iWorld
HBO Asia and Viu announce second season of Endemol Shine Group’s The Bridge
MUMBAI: Viu, a leading pan-regional OTT video service from PCCW Media Group, and HBO Asia jointly announce their partnership in the second season of Viu Original’s The Bridge, which will begin shooting its second 10-episode season this year and will be simulcast on Viu and HBO Asia’s channels and services in early 2020.
Loosely based on the second season of the original series, season two will pick up one year after where the story ended in season one. A yacht registered in Singapore drifts ashore in Johor with a deceased Indonesian family on board. Investigating the slew of serial killings that ensue, the characters become mired in a web of treachery, deceit and personal tragedy.
Mr. Jonathan Spink, Chief Executive Officer of HBO Asia, said, “HBO Asia is delighted to once again partner with Viu and PCCW Media Group on the second season of The Bridge. This series, an Asian adaptation of the successful licensed format, which is produced in association with Viu, will complement our growing slate of HBO Asia Original productions that are available to a global audience.”
Ms. Janice Lee, Managing Director of PCCW Media Group, said, “Our partnership with Endemol Shine and HBO Asia on the second season of The Bridge is taking our collaboration to a higher level. We are excited to extend on the success of the first season with a storyline that resonates with audiences in Asia and take it even further by adding new elements.”
Ms. Rashmi Bajpai, Executive Director Asia of Endemol Shine International, said, “We are thrilled about Viu's faith in renewing The Bridge. It has been a stellar example of knitting together the nuances – culturally, creatively and commercially to produce a drama that has worked in a diverse region. The commissioning of the second season reinforces our belief in the potential of scripted formats in Asia and we hope this will pave the way for many more co-productions.”
The Bridge is licensed from global producer and distributor Endemol Shine Group. Viu is also working with longtime partner Double Vision to produce season two, as it did with the first season.
The second season will be available on Viu in all its markets as well as on HBO Asia’s network of channels and services, including HBO, HBO GO and HBO ON DEMAND, across 24 territories.
The Bridge was originally created and written by Hans Rosenfeldt as a joint production of Sweden's Filmlance International, part of Endemol Shine Group and Denmark's Nimbus Film. The Bridge (Bron/Broen) was produced in co-production with Sveriges Television, DR, ZDF German Television network, ZDF Enterprises Gmbh, Film i Skåne, NRK, Copenhagen Film Fund, Lumiere Group, Stiftelsen Ystad Österlen Filmfond, Norvision and in co-operation with Malmö Stad. It has aired in more than 188 territories/countries and spawned localized remakes in the U.K/France, the United States/Mexico, Germany/Austria, Russia/Estonia and Serbia/Croatia.
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.
