iWorld
Snap hits $1B revenue as subscriptions cross 25 million
Snap’s paid products boom with Snapchat plus, Lens plus and creator subscriptions
CALIFORNIA: Snapchat’s subscription push is paying off handsomely, with the platform’s direct revenue business now cruising past a $1 billion annualised run rate. At the heart of this milestone is a loyal global subscription community that has just topped 25 million Snapchatters.
Since its launch in late 2022, Snapchat plus has grown rapidly to become one of the fastest-growing consumer subscriptions worldwide. What began as an early-access perk for the platform’s most engaged users has scaled into a robust revenue engine alongside Snap’s ad business.
Snapchat plus thrives because it taps into something deeply human. With more than 946 million monthly active users, Snapchat is fast approaching the one-billion mark. Its subscription service offers personal touches that matter in everyday chats. From pinning a best friend to customising chat wallpapers or adding a Bitmoji Pet, these simple features bring warmth, context and joy to conversations.
But Snap isn’t stopping there. The company has expanded its direct revenue offerings with paid versions of Lens plus, Snapchat Platinum, and Memories Storage Plans. Lens plus gives subscribers advanced AI and AR creative tools, including exclusive generative AI Lenses and unlimited use of the Imagine Lens for instant image creation. Snapchat Platinum delivers an ad-light experience focused on friends and creators, while Memories Storage Plans give heavy users the option to upgrade storage and keep thousands of their most cherished Snaps safe.
Snapchat is also opening doors for creators. Its new creator subscriptions let fans pay directly for exclusive content, priority engagement, and ad-free Stories, giving influencers fresh ways to connect with their audience.
Snap credits its 25 million subscribers for helping shape the future of the platform. Their creativity, feedback, and enthusiasm not only inspire new features but also fuel Snap’s growing direct revenue business.
With these moves, Snap is proving that personalisation, self-expression, and friendship aren’t just buzzwords, they’re the secret sauce behind its subscription success.
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.
