iWorld
Streaming successfully, the ViacomCBS way
MUMBAI: A couple of weeks ago, ViacomCBS CEO Bob Bakish announced a new international streaming service – replacing CBS All Access – which would be launched in the first phase in Australia, Latin America and the Nordics in 2021. It would be the second streaming service under the Viacom-CBS umbrella, the first being the free streamer Pluto TV, which it acquired in 2019 for $340 million.
Speaking at APOS yesterday ViacomCBS Networks International (VCNI) president & CEO David Lynn said that “Asia is a significant territory, the markets there are extremely advanced in OTT and streaming. However, we have not decided on the markets. What differentiates us is the free play we have through Pluto and the paid one through the super streamer we are planning. Having two products allows us the flexibility to decide what plays out where. Indonesia is an advertising- based market whereas Japan is subscriber-oriented. What we know is that the partnerships we have had with mobile in those regions are going to be important, particularly around 5G, and we can work with the operators to market that service.”
He additionally sees opportunities in Asia for Noggin, the preschool kids services which have been launched internationally on Amazon and Apple channels.
Lynn revealed that in India, ”Viacom-CBS has a very material successful business in Viacom18 that has been built out over more than a decade. That business-like several other businesses has had the impact of Covid2019, but we are beginning to move past that. We are seeing our production ramp-up again, we are seeing viewership follow the new production and we are seeing the ad markets recovering.”
He further explained that the strategy for India is similar to the international streaming strategy. “We have a very successful leading free streaming service in Voot. Then we have a premium paid premium service called Voot Select, which has got off to a significant start,” he said. “The core business is very strong, the move into streaming presents a huge opportunity and is off to a successful start, and not the least because of our partnership with Reliance and their ownership of Jio which is an incredible driver of streaming. “
Clearly, even as different publications have been going to town writing for the past two years – and more aggressively recently – about the impending merger of Sony with Viacom18, Lynn did not once mention that any such talks were on.
Lynn further expressed that the new global subscription OTT will have an output premiere deal with Showtime, CBS-All Access, content from Paramount Pictures, MTV, Nickelodeon and Comedy Central. “It is going to be a supersized streaming service,” he said. “With the massive content from Viacom-CBS. “
Lynn revealed that the 30 countries that Viacom-CBS has operations in and the assets, and relationships, the local content will be leveraged to push the super- sized streaming service. “We want to become a material player from the advertising, subscription and licensing perspectives and become a market leader in streaming internationally,” he stated.
iWorld
Arike unveils futuristic dating campaign set in 2050
Malayali app imagines AI-led love with Hansika and real-life father in emotional film.
MUMBAI: Love in 2050 might come with holograms and hyper-personalised algorithms but Arike’s betting the heart still needs a good old-fashioned “yes, forever”. The Kerala-rooted dating app from Aisle Network has launched a fresh digital video campaign that fast-forwards to the year 2050, painting a world where tech handles compatibility scores, virtual first dates, and even memory-recreated companionship. Yet the core message cuts through the sci-fi gloss: no matter how advanced the tools get, real commitment remains a deeply human choice.
Set in a sleek, futuristic Indian home, the film opens with a light-hearted father-daughter chat about how relationships spark in their high-tech era. As the daughter marvels at algorithm-driven matches, the father gently steers the story back to his own beginning meeting his partner years earlier on Arike and deciding to build a life together. The narrative then weaves in personal loss, cherished memories, and AI’s role in preserving them, landing on a timeless truth, love endures because someone chooses to stay.
Adding emotional weight, actress Hansika makes her campaign debut alongside her real-life father Krishnakumar, who plays her on-screen dad bringing an authentic father-daughter dynamic that grounds the futuristic tale in genuine warmth.
Aisle Network head Chandni said, “This film is our way of imagining how dating might evolve in the next 25 years, while reminding ourselves of what doesn’t change. Technology can help us find compatibility faster, reduce friction, and even recreate familiarity. But love still requires choice and commitment. That has always been at the heart of Arike.”
Through the spot, Arike positions itself as more than a swipe-right platform, it’s a companion for every life stage, from first sparks to lifelong bonds and even second chances. In an age where algorithms promise perfect matches, the campaign quietly asks, when the tech fades, who’s still there when the lights come up? For Arike, the answer hasn’t changed in 25 years and probably won’t in the next 25 either.
