iWorld
Facebook accounts for three-quarters of global social network ad spend
MUMBAI: Boosted by solid growth in usage and advertising spend across major social networks, the global social network market continued to show strong growth in 2014, as per Strategy Analytics Global Social Network Forecast. Globally, social networks surpassed two billion users for the first time in 2014, of which Facebook accounted for 68 per cent.
Ad spend on social networks grew a robust 41 per cent globally in 2014 totaling over $15.3 billion, accounting for 11 per cent of global digital ad spend. Facebook accounted for three-quarters of global social network ad spend in 2014, while Twitter accounted for eight per cent. In 2015, ad spend on social networks is expected to grow by 29 per cent, totaling $24.2 billion.
“Overall, the social network market continues to show strong growth across all regions as the major social network platforms drive usage and engagement via improved integration of digital media content. While Facebook currently dominates the global social network market, its absence in China allows local social networks such as QZone and Tencent Weibo to gain traction in the rapidly expanding Chinese digital advertising market,” said Leika Kawasaki, author of the report.
Other key findings from the report include:
1) Nearly half (46 per cent) of social network users reside in the Asia Pacific region.
2) China accounts for almost 25 per cent of global social network users with 495 million users in 2014.
3) North America had the highest ratio of social network users to its population (64 per cent) in 2014, followed by Western Europe at 55 per cent.
4) The US accounts for the largest share of global social network ad spend (41 per cent), totaling $6.2 billion in 2014, up 35 per cent YoY.
5) The UK is the second largest market for social network ad spends, accounting for 8.2 per cent of global social network ad spends in 2014, just edging out China (8 per cent).
6) The US had the highest social network ad spend per social network user at $31.37 in 2014. This is expected to grow 27 per cent to $39.84 in 2015.
iWorld
Netflix cuts jobs in product division amid restructuring
Layoffs hit creative studio unit as leadership and strategy shifts unfold.
MUMBAI: The streaming wars may be fought on screen, but the latest plot twist is unfolding behind the scenes. Netflix has reportedly begun laying off several dozen employees from its product division as part of an internal reorganisation, according to a report by Variety. The cuts are believed to have primarily affected the company’s creative studio unit, which works on marketing assets such as in app trailers, promotional visuals and live experience content for the streaming platform.
The company has not disclosed the exact number of employees impacted.
According to the report, the layoffs were not tied to employee performance. Instead, the restructuring eliminated certain roles while other employees were reassigned to different teams within the organisation.
The roles affected are understood to include designers, producers and creative specialists responsible for marketing and brand experience initiatives.
The job cuts come as Netflix adjusts its leadership structure and reshapes its product and creative teams. Last month, Elizabeth Stone was promoted from chief technology officer to chief product and technology officer, giving her oversight of product, engineering and data operations across the company.
Earlier, in December 2025, Netflix also appointed Martin Rose as head of creative for global brand and partnerships, a move seen as part of a broader restructuring of the company’s brand and product functions.
Despite the layoffs, Netflix remains one of the largest employers in the streaming sector. The company is estimated to employ around 16,000 people globally, with roughly 70 percent of its workforce based in the United States and Canada. In 2023, the company reported approximately 13,000 employees, indicating that its headcount had grown significantly before the latest restructuring.
The workforce changes arrive at a time when Netflix is navigating a shifting financial and strategic landscape in the global entertainment industry.
The streaming giant recently secured $2.8 billion in additional cash after receiving a breakup fee from Paramount Skydance following its withdrawal from a deal involving Warner Bros. Discovery.
Speaking to Bloomberg, Netflix co chief executive Ted Sarandos explained that the company had evaluated multiple scenarios during the negotiations but chose not to match the competing offer once it learned that a higher bid had been submitted.
Netflix had capped its offer at $27.75 per share and ultimately stepped back rather than pursue Paramount’s $111 billion acquisition deal, which included a personal guarantee.
Sarandos also cautioned that the financing structure behind the Paramount Skydance transaction could have ripple effects across the entertainment industry.
According to him, the debt heavy deal could trigger significant cost cutting, with David Ellison, chief executive of Paramount Skydance, expected to eliminate about $16 billion in costs and potentially cut thousands of jobs as part of the integration process.
For Netflix, the current restructuring appears to be part of a broader attempt to streamline operations while continuing to invest in product, technology and global content even as the streaming industry enters a new phase of consolidation and financial discipline.
