iWorld
Sony Liv adds Hollywood blockbusters for subscribers
MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Networks’ (SPN) VOD service Sony LIV has announced the launch of a cinematic extravaganza for all movie fans with its Hollywood library. Besides a wide range of TV shows, sports properties, Bollywood flicks, songs and original web content, cinema aficionados can now enjoy instant access to internationally celebrated movies anytime and anywhere.
Sony Liv is going the extra mile to enhance the entertainment experiences for its viewers wherein the biggest upcoming Hollywood blockbusters will premiere on the platform before their television airing.
Sony Liv EVP and head for digital business Uday Sodhi said, “At Sony Liv, we are committed to continuously enhance the entertainment experience of our viewers. After receiving an overwhelming response for our Bollywood library, we are now extending our catalogue to allow English movie buffs to catch up with their Hollywood dose of entertainment- right from award-winning favourites to unseen gems. Our endeavour is to make an entire bouquet of eclectic yet engaging cinematic properties accessible at ease since Sony Liv is a complete digital entertainment destination that consumers can turn to for riveting content of every kind.”
The library gives viewers a chance to access a wide selection of hugely popular American movies on their own preferred digital devices. The platform claims to offer comprehensive and attractive for its discerning digital audience through its Hollywood library.
Liv already offers an extensive Bollywood library with over 1,000 films from across genres. It already has a portfolio of critically acclaimed films like The Pursuit of Happyness, Django Unchained, The Da Vinci Code, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Angels and Demons and the Spiderman series, etc.
The platform also rolled out a web-series for the online platform called #LoveBytes. It has also rolled out a digital film entitled Chhoti Khushito support a social media campaign, #LIVThisDiwali.
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.
