iWorld
Viacom18 Digital Ventures ties-up with technical partners for VOOT
MUMBAI: Viacom18 Digital Ventures has announced the line-up of technical partners for its upcoming digital Video On Demand (VOD) platform VOOT. To build and roll out its Over-the-top (OTT) streaming service, Viacom18 has roped in partners with an extensive international experience.
Kaltura, one of the global majors in OTT and video streaming services, is on-board as the platform provider and will build several customized features for the OTT platform which will be totally unique and relevant for the Indian market.
For the user experience and user interface design, Viacom18 has roped in US based A Different Engine (ADE), a company which has extensive experience and specialization in building UX/UI for large multi-platform video streaming services.
While Web Dunia is on board for web services and website development, the company is also playing the critical role of a system integrator.
The mobile applications are being developed by one of India’s leading developers Robosoft Technologies.
Speaking on the partnerships, Viacom18 Digital Ventures COO Gaurav Gandhi said, “In this business, product and technology play a pivotal role. While we work towards bringing popular and engaging content in this space for our viewers, we were equally focused on working with the best technology and design partners to build a world-class, differentiated product with superlative user experience.”
VOOT, an ad-supported VOD service, will aim to cater to the constant content consumption cravings of the always-on digital generation. The platform will also have a big focus on originals content created only for the service.
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.
