iWorld
The 120 Media Collective & Diagonal View to launch digital video platform
MUMBAI: India based The 120 Media Collective has inked a joint venture with UK’s Diagonal View to form a company called Sooperfly.
The new company in the digital video space will offer video creation, distribution and monetisation for the Asian market.
The partnership is the first of its kind in the rapidly growing digital video space, where two companies have come together to provide talent and publishers with an opportunity to enter the world of video creation, distribution and monetization. The 120 Media Collective will package professional content and substantial audiences to drive premium ad sales and brand integrations.
The company will have a three-pronged approach to empowering the entire digital video ecosystem:
1. Bringing new and existing talent into the digital ecosystem by breaking down barriers and providing an entire suite of services including development, production, channel management and audience building. The content will range from the self-promotional for individual talent to premium content that can fit into emerging subscription platforms.
2. Tap into large publishers and curate, manage and monetize their existing content.
3. Sooperfly will also empower and enable brands to turn publishers with the creation of video led properties around the enormous talent pool that exists in the ecosystem today.
Sooperfly aims to forge 200 partnerships during 2015, across individuals, publishers and content collectives, who will co-produce content across a range of genres including lifestyle, beauty, fashion, comedy, sports, education, technology, the performing arts and more.
The network already has on board journalist Vir Sanghvi, celebrity chat show host Tara Sharma and stand-up comic Radhika Vaz, while collectives such as Shalom Films and The Rolling Garaari bring in a variety of topical and serial content.
Initial advertiser partners will be announced later this quarter.
Currently internally funded by the partner entities, the company aims to be amongst the top three in digital video across the APAC region over the next 36 months.
The 120 Media Collective founder and CEO Roopak Saluja said, “Sooperfly is The 120 Media Collective’s digital video distribution arm that gives us the capability to build content brands direct-to-audiences. It capitalizes on the production expertise of Bang Bang Films and Sniper and the digital marketing credibility we’ve built with Jack in the Box Worldwide but most importantly, it leverages our credibility with brands built over nine years. Diagonal View as the global leader in audience development and channel management is the ultimate partner to join forces with in taking Sooperfly to a position of leadership in empowering digital video across Asia.”
“The market for professional video is global, and through local partners we have had great success throughout the US, Europe and the Middle East. We see huge potential in the Asia Pacific market, and believe this partnership and its unique skill sets will deliver professional video to substantial audiences. Our past success and experience with audience management and IP creation meets a current need gap in the APAC market, whether it’s brands looking at a scientific approach to video, or content creators and publishers looking for better management of their online properties,” added Diagonal View founder Matt Heiman.
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.
