iWorld
ZEE5 partners with Lebara Australia to bring the largest library of content for South Asians to its subscribers
MUMBAI: ZEE5, the digital entertainmentplatform from ZEE Entertainment Enterprises Ltd.,today announced a new partnership with LebaraAustralia to bring the largest library of entertainment content for South Asians to Lebara customers down under.
Available in 17 different languages, ZEE5 offers subscribers 100,000 hours of on demand movies, Originals, TV programs, videos and news content. From September, Lebara Australia customers will be able to get a six-month ZEE5 subscription bundled with select prepaid plans.
ZEE5’s entertainment content includes leading Hindi TV shows (e.g. Kum Kum Bhagya and Jodhaa Akbar); the latest ZEE5 Originals (e.g. The Final Call with Arjun Rampal, Kaafir with Dia Mirza) and 2000+ movies (e.g. Simba with Ranveer Singh, Kedarnath with Sara Ali Khan and Sushant Singh Rajput, and Veere Di Wedding with Kareena Kapoor Khan).
Popular Tamil TV shows (e.g. Sembaruthi, Yaaradi Nee Mohini and Poove Poochoodava), blockbuster Tamil films (e.g. Mapla Singam, Mersaland Kalavu) and ZEE5 Originals (e.g. Auto Shankar and Thiravam) are also available to subscribers, along with 60+ live streaming TV channels including India’s largest news stations.
Archana Anand, Chief Business Officer, ZEE5 Global, said that Australia is a key market for ZEE5 as the digital entertainment destination continues to expand globally.
“Australia is an extremely important market for us as we expand across the globe and we’re extremely excited to announce our very first partnership with local telecom operator, Lebara Australia.”
“With this partnership, we’re looking to increase our presence in Australia using Lebara Australia’s subscriber base which will now have access to the best of Indian entertainment on any device of their choice,” continues Anand.
Ash Saini, General Manager, Lebara Australia, said “We are thrilled to have partnered with ZEE5 in Australia and we cannot wait for all our users to sample the huge library of content that ZEE5 has to offer.”
“With a huge appetite for Indian entertainment amongst our ethnic market, we are very excited to launch our bundles with ZEE5 subscriptions and we aim to ensure that every individual on the go uses ZEE5 as a one stop destination to consume the best of Indian entertainment,” continues Saini.
ZEE5 is available using Samsung Smart TVs, Apple TV, Android TVs and Amazon Fire TV, and via Google Play Store, iOS App Store andwww.zee5.com.
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.
