iWorld
SonyLIV selects Intertrust’s cloud-based multi-DRM service
MUMBAI: Intertrust’s cloud-based multi-DRM service, ExpressPlay DRM, has been selected by SonyLIV in India to protect content streaming and downloads including both online and offline playback on all devices.
The partnership covers all channels and entertainment programming on the SonyLIV platform, including over-the-top (OTT) live and on-demand streaming of TV, premium shows, movies, and sports events.
Owned by Sony Pictures Networks India Pvt. Ltd., SonyLIV is one of the top five OTT services in India. It houses more than 40,000 hours of VOD programming across five languages—Hindi, English, Marathi, Tamil, and Telugu—coupled with more than 24 years of content from channels of Sony Pictures Networks India. Last year, the service launched in the Middle East and has plans to expand its complete bouquet of services in several Southeast Asian countries.
“Riding on its compelling stories and diverse content catalogue, SonyLIV has garnered a record growth in MAUs, engagement, and subscriptions over the last year,” said Manish Verma, head of technology, SonyLIV. “The content protection service enabled by the ExpressPlay DRM is key to our ability to gear up for even more traction in the year ahead. ExpressPlay DRM will be key to augmenting our phenomenal success with live sports which has triggered a doubling of overall consumption growth over the last year alone.”
Intertrust’s technology will protect both live and on-demand OTT sports streaming on SonyLIV, which achieved a landmark viewership of 70 million for the FIFA World Cup 2018, the highest-ever for football in India. Last year, the broadcasting of the Indian cricket team’s overseas tour of Australia and England commanded a viewership of 50 million and 30 million respectively, accounting for a five-fold jump in time spent on the platform.
“The forces of technology and competition continue to erode media silos. Protecting both content creators and service operators is essential to remaining agile as streaming services look to offer up the best viewing experience,” said Talal G. Shamoon, CEO at Intertrust. “The ExpressPlay DRM service lets OTT providers protect and control media consumption across any mobile or smart device, allowing viewers to enjoy a personalized selection of channels, live entertainment, and sports enabled by a world-class streaming app like SonyLIV.”
The market-leading Intertrust ExpressPlay multi-DRM service, which supports all streaming platforms, DRM, and media formats, now protects OTT content for one-quarter of the world’s population. It is the only multi-DRM cloud service that supports Apple FairPlay Streaming, Google Widevine, Adobe Access, Microsoft PlayReady, and the open-standard Marlin DRM. It is a complementary solution to ExpressPlay XCA, which provides seamless interoperability for hybrid TV operators on mobile, web, smart TVs, and set-top boxes. The ExpressPlay content security suite offers forensic watermarking and anti-piracy services (powered by Friend MTS) to protect live and premium 4K/UHD content.
Gaming
Sony raises PS5 prices for second time in under a year
US disc edition jumps $100 to $649.99 as memory costs surge.
MUMBAI: Sony just hit the pause button on affordable gaming because when memory prices skyrocket, even the Playstation has to pay the premium. Sony has announced its second price increase for the Playstation 5 range in less than a year, citing pressures in the global economic landscape and a sharp rise in memory component costs driven by AI demand.
In the US, the PS5 disc edition will rise from $549.99 to $649.99, a $100 hike while the digital edition increases to $599.99. The more powerful PS5 Pro will jump $150 to $899.99. The Playstation Portal remote player will also rise by $50 to $249.99. The new prices take effect on 2 April 2026.
Similar increases have been applied in the UK (£90 per model), Europe and Japan. Sony last raised PS5 prices in the US in August 2025.
“We know that price changes impact our community, and after careful evaluation, we found this was a necessary step to ensure we can continue delivering innovative, high-quality gaming experiences to players worldwide,” Sony said in a blog post.
The hikes come amid an unprecedented surge in memory prices, as manufacturers prioritise supply for AI data centres. Analysts say Sony had likely secured price protections for components that have now expired, forcing the company to protect its hardware margins.
Ampere Analysis research director of games Piers Harding-Rolls told CNBC that further increases from Microsoft and Nintendo would not be surprising, though Nintendo may hesitate to raise the price of its recently launched Switch 2 while establishing the new platform.
The increases arrive eight months before the highly anticipated release of GTA 6, which is expected to drive strong console sales. However, early reactions online have been a mix of disappointment and resignation, with growing concern that premium gaming is increasingly becoming a hobby for higher-income players.
In a sector already grappling with tariffs, inflation and component shortages, Sony’s move underscores a tough reality: even the most popular consoles are not immune to the rising cost of keeping up with the latest technology.
