iWorld
Lionsgate Play announces its launch in the Philippines
Mumbai: Lionsgate Play, South Asia-based platform of premium subscription service STARZ, on Friday announced its continued expansion in Southeast Asia by getting ready for launching operations in the Philippines. The media company has appointed Ma Cecilia Marino as the general manager to lead its business in the region.
With a population of 109 million, the Philippines will become the newest territory added to the STARZ global footprint which now includes 60 countries, the company said in a statement.
Lionsgate Play, MD South Asia, and networks – emerging markets Asia, Rohit Jain will continue to spearhead operations in the region. Marino will begin operations in the Philippines under the guidance of Jain, it added.
“We are thrilled to expand into the Philippines where over a third of the population uses OTT services, a trend that has accelerated in the past two years as Filipinos become avid streaming consumers,” Jain said. “We see this as a great opportunity to reach and engage with them. As part of this process, we are building a strong leadership team beginning with the appointment of Ma Cecilia Marino to lead our growth there, taking Lionsgate Play to new heights while creating long-term value for our stakeholders,” he added.
Marino has over 25 years of experience in business strategy & development, brand marketing, and partnerships. She has worked closely with the dynamic telecommunications and fast-paced consumer industries. Most recently, she headed the integrated sales group of KidZania Manila, a global learning and entertainment brand.
“I am delighted to join the team at Lionsgate and bring my expertise and a fresh perspective to the table,” Marino said. “The Philippines is an indispensable market for the South Asian business, and I am confident that the Filipino audience will enjoy Lionsgate Play’s unique and exclusive streaming offering.”
According to a recent study by the Trade Desk, 36 million consumers stream two billion hours of OTT content per month in the Philippines, making OTT one of the fastest-growing media channels in the country. The mounting dominance of Hollywood films and soaring OTT viewership in the Philippines, coupled with only a few premium services to meet demand, creates a great market opportunity for Lionsgate Play to thrive in the country.
The premium video streaming service also recently launched its service in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh, after a successful rollout in India last year.
iWorld
Tips Music CEO Hari Nair to step down
Girish Taurani and Sushant Dalmia to jointly steer the company as the hunt for a new chief begins
MUMBAI: A leadership shuffle is under way at Tips Music. Hari Nair, the company’s chief executive, will step down on April 30 as the music label begins the search for a successor.
The company said Girish Taurani, executive director, and Sushant Dalmia, chief financial officer, will jointly oversee operations during the transition while the board identifies a permanent replacement.
Nair joined Tips Music in 2023 and set about reshaping the veteran music label into a more digital, data-led enterprise. During his tenure, the company secured licensing and partnership deals with global platforms including Sony Music Publishing and TikTok, while renewing agreements with Warner Music Group.
Drawing on earlier experience in technology and entertainment, including a stint at ByteDance, Nair pushed the organisation towards a performance-driven culture. He built a brand partnerships division and introduced proprietary software systems aimed at strengthening digital distribution and data capabilities.
Kumar Taurani, chairman and managing director, credited Nair with embedding a data-led culture within the company and driving revenue growth in line with shareholder commitments.
In his resignation note, Nair said that after helping transition the label into a modern, digitally focused and process-driven organisation, the time had come to pursue his next leadership challenge.
The leadership change comes as the broader Tips Films group shows signs of financial stabilisation. In the third quarter of FY26 the company reported a net loss of Rs 2.86 crore, narrowing sharply from Rs 14.2 crore in the previous quarter. For the nine months ended December, losses stood at Rs 12.37 crore.
Yet revenue told a more volatile story. Income from operations slid to Rs 4 crore in Q3 FY26 from Rs 56 crore in the preceding quarter, taking total operating income to Rs 4.56 crore.
For a company built on a catalogue of more than 34,000 tracks and decades of Bollywood hits, the next chief will inherit both a digital engine and a volatile music market. The playlist may be familiar, but the next act at Tips Music is only just beginning.
