iWorld
SVOD subscriptions in India to triple by 2026
KERALA: SVOD subscriptions in India will almost triple between 2020 and 2026 to 155 million, thus representing 10 per cent of the world’s total, according to a report published in Digital TV Research.
The report suggested that the total number of global SVOD subscriptions will reach 1.5 billion within the next five years, which represents a 65 per cent jump from the 2020 number of 591 million.
The year that marked a peak in SVOD subscriptions was 2020 where 201 million new subscribers were added. The total number of global SVOD subscribers is expected to cross one billion by the end of 2021.
It should also be noted that SVOD subscription growth is faster than for SVOD subscribers (an SVOD subscriber pays for at least one SVOD subscription). According to the study report, an average SVOD subscriber will pay for 2.14 SVOD subscriptions by 2026, up from 1.74 in 2020.
The report also noted that the United States will overtake China as the subscription leader in 2021. If the trend holds, China and the United States will together account for 48 per cent of the global subscriptions by 2026.
“There will be 700 million SVOD subscribers by 2026; up by 35 per cent from 518 million at end-2020. The 2026 total represents 39 per cent of TV households, increasing from 30 per cent in 2020,” said Digital TV Research principal analyst Simon Murray.
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.
