
Switch Media’s CEO Mark Johns said of the acquisition: “Our journey with Planetcast promises to open up new markets and broaden our
customer base. The integration with Planetcast’s NexC platform will unlock tremendous value for Switch Media’s customers seeking to better leverage their content. Additionally, Planetcast’s large support infrastructure will further enhance agility and availability of support to Switch customers.”
eNews
Piyush Thakur steps down as Inshorts’ chief revenue officer
Former vice president and cro says exit marks a new chapter after close to a decade of building revenue and partnerships at Inshorts Group.
NOIDA: Piyush Thakur has stepped away from Inshorts Group after nearly 10 years with the company, marking the end of a long tenure that culminated in his role as chief revenue officer.
In a farewell note, Thakur said he was “turning a new page” after almost a decade at Inshorts, calling it one of the hardest professional decisions he has made. He added that his exit was not driven by uncertainty about the future, but by reflection on a long association with the company.
Thakur joined Inshorts in October 2016 as vice president and spent around seven years in the role before being elevated to chief revenue officer in April 2024, a position he held until April 2026.
He said his tenure was defined by “thousands of mornings, late nights, product debates and breakthrough moments”, as the company evolved into a large-scale digital news platform used by millions.
In his note, Thakur emphasised that Inshorts’ growth was a collective effort across teams, adding that engineers, designers, sales teams and customer support staff all contributed to building the platform. He said the company’s success was not the result of individuals but of “everyone who stayed, passed through, and left their mark”.
Before Inshorts, Thakur worked across several digital media and business development roles. At ESPN, he served as senior regional manager from October 2015 to October 2016, focusing on growth initiatives, strategic opportunities and video distribution.
At Times Internet, he worked for nearly three years, including as head of business development from April 2015 to September 2015 and chief manager from January 2013 to March 2015. His responsibilities included monetisation of mobile platforms, managing media and developer partnerships, and driving revenue across digital properties such as The Times of India and The Economic Times.
Earlier, he worked at Brandmovers as head of business development from June 2012 to June 2013, handling digital, mobile and social media marketing solutions, client development and strategic consulting. During this period, he also worked on advertising revenue, brand strategy and CRM-based solutions.
At Inshorts, Thakur’s role focused on revenue strategy, mobile and media partnerships, and growth initiatives across platforms. His profile highlights experience in mobile product management, digital business models, partner ecosystems and revenue expansion in high-growth environments.
