iWorld
Akshay Kumar’s Padman releases exclusively on ZEE5, the digital entertainment destination
MUMBAI: Akshay Kumar’s movie Padman breaks the stereotype of premiering on a television platform and is screening Theater Ke Baad, Pehli Baar on ZEE5, the largest multilingual digital entertainment destination for India! Post its blockbuster theatrical release, ZEE5 has been the first destination to premier Padman exclusively for an anytime, anywhere watch from May 11.
Expressing his thoughts on Padman’s digital release Akshay Kumar said, “With millennials more inclined towards digital entertainment, we know where the future is. ZEE group has always been at the forefront to highlight social issues and Padman being a movie based on a social cause, there couldn’t have been a better digital platform than ZEE5 to premiere it.”
Padman, through the courageous story of Arunachalam Muruganantham (played by Akshay Kumar), draws attention towards the sensitive topic of menstrual hygiene and how it is essential for the society that women have a right to it. The movie showcases true life story of a common man, who for the love of his wife tried to bring a social reformation by introducing low cost sanitary napkins in India.
Taking forward Padman’s concept, ZEE5 is doing their share by tying up with Saafkins and contributing to the #GiveHer5 campaign. For every subscription, ZEE5 will donate Rs 5 to Saafkins, world’s first reusable/ washable sanitary napkin, #KadamChhotaChangeBada. While an initiative by ZEE5, looks at making a difference; a social thought presented with honesty makes Padman, a must watch family film.
Archana Anand, Head of Digital – ZEE5 India Business said, “Padman has bought about a phenomenal change in the way society is looking at menstrual hygiene and we are proud to showcase the film on our platform. The movie is a take on a subject most Indians are reluctant to talk about and Padman puts it on the forefront which is a commendable effort. By associating with Saafkins, ZEE5 is doing their little bit via #KadamChotaChangeBada to contribute to the worthy cause and make a difference in the lives of underprivileged women.” The movie will premiere on ZEE5 on 11th May.
Apart from having a rich bouquet of exciting original content lined up across 6 different languages, ZEE5 will showcase latest blockbuster movies on the platform. With a slate of 20 Originals to be launched in 2018, the platform will have 90+ shows by the end of March 2019.
Availability: ZEE5 App can be downloaded from Google Play Store http://bit.ly/zee5andand iOS App Store http://bit.ly/zee5ios. Also available at www.zee5.com, as a Progressive Web App (PWA), and on Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV Stick. ZEE5 also supports Chromecast.
Pricing: Freemium pricing model with both free and paid premium content (including Originals) is available to cater to a mix of audiences. Viewers who subscribe to the ZEE5 subscription pack will get access to the entire library of content at a special launch offer price of INR 99 per month instead of the actual monthly pack price of INR 150.
iWorld
Spotify Q1 revenue hits €4.5bn as users cross 760 million globally
Subscriber growth and margins rise as platform bets big on AI and discovery
LONDON: Spotify has kicked off 2026 on a strong note, reporting first-quarter revenue of €4.5 billion, up 14 per cent year-on-year in constant currency, as its global user base swelled past 760 million.
The streaming giant said monthly active users rose 12 per cent year-on-year to 761 million, while premium subscribers climbed 9 per cent to 293 million. The steady rise in both free and paid users signals continued demand for its expanding mix of music, podcasts and audiobooks.
Profitability also struck a chord. Gross margin improved by around 140 basis points to 33 per cent, marking one of the company’s strongest first-quarter performances to date. Operating income reached €715 million, comfortably ahead of expectations.
Spotify co-CEO Alex Norström said, “We surpassed 760 million MAU, delivered on the subscriber growth we aimed to achieve, and saw healthy engagement from existing users, reactivations and new users alike.” He added that increased listening and viewing activity in key markets such as the United States reflects confidence in sustained growth and low churn.
The company’s other co-CEO, Gustav Söderström, pointed to long-term ambition, saying the platform’s scale, creator ecosystem and investments in personalisation are opening up “new growth vectors” across formats and user engagement.
Revenue growth was largely driven by the premium segment, which rose 10 per cent to €4.1 billion, supported by price increases and stable average revenue per user of €4.76. However, the ad-supported business saw a 5 per cent dip to €385 million, though it still posted a modest 3 per cent increase in constant currency terms.
Cash generation remained robust, with free cash flow at €824 million for the quarter and €3.2 billion over the past 12 months. The company also benefited from lower-than-expected operating expenses, including €49 million in reduced social charges linked to share-based compensation.
Beyond the numbers, Spotify is leaning into product innovation. New AI-driven features such as “Taste Profile” and “Prompted Playlist” aim to give users more control over recommendations, while tools like “SongDNA” and “About the Song” deepen music discovery. The platform is also expanding audiobook charts in the United States and United Kingdom to boost engagement in newer formats.
Looking ahead, Spotify expects momentum to continue into the second quarter, forecasting 778 million monthly active users, 299 million subscribers, revenue of €4.8 billion and operating income of €630 million.
With €8.8 billion in cash and 7,258 employees, the company appears well-positioned to keep its growth story in rhythm as competition in digital entertainment intensifies.
