iWorld
TVF’s Tripling Season 2 with Drivezy gears up for launch
MUMBAI: The pioneers of the Indian digital content space, The Viral Fever (TVF) launched the next season of one of its most-loved series – Tripling. Presented by Drivezy as their partner for the journey, in the upcoming season, the show will follow the three siblings – Chandan, Chanchal and Chitvan as they embark on another engaging road-trip. Season 2 of Tripling will be rolled out on 5th April 2019 and will stream on TVFPlay and SonyLIV. SonyLIV is partnering with TVF to launch the much-loved series on its platform which would be available for free viewing. TVF saw massive commercial and critical success with the first season of Tripling, the show is also among the Top 250 shows of all time according to IMDB.
Tripling is directed by Sameer Saxena, the chief content officer and Head – TVF Originals and written by Akarsh Khurana and Sumeet Vyas – who also stars as one of the leads on the show. Alongside Vyas, the stellar star cast includes Maanvi Gagroo, Amol Parashar and Kunal Roy Kapoor. A quirky take on modern family relationships, the three siblings in the show have resonated deeply with the sensibilities of the young audience. Season 2 takes that story further, with a new twist in the tale.
Speaking about the show, Sameer Saxena, Chief Content Officer and Head – TVF Originals said, “We received an overwhelming response for the first season of Tripling and that compelled us to return with the show second time around. Today, Tripling is one of the most memorable series in the digital space that strongly resonates with our audience with strong characters, fun moments in a modern Indian family; we wanted to utilize that aspect and weave into it the core ethos of Drivezy. We took our time to bring out season 2, as we wanted to give the comprehensive approach to the series a serious thought. Along with TVFPlay, Tripling will also be streamed simultaneously on SonyLIV – which is further proof of the strength of Tripling’s impact on youth culture. We are certainly excited and looking forward to take the audience on another riveting journey with the popular trio.”
Commenting on the collaboration, Ashwarya Singh, CEO and Co-Founder – Drivezy said, “We are extremely pleased to be associated with 'The Viral Fever' to kick off our marketing efforts to cover the digital landscape, work with social influencers and promote on the go video experience. Being a travel and transportation platform, we want to enable our customers to move towards consuming content online and on the move. Our customer demographics have varied culture, geographies and languages and TVF is a platform that appeals not only to the urban audiences but to viewers across the nation. Drivezy aims to provide a culturally relevant and truly Indian travel and entertainment platform for the country's evolving digital users who are frequently travelling."
Talking about the association, Amogh Dusad, Head – Content, Partnerships and New Initiatives, Digital, Sony Pictures Networks India said, “With more than 350 Mn online video viewers, these are exciting times for digital video content in India. At Sony LIV, we have ambitious plans to expand our content offerings in the coming months. Partnership with TVF to stream Tripling season 2 on Sony LIV is the first step towards that direction. We intend to work with the best digital content creators in the industry and offer unique & remarkable stories to viewers. Tripling season 1 resonated well with the viewers and I am sure Sony LIV users will enjoy the latest season of Tripling as well.”
Widely recognized for delivering breakthrough branded-content, TVF prides itself on being one of the top choices among brands whose aim is to engage with its TG and share its key message with them in a subtle yet effective manner. As one of the first digital production companies in the country and with 4 of its web series rated in IMDB’s Top 250 shows of all-time list, makes TVF one of the most visited digital platforms in the country.
With this season and the platform’s association with Drivezy, the team seeks to enhance brand-awareness, utilising the platform’s in-depth understanding of the audience’s content consumption patterns and preferences. Right from ideation being in-sync with the brand’s brief to amplification, the digital platform has employed its in-depth insights, extensive research and strong content creation capabilities for the integration. The extent of TVF’s innovative and creative prowess to drive the brand’s message can be gauged by the fact that Drivezy will be launching its services in various cities of the country, at the time the Tripling trio is visiting those regions on the show. The innovative alignment of the branded-content and the on-ground activities of the brand is aimed to strongly drive home the brand’s message.
The multimedia communication will be run on key platforms including Print, OOH, multiplex, digital activation, making this a high-decibel campaign across key metros.
iWorld
Meta signs multiyear AI deal with News Corp
Agreement worth up to $50 million annually covers WSJ, New York Post and UK titles.
MUMBAI: Meta just bought itself a front-row seat to the newsroom because when AI needs facts, even Zuckerberg is willing to pay the subscription fee. Meta Platforms has signed a multiyear artificial intelligence content licensing agreement with News Corp that could be worth up to $50 million (£39 million) a year, The Wall Street Journal reported on 25 February 2026. The deal, expected to run for at least three years, grants Meta access to News Corp’s US and UK content including The Wall Street Journal and New York Post for training AI models and powering real-time information retrieval in its products.
Australian mastheads such as the Daily Telegraph and Herald Sun are not included. News Corp CEO Robert Thomson revealed the arrangement during a Morgan Stanley technology conference in San Francisco, describing news organisations as a vital “input company” in the AI ecosystem. “We’re essentially an input company,” he said. “The great threat in the age of AI is going to be to what you might call output companies.”
Thomson emphasised the value of reliable journalism as foundational infrastructure for AI systems, noting regular conversations with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg via Whatsapp and ongoing talks with OpenAI’s Sam Altman. He added that News Corp is in “advanced stage” negotiations for additional deals, promising further announcements soon.
The agreement follows News Corp’s 2024 five-year partnership with OpenAI (reportedly worth more than $250 million) and reflects Meta’s broader push to secure content licences. The company has already confirmed deals with People Inc, USA Today, CNN and Fox News, though financial terms remain undisclosed.
Publishers remain divided, some pursue partnerships for revenue, while others litigate. News Corp subsidiaries have sued Perplexity over copyright infringement, The New York Times is suing OpenAI and Microsoft, yet the same NYT struck a separate AI licensing deal with Amazon reportedly worth $20–25 million annually.
Thomson summed up the dual strategy as “woo or sue” seeking commercial agreements where possible, legal action when content is used without permission.
In an AI race where data is oxygen, Meta isn’t just training models, it’s buying the raw material for tomorrow’s answers, one headline at a time.
