iWorld
Zee5 highlights regional offerings in a new campaign
Mumbai: Video streaming platform ZEE5 has announced the launch of the second edition of its campaign- ‘Dekhtey Reh Jaogey’ starring Sara Ali Khan and Amol Parashar. Revolving around the FOMO theme, the campaign showcases the platform’s content library, particularly the regional offerings.
ZEE5 currently features 160+ live TV channels and 500,000+ hours of on-demand content spanning over 3,500 films, 1,750 TV shows, and 700 originals, in 12 Indian languages (English, Hindi, Bengali, Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Marathi, Oriya, Bhojpuri, Gujarati, and Punjabi), all available in a new subscription of Rs. 599.
The SVOD viewers on the platform get access to the range of movies and web series behind the paywall, along with AVOD content before they are aired on TV. The AVOD content roster at ZEE5 includes catch-up episodes of the most popular TV shows on ZEE Network and other properties which are available for audiences to watch anytime, and anywhere.
Over the past 12 months, ZEE5 has become the fastest growing OTT platform in India as per AppAnnie’s latest industry report. The platform’s monthly active users (MAU) rose to 101.9 million and global daily active users (DAUs) touched 9.6 million in December 2021. ZEE5 users watched an average of 201 minutes of content per month during the last quarter, with the platform releasing 51 shows and movies, including 11 originals during the period.
ZEE5 has planned a high-frequency promotional outreach for the campaign across TV, social media, and the internet as part of a 360-degree approach.
“At ZEE5, we have always aspired to democratise entertainment and provide quality content to our audiences at a price that is convenient for the majority of the viewers,” says ZEE5 India chief business officer Manish Kalra. “While ZEE5 has a large content library that spans across various languages, the second leg of the ‘Dekhtey Reh Jaogey’ campaign will help us exhibit our diverse content offerings, especially regional content and further our aim of deeper regionalisation by making deeper inroads into the country. With the new subscription package, viewers will have access to an endless supply of compelling and binge-worthy entertainment at an annual price of Rs. 599.”
Lowe Lintas chief creative officer Sagar Kapoor adds, “Today, content has become the perfect conversation starter and enabler. Conversations are invariably peppered with references to dialogues and characters from content pieces across OTT platforms. It is the “conversation drama” that people miss out on when they miss content. We decided to build on this idea for ZEE5 to pull in their audiences every week to watch new shows and movies and stay above content FOMO, so they never miss out on the excitement on and off the screen.”
iWorld
Netflix cuts jobs in product division amid restructuring
Layoffs hit creative studio unit as leadership and strategy shifts unfold.
MUMBAI: The streaming wars may be fought on screen, but the latest plot twist is unfolding behind the scenes. Netflix has reportedly begun laying off several dozen employees from its product division as part of an internal reorganisation, according to a report by Variety. The cuts are believed to have primarily affected the company’s creative studio unit, which works on marketing assets such as in app trailers, promotional visuals and live experience content for the streaming platform.
The company has not disclosed the exact number of employees impacted.
According to the report, the layoffs were not tied to employee performance. Instead, the restructuring eliminated certain roles while other employees were reassigned to different teams within the organisation.
The roles affected are understood to include designers, producers and creative specialists responsible for marketing and brand experience initiatives.
The job cuts come as Netflix adjusts its leadership structure and reshapes its product and creative teams. Last month, Elizabeth Stone was promoted from chief technology officer to chief product and technology officer, giving her oversight of product, engineering and data operations across the company.
Earlier, in December 2025, Netflix also appointed Martin Rose as head of creative for global brand and partnerships, a move seen as part of a broader restructuring of the company’s brand and product functions.
Despite the layoffs, Netflix remains one of the largest employers in the streaming sector. The company is estimated to employ around 16,000 people globally, with roughly 70 percent of its workforce based in the United States and Canada. In 2023, the company reported approximately 13,000 employees, indicating that its headcount had grown significantly before the latest restructuring.
The workforce changes arrive at a time when Netflix is navigating a shifting financial and strategic landscape in the global entertainment industry.
The streaming giant recently secured $2.8 billion in additional cash after receiving a breakup fee from Paramount Skydance following its withdrawal from a deal involving Warner Bros. Discovery.
Speaking to Bloomberg, Netflix co chief executive Ted Sarandos explained that the company had evaluated multiple scenarios during the negotiations but chose not to match the competing offer once it learned that a higher bid had been submitted.
Netflix had capped its offer at $27.75 per share and ultimately stepped back rather than pursue Paramount’s $111 billion acquisition deal, which included a personal guarantee.
Sarandos also cautioned that the financing structure behind the Paramount Skydance transaction could have ripple effects across the entertainment industry.
According to him, the debt heavy deal could trigger significant cost cutting, with David Ellison, chief executive of Paramount Skydance, expected to eliminate about $16 billion in costs and potentially cut thousands of jobs as part of the integration process.
For Netflix, the current restructuring appears to be part of a broader attempt to streamline operations while continuing to invest in product, technology and global content even as the streaming industry enters a new phase of consolidation and financial discipline.
