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
X launches XChat messaging app on iOS with calls and encryption
Standalone app marks shift from “everything app” vision, adds E2E messaging.
MUMBAI: From one big app to many small chats, X seems to be splitting its ambitions. X has rolled out its standalone messaging app, XChat, to iOS users, opening up a new front in its evolving product strategy. The app allows users to connect with existing X contacts through private and group messages, file sharing, as well as audio and video calls. The launch follows a limited beta phase, where the platform tested the product with a smaller user base to refine the experience. Now available publicly, XChat marks a notable pivot from earlier ambitions championed by Elon Musk to turn X into a single “everything app” combining messaging, payments, commerce and more.
Instead, the company under xAI ownership and backed by SpaceX appears to be building a suite of standalone applications, each targeting specific use cases while expanding its broader ecosystem.
At launch, XChat includes end-to-end encrypted messaging, PIN-based access, disappearing messages, and features such as message editing, deletion for all participants, and screenshot blocking. The company has also said the app is free from advertisements and tracking mechanisms, positioning it as a privacy-first alternative in a crowded messaging space.
However, security claims around the platform are likely to face scrutiny. Earlier iterations of XChat drew criticism from experts who argued it fell short of established encrypted platforms like Signal. With the wider rollout, the app is expected to undergo fresh evaluation to assess whether those concerns have been addressed.
Beyond messaging, XChat will also house X’s Communities feature, which is being discontinued on the main platform due to low usage and spam concerns. Migrating these users could provide an early boost to adoption, effectively turning XChat into both a communication and community hub.
The move underscores a broader recalibration at X less about cramming everything into one app, and more about spreading bets across multiple touchpoints, one message at a time.
