iWorld
Prime Focus Technologies signs deal with HOOQ
MUMBAI: Prime Focus Technologies (PFT), a subsidiary of Prime Focus, has inked a deal with Asian over-the-top (OTT) player HOOQ, which recently launched in the Indian market.
With this, PFT’s CLEAR Operations Cloud will help package and deliver content on HOOQ.
HOOQ will deliver both Hollywood films and television series, as well as popular local movies and programs to customers anytime, anywhere by enabling them to stream and download the shows on their device or platform of choice. HOOQ, which is the OTT service from Singtel, Sony Pictures Television and Warner Bros. Entertainment, is being rolled out in Asian markets like India, Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand, from the first quarter of 2015.
The biggest challenge for any OTT platform is speed of delivery as content exists in different formats, varied quality standards, no subtitles, dubs, edits etc. Piecing this puzzle quickly for consumption requires technology. That’s the advantage of PFT’s CLEAR, Hybrid Cloud-enabled Media ERP Suite. As part of the deal, CLEAR Operations Cloud will manage key workflows including content processing and packaging. The solution initially includes managing over 20,000 hours of Indian and Hollywood content for HOOQ.
“Prime Focus Technologies is thrilled to be a part of a transformative OTT solution in Asia. Consumer behavior is changing rapidly and HOOQ will surely have the first mover advantage in the Asian market. Our ‘Digital Next’ offering, Operations Cloud is uniquely placed to match scale, complexity and disruptive vision of HOOQ to securely present premium global and local content to a billion Asian viewers anytime, anywhere,” said PFT founder and CEO Ramki Sankaranarayanan.
“Prime Focus Technologies is a known name in innovative Cloud solutions especially in the Asian market. Their experience and technology prowess will add huge value in managing project of this scale and size,” added HOOQ CEO Peter G. Bithos.
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.
