iWorld
Regional OTT platform aha wins two silvers at Abbys 2022
Mumbai: The regional OTT platform aha bagged two silvers at Abbys 2022 for ‘best regional TV reality show promo’ and ‘best regional TV program promo’ at the star-studded Goafest.
The Abby awards 2022 recognised and honoured aha’s creative work for its NBK campaign and has become the top talk show on the IMDb list during its run. The promo features Telugu superstar NBK- Nandamuri Balakrishna, which has garnered millions of views.
aha winning these awards, in the first year of Abby’s participation, speaks volumes about its creative strengths and fine campaign execution. The two promos created by aha’s in-house team are worthy of praise, as they not only bode well for the company but also inspire every new creative shop from regional markets to dream big at the Abbys.
On the winning, aha CEO Ajit Thakur said, “We are thrilled and grateful to Abby Awards for recognizing us and our work. Our endeavor had always been to question the status quo and give the best to the consumer, be it in content or in communication. We are glad that this award is for the promo of one of our path-breaking shows Unstoppable. We tried to represent the stature of the celebrity and show, in the promo in an interesting way and it connected very well with all the Telugu audience.”
aha has close to two million Paid subscriptions in Telugu market with more than seven million users. The company has recently launched a slate in the Tamil language as well, further manifesting its promise of providing “100 per cent local entertainment.” It has a variety of content offerings, right from blockbuster films to web series, original films to talk shows, game shows and much more.
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.
