iWorld
Dedicated wellness content on SonyLiv
MUMBAI: India’s health concerns are perhaps the most unique across the globe. While it is home to 40 per cent of the global underweight population, it is also in the list of the top five countries having the highest rate of obesity and is among the top three nations with the largest diabetic population .
These dichotomies make it apparent that there is a dire need for awareness regarding health and wellness in the country and a pressing requirement for easily accessible information on the same.
To plug this gap, SonyLiv, the complete digital entertainment platform with content for the audience across genres, has announced the launch of LIV Fit, the first-ever health and wellness segment on an OTT platform in the country.
LIV Fit will go live on SonyLiv from 19 January and will cater to the rising requirement for high-quality advice and tips on ways to maintain optimal levels of wellness amongst Indians. From workout videos and diet plans to motivational content on ways to follow through a weight loss/gain programme, LIV Fit will offer a rich catalogue of the choicest information for its users. The best part is that viewers can access this plethora of knowledge and nuggets of nutritional wisdom in the most convenient formats on any device of their choice.
SonyLiv’s health and wellness content will be like none other available online and will feature some of the country’s most renowned and celebrated fitness enthusiasts and trainers. From Suniel Shetty and his team of trainers to Mickey Mehta, Nawaz Modi Singhania, Yasim Karachiwala, Ramona Braganza and Satya, the A-list of fitness trainers will be on LIV Fit sharing the tips in most effective and entertaining way which will help the viewers shed extra flab and keep lifestyle diseases at bay. This will lead to enhanced engagement with viewers that is also likely to augment and sustain their interest in meeting their diet and exercise goals.
With this move, SonyLiv has further widened its bouquet of relevant content offerings for users. Health and wellness have emerged as some of the most sought-after subjects for content consumption in India. Through LIV Fit, the entertainment platform is catering to the needs of its viewers for expert, reliable and easily accessible ways to stay in shape. The series will be available on a paid subscription basis for users.
Sony Pictures Networks India EVP and head – digital business Uday Sodhi said, “Lifestyle diseases in India are growing at an alarming rate. Hectic lives, irregular nutrition, long days have all added to the woes of the average Indians who are often at a loss when it comes to dependable and verifiable ways to prevent and reverse damage to their bodies. With a keen understanding of this situation, we at SonyLiv decided to fill the gap with content that comes from the most reliable sources and is packaged in the most conveniently consumable ways. With the best of health and fitness gurus on board, we are certain that LIV Fit will be a great hit with our users and will make a tangible impact on their lives.”
Actor and fitness guru Suniel Shetty said, “With too many platforms, offering content on health and wellness, there are chances that people can go wrong with their diet regime or the exercise routine they adopt. My endeavour in the last few years has been to spread correct and tested health and fitness advice amongst as many people as possible.I am happy to be associated with a platform like SonyLiv which enjoys an extensive reach and a large viewer base all over the country.”
Brilliant Living TV founder and CEO Adarsh Gupta said, “From being a passion of a very small percentage of India’s population, Fitness has fast emerged as a mass Megatrend in the last few years. Given that there was a huge gap in the market for reliable quality content in this Genre, Brilliant Living TV has successfully capitalised on this opportunity and has emerged as the Best player in this space. Given that SonyLiv has emered as one of the most happening OTT brand in the Media space, this is a mutually complementing tie up that will ensure that the millions of SonyLiv users will finally experience “Fitness mein Entertainment ka Tadka”.
iWorld
WhatsApp may soon let users to pick who sees their status updates
The messaging giant is borrowing a page from Instagram’s playbook as it pushes to give users finer control over their social circles.
CALIFORNIA: WhatsApp is quietly working on a feature that could make its Status function considerably smarter and considerably more private.
According to reports from beta tracking platforms, the app is testing a tool called Status lists, which would allow users to create named groups such as close friends, family and colleagues, and control precisely which group sees each update. It is a meaningful step up from the platform’s current blunt instruments, which offer only three options: share with all contacts, exclude specific people, or manually select individuals each time.
The new feature draws an obvious comparison with Instagram’s Close Friends function, and the resemblance is unlikely to be accidental. Both platforms sit within Meta’s family, and the company has been nudging them toward a common logic of audience segmentation for some time.
The move also fits neatly into WhatsApp’s broader privacy push. The platform has been rolling out enhanced chat protections and is exploring the introduction of usernames, which would allow users to connect without exchanging phone numbers. Status lists extend that philosophy from messaging into broadcasting.
Meanwhile, Status itself has been evolving well beyond its origins as a simple photo-and-text slideshow. The feature now supports music stickers, collages, longer videos and interactive elements, pushing it closer to the social-media-style story format pioneered by Snapchat and refined by Instagram. In that context, finer audience controls are not merely a privacy feature. They are a precondition for people sharing more.
The feature remains in development and has not been confirmed for release. WhatsApp routinely tests tools that are later modified or quietly shelved. But the direction of travel is clear: the app wants Status to be a destination, not an afterthought. Letting users decide exactly who is in the audience is how it gets there.
