MAM
Hoopr hits a global note with key leadership move
MUMBAI: Hoopr is turning up the global volume. India’s leading music licensing platform has announced the appointment of Deborah Smith as its head of international licensing & sync, signalling a bold new chapter in its global growth symphony.
Based in the UK, Smith will lead Hoopr’s international expansion, forging partnerships with global labels, boosting cross-border sync deals, and amplifying Hoopr’s 22,000 plus track catalogue of Hindi cinema, Indie, and regional music for worldwide audiences.
With marquee collaborations already in place with Yash Raj Films Music, Merchant Records, and others, Hoopr has redefined how brands and creators can legally and easily license trending Indian music. The company’s partnership with IPRS further ensures transparency and fair artist remuneration, making Hoopr a trusted bridge between creators, labels, and brands.
“Hoopr sits at the intersection of creativity and technology,” said Smith. “I’ve worked in the Indian market for years and have seen its vibrant musical pulse up close. My mission is to take that sound to new global stages.”
Hoopr co-founder and CEO Gaurav Dagaonkar called Smith’s appointment “a defining moment,” adding that her experience in publishing and sync will help the company accelerate its international ambitions and unlock new revenue streams for artists.
With over a decade of experience in the global music industry, including leadership roles at Horus Music and Anara Publishing, Smith has worked with brands like Apple, UEFA, Netflix, and Asian Paints, while championing India’s independent artists on the world stage.
For Hoopr, this move isn’t just business, it’s a beat that connects cultures. With Smith at the helm, the platform is ready to take Indian music from local playlists to global charts.
MAM
Paramount set to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery in $81 billion deal
Shareholders back merger, combined entity could reshape streaming and studios.
MUMBAI: Lights, camera… consolidation, Hollywood’s latest blockbuster might be happening off-screen. Shareholders of Warner Bros. Discovery have voted in favour of selling the company to Paramount in a deal valued at $81 billion rising to nearly $111 billion including debt setting the stage for one of the biggest shake-ups in modern media. The proposed merger, still subject to regulatory approvals, would bring together a vast portfolio spanning HBO Max, CNN, and franchises such as Harry Potter under the same umbrella as Paramount’s own heavyweights, including Top Gun and CBS.
At the heart of the deal is streaming scale. Executives have indicated plans to combine HBO Max and Paramount+ into a single platform, potentially creating a stronger challenger to giants like Netflix and Amazon’s Prime Video. Current market data suggests HBO Max holds around 12 per cent of US on-demand subscriptions, compared to Paramount+’s 3 per cent, together still trailing Netflix’s 19 per cent and Disney’s combined 27 per cent via Disney+ and Hulu.
Paramount CEO David Ellison has signalled that while platforms may merge, HBO’s creative identity will remain intact, stating the brand should “stay HBO” even within a broader ecosystem.
Beyond streaming, the deal would redraw the map for film production. Combining two of Hollywood’s oldest studios Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros., the new entity aims to scale output to over 30 films annually, while maintaining a 45-day theatrical window. Warner Bros. currently commands around 21 per cent of the US box office, compared to Paramount’s 6 per cent, underscoring the strategic weight of the acquisition.
But scale comes with scrutiny. Critics warn that fewer players could mean reduced consumer choice, rising subscription costs, and potential job cuts as the combined company looks to streamline overlapping operations while managing billions in debt.
The news business, too, faces a reset. CNN would join forces at least structurally with Paramount-owned CBS, raising questions about editorial independence and positioning. The merger has already drawn political attention in the United States, particularly given perceived ties between the Ellison family and Donald Trump, though the company maintains that newsroom autonomy will be preserved.
If approved, the deal would mark another milestone in Hollywood’s consolidation wave shrinking the industry’s traditional “big six” studios to a “big four”, with Paramount joining Disney, Universal, and Sony at the top table.
In an industry built on storytelling, this merger may well become its most consequential plot twist yet.
