Movies
IMDb announces new ‘Preferred Services’ feature on iOS and Android
Mumbai: IMDb has announced the release of new features to the IMDb app to help customers get the most out of their streaming subscriptions. With the launch of ‘Preferred Services,’ a new feature that helps entertainment fans navigate the expansive world of streaming services, customers can set a list of the streaming platforms they subscribe to, so the app can prioritise the ‘Where to Watch’ information from those providers for each customer.
This enhances the IMDb app ‘What to Watch’ and ‘Where to Watch’ features that help customers navigate the vast streaming and entertainment landscape in the following ways:
1. IMDb currently supports the biggest streaming platforms in India and is working towards getting an exhaustive set of providers onboarded on our Watchbar to ensure a great customer experience. Customers in India today can already see ‘Where to Watch’ information from a wide set of platforms, including Hotstar, JioCinema, MX Player, Netflix, Prime Video, SonyLIV, Sun NXT, TVFPlay, Voot, Voot Kids, and Zee5.
2. After setting their preferred services, customers will have instant access to custom entertainment recommendations right from the IMDb app home screen. Also new is a ‘Trending on your services’ feature to help customers see what movies and TV shows are trending high on the streaming services they use most, and an ‘Explore what’s streaming’ feature that tracks what’s trending on all providers. For users, this means less scrolling and more time enjoying entertainment with friends, as a family, or on their own.
3. When a customer is interested in a title, they can go to that title page on IMDb to see if it’s playing in theatres or streaming on any platform. If the title is streaming on multiple platforms, the Watchbar will also highlight the preferred service it’s on.
4. If a title interests a customer, they can add it to their Watchlist, which is a great place to track the movies and TV shows they want to watch. They can access all their Watchlisted titles easily from the homepage, or from their profile. They can sort their Watchlist by title, IMDb rating, or popularity, and arrange their titles in the order they want to see them. With the launch of the ‘Preferred Services’ feature, customers can now also filter their Watchlist by content that is available to stream on their preferred services.
5. Customers can now also see how many fans have added a particular title to their Watchlist, signaling interest around a title or fandom that they might be interested in.
6. Customers will receive push notifications when titles related to their Watchlists or Favourites are entering or leaving streaming, coming into theatres, or becoming available to rent and/or purchase. They will also be notified if a new episode of a Watchlisted web series is airing that evening in their locale, and when a new trailer from a Watchlisted title becomes available.
Hollywood
Paramount eyes $24bn Gulf support to fund Warner Bros Discovery merger: Reports
Sovereign funds line up funding as media giants chase streaming scale
NEW YORK: Paramount Skydance is in talks to secure nearly $24 billion in equity commitments from Gulf sovereign wealth funds to support its planned takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery, according to a WSJ report.
The funding push comes as Paramount Skydance advances its proposed $110 billion deal for Warner Bros. Discovery, which carries an equity valuation of $81 billion and is expected to close in the third quarter of 2026.
At the heart of the financing plan are three major Gulf investors. Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund is expected to contribute roughly $10 billion, while the Qatar Investment Authority and Abu Dhabi-based L’imad Holding are likely to make up the remainder.
Crucially, the proposed investments are structured as non-voting stakes. This means the Gulf backers would not have direct control in the combined entity, a move designed to ease regulatory concerns in the United States. Paramount executives reportedly do not expect the deal to trigger scrutiny from bodies such as the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States or the Federal Communications Commission.
If completed, the merger would bring together a formidable portfolio of entertainment and news assets, including CNN and CBS. The combined entity aims to better compete in a fast-evolving media landscape where streaming platforms are steadily pulling audiences away from traditional television.
The deal reflects a broader shift in global media, where scale is increasingly seen as essential to survive the streaming wars. By pooling content libraries, technology and distribution, Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery are betting on size and synergy to drive future growth.
The involvement of deep-pocketed Gulf investors also underscores the growing role of sovereign wealth in shaping global media consolidation, particularly at a time when high-value deals demand equally large financial backing.
With shareholder votes and regulatory milestones still ahead, the proposed tie-up remains one of the most closely watched media deals of the year. If it clears the final hurdles, it could redraw the competitive map of the global entertainment industry.
