iWorld
IndiaCast lands Fast channel DesiPlay TV on Mena region’s Starz On
MUMBAI: It’s making real fast plays (no pun intended) in the middle east and north Africa.
We are referring to DesiPlay TV, the Fast channel, from the Mukesh Ambani-owned Viacom18.
IndiaCast Media Distribution (IndiaCast), the content asset monetisation arm of Viacom18 and Network18, today announced DesiPlay TV’s launch on Starz On in the middle east & north Africa (Mena), marking the Fast channel’s availability on two key streaming platforms in the region offering audiences a diverse range of Indian entertainment content and making it accessible to a wider audience of Hindi entertainment enthusiasts across the region.
DesiPlay TV, a curated collection of popular Hindi television shows and Indian cinema films, has garnered popularity among viewers worldwide. With this launch, DesiPlay TV is now available on leading Fast platforms, including Starz On, Shahid, Telus, Pluto TV, Plex, Sling, Rakuten TV, and Yupp TV, providing audiences with easy access to the rich tapestry of Indian storytelling across Mena, Americas and Europe.
The Fast channel vertical has witnessed rapid growth in recent years, driven by the increasing demand for affordable and accessible content. The middle east, with its diverse population and growing digital penetration, presents a lucrative market for Fast channels. DesiPlay TV’s presence on Starz On, a prominent streaming platform in the region, is expected to further fuel its popularity and reach among Hindi content consuming audiences.
Says IndiaCast executive vice-president & head of international business Govind Shahi: , “We are thrilled to further solidify DesiPlay TV’s presence in the Middle East through our partnership with Starz On. This expansion is a testament to the growing demand for Indian content globally. We believe that DesiPlay TV’s unique blend of entertainment and cultural richness will resonate with viewers in the region.”
Starz On & evision head of content Sunil Joy adds: “As part of our ongoing commitment to providing our audience with the best possible content, we are excited to announce the addition of DesiPlay TV to our platform. This partnership aligns with the growing demand for Asian content in the region and allows us to offer our viewers a more diverse and engaging entertainment experience.”
iWorld
WPP Opendoor and Snapchat launch AI Lens for Prime Video India
Generative AI Lens personalises content discovery with real-time user integration.
MUMBAI: In the age of main characters, Prime Video is handing users the script and the spotlight. WPP Opendoor, WPP’s dedicated Amazon unit, has teamed up with Snapchat to roll out an India-first generative AI-powered Lens for Prime Video’s latest campaign, ‘Stories for Your Every Era… it’s on Amazon Prime’. The activation taps into the rising “era-core” trend, where identities shift with moods, moments and mindsets and content is expected to keep up.
The Lens does exactly that. Using generative AI, it places users directly into the worlds of popular Prime Video titles such as Maxton Hall, Beast Games, The Boys and The Traitors, embedding their faces into key visuals in real time. The result is less browsing, more becoming.
The idea is rooted in a behavioural shift: audiences increasingly see themselves as the centre of their own narratives, especially on social platforms. By turning viewers into participants, the campaign blurs the line between content discovery and content experience.
It also introduces a layer of personalisation that goes beyond algorithms. Whether someone identifies with a “trust no-one era” or an “infinite aura era”, the Lens curates recommendations that align with that evolving identity making discovery feel intuitive rather than instructed.
This marks a shift in how streaming platforms approach engagement. Instead of pushing titles, the focus is on pulling users into the story itself transforming passive scrolling into interactive storytelling.
The collaboration also underscores how platforms like Snapchat are becoming key playgrounds for content marketing, particularly when paired with emerging technologies like generative AI. The format is native, immersive and built for participation three things traditional discovery often struggles to deliver.
In a crowded streaming landscape, where attention is the real currency, Prime Video’s bet is clear, if viewers feel like the story is about them, they are far more likely to press play.
