iWorld
Lionsgate sells Lionsgate Play to Rohit Jain, exits Asia streaming
Mumbai: Lionsgate has pressed pause on its streaming ambitions in South and Southeast Asia, selling Lionsgate Play to its founder and longtime Asia head Rohit Jain in a deal estimated at up to $30 million.
While the financial terms were not disclosed, media reports estimate the transaction value at between $20 million and $30 million, comprising an upfront payment followed by instalments. Lionsgate is believed to have invested close to $100 million in building the platform over the years.
Launched and scaled by Jain in one of the world’s most crowded streaming markets, Lionsgate Play has grown into a premium OTT service with around five million paid subscribers across the region.
Under a multi-year agreement, Lionsgate will continue to license its brand name and film and television catalogue to the platform, allowing Lionsgate Play to operate independently while retaining access to Hollywood content that made it popular with audiences.
The sale marks a full-circle moment for Jain, who will now run the platform under founder-led ownership and exit Lionsgate entirely. Importantly, all other Lionsgate film and television businesses in India and Southeast Asia will remain with the studio.
Lionsgate COO Brian Goldsmith praised Jain’s contribution, noting that the Lionsgate brand gained strong traction in Asia under his leadership. He added that Jain’s entrepreneurial mindset and deep regional understanding position Lionsgate Play well for its next phase of growth.
Jain described the acquisition as a personal milestone, thanking Lionsgate leadership for the freedom to build the India business from the ground up. He said the platform is now ready to move beyond being a Hollywood destination and evolve into a differentiated, future-ready streaming service for Asia.
With this deal, Lionsgate trims its regional streaming exposure while Lionsgate Play gets a fresh script under the founder who wrote its first chapter.
iWorld
JioHotstar enters micro-drama space with 100 shows under Tadka banner
Short-form push targets 300M users as content meets commerce in new format
MUMBAI: JioStar has made a bold play in India’s fast-growing micro-drama space, rolling out over 100 short-form shows under its new Tadka banner on JioHotstar, timed with the massive viewership surge of the Indian Premier League 2026.
The scale of the launch signals clear intent. Rather than testing the waters, the company has dived in headfirst, releasing a wide slate of content on day one. Each show is designed for quick consumption, with episodes running 60 to 90 seconds in a vertical format tailored for mobile-first audiences.
The move comes as India’s micro-drama market, currently valued at around $300 million, is projected to grow tenfold to over $3 billion by 2030. Globally, the format has already proven its mettle, with China’s micro-drama sector recording explosive growth in recent years.
What sets this rollout apart is its built-in monetisation strategy. The shows are free to watch and ad-supported, with brand integrations woven directly into storylines from the outset. It reflects a broader shift where content and commerce are increasingly intertwined, rather than operating in silos.
The timing is equally strategic. With more than 300 million users already tuning in for IPL action, JioHotstar is effectively turning cricket’s biggest stage into a discovery engine for its new format.
The company is not entering an empty arena. Early movers like Kuku TV, MX Player and platforms backed by Zee Entertainment Enterprises have already laid the groundwork, building audiences and validating demand for snackable storytelling.
Now, with scale, distribution and advertiser interest aligning, the big players are stepping in. For JioStar, Tadka may well serve as a proving ground for the next evolution of digital entertainment, where every minute counts and every second sells.
If the bet pays off, India’s next big content wave might just arrive in under 90 seconds.
