iWorld
Netflix extends multilingual content viewing to TVs
MUMBAI: Netflix has at long last unleashed its full linguistic arsenal on television screens worldwide, allowing subscribers to frolic through its catalogue in whichever of its 30-plus languages tickles their fancy. The streaming behemoth, which had previously restricted this multilingual delight to mobile devices and web browsers, has finally capitulated from 2 April to the thousands of monthly pleas from linguistically frustrated viewers.
The timing could hardly be more apt. Nearly a third of all viewing on the platform now involves non-English content—a figure that explains why Korean survival drama Squid Game had British grandmothers attempting to pronounce Ojingeo Geim and why Spanish heist caper Berlin has viewers worldwide practicing their ¡Vamos! with varying degrees of success.
“This much-anticipated feature carries over the experience members already enjoy on mobile devices and web browsers,” Netflix announced.
The streaming giant has also cottoned on to another delicious trend: subscribers have been using the service as a language-learning tool. With customisable subtitle options and a “Browse by Language” feature, Netflix has become an accidental competitor to Duolingo—albeit one with considerably more drama, bloodshed and royal intrigue.
For the truly adventurous linguistic daredevils—those peculiar souls who might fancy watching Mexican telenovelas with Korean dubbing and English subtitles—Netflix has now made such exotic combinations possible on the biggest screen in the house.
Global sensations like France’s Lupin, Mexico’s Who Killed Sara?, Norway’s Troll and Germany’s Oscar-winning All Quiet on the Western Front have demonstrated that language barriers in entertainment are crumbling fast. What’s driving this babel of content consumption? Perhaps viewers are finally discovering what continental Europeans have known for decades: that Hollywood doesn’t have a monopoly on compelling storytelling.
As streaming wars intensify and competitors scramble for global market share, Netflix’s linguistic flexibility may prove its secret weapon. After all, in the battle for worldwide domination, speaking the local lingo is more than half the battle—it’s the whole war.
iWorld
Snapchat parent Snap cuts 16 per cent of workforce in AI-driven restructuring
The Snapchat parent is axing around 1,000 jobs and closing 300 open roles to save $500m, as artificial intelligence makes smaller teams the new normal
CALIFORNIA: Snap is snapping. The Snapchat parent has confirmed plans to cut around 1,000 employees, roughly 16 per cent of its full-time workforce, as it bets that artificial intelligence can do what headcount once required. Shares jumped more than 10 per cent in premarket trading on the news, a brisk vote of confidence from a market that has watched the stock shed about 31 per cent this year.
The restructuring, which also closes more than 300 open roles, follows pressure from activist investor Irenic Capital Management, which holds an economic interest of about 2.5 per cent in the company and has been loudly pushing Snap to tighten its portfolio and lift performance. The firm got what it asked for, and then some.
Chief executive Evan Spiegel told employees the cuts would reduce annualised expenses by more than $500m by the second half of the year. The company expects to incur charges of between $95m and $130m related to the layoffs, mostly severance, with the bulk landing in the second quarter. Staff in Snap’s North America team were asked to work from home on the day of the announcement.
The financial backdrop is not without bright spots. Snap expects first-quarter revenue to rise around 12 per cent to approximately $1.53 billion, broadly in line with analyst estimates. Adjusted core profit for the January to March quarter is forecast at about $233m, comfortably ahead of Wall Street’s expectation of $186.8m.
The harder question surrounds Specs, Snap’s augmented reality smart glasses subsidiary, which Irenic has urged the company to spin off or shut down entirely. The unit has absorbed more than $3.5 billion in investment and burns through approximately $500m in cash annually. Snap is pressing ahead regardless, with a consumer product expected later this year, even as Meta leads the market in the segment.
Spiegel is betting that leaner teams, smarter machines and a consumer AR play can restore Snap’s credibility with investors who have run out of patience. The redundancy notices have gone out. The harder restructuring, the one that requires a hit product rather than a headcount reduction, is still very much pending.
