iWorld
VOOT’s “Asli Fans – Bigg Boss Edition” shines light on the Digital success story of the national reality phenomenon
The age of #AsliFans are here – Fans who don’t just watch a show but live the experience. They follow every move of their favorite stars and binge on happenings behind the scenes. They are fearless in sharing their views and influence the masses. Bigg Boss Season 13 with an unprecedented 40 million watchers on VOOT unraveled the mighty prowess of #AsliFans. With the next season of the landmark category defining show in the horizon, VOOT has curated an insight driven report – #AsliFans: Bigg Boss Edition that showcases the power of #AsliFans, their intent, loyalty and content preferences. The insights throw light on the continuously transforming yet unifying fan-platform connect and the content consumption habits across the length and breadth of our country for India’s most loved show- Bigg Boss.
On releasing a report on Bigg Boss and its #AsliFans, Gourav Rakshit, COO – Viacom18 Digital Ventures said, "Bigg Boss is more than just a show for its fans across India. It is a way of life. Bigg Boss’ fans are committed and dedicated and are also ambassadors of the show in some form or another, online as well as offline. The fans are a testimony to the success of Bigg Boss beyond TV. The playbook gives advertisers and brand owners an insight and deeper understanding into the behavior of these unique Bigg Boss fans on the digital platform which is extremely interesting and intriguing from a brand and advertising standpoint."
The Bigg Boss Playbook unearths five distinct behavior-shaping trends of #AsliFans that gives us a glimpse into the rulebooks of entertainment:
Unmatched scale: At unmatched scale, tens of millions #AsliFans flocked to VOOT to shatter records and make Bigg Boss the #1 digital entertainment property by clocking 1.5+ billion views and 20+ billion minutes of watch-time on Season 13. This is 1.5X the number of online food deliveries in India last year, and equivalent to the time required to walk around the globe 40,160 times respectively!
Know it All: FOMO-struck, #AsliFans want to know it all. VOOT satiates this relentless desire through a robust suite of VOOT Exclusives such as Unseen Undekha, Cutless, Bigg Buzz etc. With 3000+ exclusive content pieces that contribute to 30%+ viewership, VOOT Exclusives consumption has been on a meteoric rise with 2 out 3 viewers now watching both full episodes and VOOT Exclusives.
Love to Express: #AsliFans love to express and made themselves heard and counted in every way possible through a myriad of interactivity formats. VOOT made 300+ million interactions possible between the fans and Bigg Boss through Voting, Video Vichaar, Pulse Meter, etc.
Vocal on Social: #AsliFans go vocal on social where VOOT is the preferred destination for conversations on everything Bigg Boss. We hit a billion not just in our Views counter, but also on social media with touching a billion impressions on social campaign.
Love for brand partners: #AsliFans extend their love beyond content to brand partners, who find innovative avenues to engage with them and drive brand stories. With eight digital sponsors and a plethora of inventory advertisers on S13, #AsliFans overwhelmingly embraced the brands in their fandom.
e-commerce
American Express to acquire AI startup Hyper to boost automation
Deal targets expense management as AI reshapes corporate spending tools.
MUMBAI: From receipts to robots, the expense sheet is getting a brain upgrade as American Express moves to bring artificial intelligence into the heart of corporate spending. The company has announced plans to acquire Hyper, a relatively young but fast-rising startup founded in 2022 that builds AI-powered agents capable of organising expenses, generating reports, verifying compliance with budgets and policies, and nudging users with timely reminders. The deal, expected to close in the second quarter of 2026, underscores a growing shift among financial institutions to automate traditionally manual, time-heavy workflows.
Hyper counts Sam Altman among its backers, adding a layer of Silicon Valley credibility to the acquisition. While financial details remain undisclosed, the strategic intent is clear: deepen automation capabilities and sharpen American Express’s position in the competitive corporate spending ecosystem.
The two companies are not strangers. They previously collaborated in 2024 on a co-branded credit card product, suggesting that the acquisition is less a cold buy and more an extension of an existing relationship. With this move, American Express is effectively bringing that capability in-house, aiming to embed AI directly into its commercial services stack.
Chief executive Stephen Squeri had already signalled the direction of travel in a recent shareholder letter, describing AI as a “structural shift” in how businesses operate. The Hyper acquisition appears to be a direct response to that shift, particularly in expense management, where processes such as approvals, compliance checks and reporting remain ripe for automation.
Alongside the acquisition, the company is also expanding its product suite. A recently launched business credit card offers cashback and benefits at an annual fee of $295, with another card expected later this year moves that complement its broader push into commercial services.
Taken together, the strategy points to a future where managing expenses may require fewer spreadsheets and more algorithms. For American Express, the bet is simple, if businesses are rethinking how work gets done, the tools that power that work need to evolve just as quickly.
