iWorld
Viva appoints Ashley before global OTT rollout
MUMBAI: Viva Entertainment Group, Inc., a developer of OTT systems through which television services are delivered using the Internet, has announced the appointment of FlixFling founder and CEO, Thomas Ashley, to its board of directors.
Ashley will serve as an independent director of the company. Viva’s Board now comprises four, with Johnny Falcones, Viva’s CEO, serving as the chairman of the board. Ashley is an industry veteran and brings a new dimension to its seasoned board. This wealth of knowledge makes the perfect team as the company embarks on a global rollout of its cutting edge OTT platform.
Viva’s CEO, Johnny Falcones expressed, “Ashley’s experience in content rights and global distribution makes him nothing short of an industry guru. Ashley will play a major part in our decision-making when it comes to his fields of expertise. He continues to be a top notch CEO having advanced FlixFling to one of the top streaming music and movie services in North America. The addition of his expertise to Viva’s Board is part of our complete package, rounding out insight into all arenas related to OTT, as we ready our products for global distribution. We could not be more thrilled to have his guidance as we advance Viva’s mission in the market place.”
Viva founder chairman and CEO Johnny Falcones is an industry veteran with the strategic vision, drive, and connections to advance Viva’s platform in the TV industry. His extensive experience in the entertainment world drove him to start his quest with Viva.
From day one at a young age he helped develop the careers of Marc Anthony (India) and not long ago Soleil J. This champion then continued his career with Icons such as Celia Cruz and Tito Puente. He also developed a successful record label with Universal Music and Video Distribution, turning it in to a multi-million dollar label.
Two decades ago, Falcones was just a Puerto Rican born, cool kid from Brooklyn, who moonlighted as a DJ while attending LaGuardia College in New York .2 turntables & a keen ear, Falcones quickly became the music authority of NY’s Latin House music scene of 90s. It was one faithful night at Palladium nightclub, where he had a chance encounter with legendary music impresario Ralph Mercado, who recruited him to RMM Records. Together they globalized the Latin record industry, converting starry-eyed local vocalist Marc Anthony & India from buzz act, to icons.
Within months, the young up and coming Falcones was globe-trotting with Superstars, Celia Cruz & Tito Puente. Under Falcones’ management, these stars collected a bevy of international awards & were immortalized via ‘Hollywood Walk of Fame’ slots. Falcones co-exec. produced the White House’s 24th Annual Hispanic Heritage Awards in Sep. 2010, which featured a luminaries such Juan Luis Guerra & Don Francisco. He also produced the Last Tito Puente concert Viva La Musica which was release on Showtime pay-per view and the was release on CD and DVD.
Ashley is an unprecedented CEO who brings two decades of experience in the film industry. As founder and CEO of FlixFling, Ashley has created the largest privately held streaming movie service in North America. FlixFling is the only service to offer both streaming music and movies for one low monthly fee. Through its partnership with Music Choice, FlixFling is also the only streaming service to offer streaming music videos across 25 channels. Flixfling boasts over 10,000 titles, with Ashley negotiating all content deals for the company with partners including Warner Brothers, Sony, Paramount, Universal, Starz Digital Media, Magnolia Pictures, Image Entertainment and VuBiquity among others.
A veteran in the Advertising Industry Ashley’s experience is paramount in marketing to mainstream audiences. As CEO of Invincible Pictures, Ashley has created a major independent entertainment group pioneering digital film and television distribution. In November of 2008 Ashley opened Philadelphia Sound Stages a 70,000 Square feet facility including Sound Stages, Production Offices and warehousing for Invincible’s pick, pack and ship operations. In May of 2014 Ashley closed his 2nd film acquisitions fund Invincible Entertainment Partners. A follow up to his highly successful 2008 fund IP Film Partners, both with the mission of acquiring, producing and licensing motion picture properties for distribution on a global platform.
As part of the fund Invincible co-produced Kevin Smith’s newest $5.5MM film “Yoga Hosers” Starring, Smith and his Daughter Harley Quinn, as well as Johnny Depp, and his daughter Lilly-Rose. This is the first time Depp and his daughter shared a screen together. Other notable cast includes Stan Lee, Justin Long, Haley Joel Osment and Genesis Rodriguez. Ashley is a proud member of the board for the Philadelphia Film Society, the non-profit organization behind the Philadelphia Film Festival, A Member of the Entertainment Merchants Association and Volunteer at the Abramson Cancer Center at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Ashley himself is a cancer survivor and shares a home with his wife and son in the suburbs of Philadelphia.
iWorld
Why Peaky Blinders is one of television’s biggest hits that still deserves more attention
Six seasons, multiple awards and the release of Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man bring the Shelby saga back into the spotlight
In the crowded universe of streaming content, only a handful of shows manage to leave a lasting cultural footprint. Peaky Blinders is overwhelmingly considered one of the biggest global hits of the past decade. Yet many viewers still haven’t fully explored the dark, gripping world of the Shelby family.
Originally produced for the UK’s BBC and later finding a massive global audience through Netflix, the series quietly grew from a British period drama into a worldwide streaming phenomenon.
Created by Steven Knight, the show follows the rise of the Shelby crime family in post-First World War Birmingham. What begins as a gritty street-gang story gradually expands into a sweeping narrative about ambition, politics, power and survival.
At the centre of the saga is Thomas Shelby, portrayed with extraordinary depth by Cillian Murphy. The casting of Murphy is widely regarded as perfect for the role. With piercing eyes, restrained dialogue and an almost hypnotic screen presence, he transforms Shelby into one of the most unforgettable characters in modern screen storytelling.
Murphy’s brilliance lies in his restraint. He rarely shouts or performs theatrically. Instead, a quiet stare, a calculated pause or a subtle shift in expression conveys the emotional storms within the character. Beneath the ruthless gang leader is a war veteran carrying trauma, guilt and loneliness. Murphy captures this complexity with remarkable precision, making Thomas Shelby both terrifying and deeply human.
Beyond its central performance, Peaky Blinders stands out for its unfiltered portrayal of reality. The show does not romanticise crime. Instead, it exposes the harsh social conditions of early 20th-century Britain, from poverty and class struggle to political extremism and the psychological scars left by war.
The series also presents powerful female characters who hold their own within the Shelby empire. Polly Gray, played by Helen McCrory, is the strategic backbone of the family and one of the most formidable figures in the story. Women in the series shape decisions, influence power structures and challenge the rigid social norms of the time.
Across six seasons, the narrative grows dramatically in scale. What begins in the smoky streets of Birmingham evolves into a story involving political conspiracies, fascism and international criminal networks.
The series has also earned significant critical acclaim. It won the BAFTA Television Award for Best Drama Series in 2018 and multiple National Television Awards for Best Drama, cementing its reputation as one of Britain’s most celebrated modern shows.
Another defining feature of the series is its iconic music. The show’s opening theme, Red Right Hand by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, became instantly recognisable and widely associated with the Shelby universe. Combined with a powerful soundtrack featuring artists such as Arctic Monkeys and Radiohead, the music helped shape the show’s dark, stylish identity and became hugely popular among fans.
And the Shelby story is not over yet.
In fact, its legacy is unfolding right now. The long-awaited feature-length continuation, Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man, was released on March 6, 2026, bringing the Shelby universe from streaming screens to cinemas and giving fans a new chapter in the saga.
For viewers who have not yet stepped into this world, the timing could not be better.
Six gripping seasons are ready to binge on Netflix. A new film has just arrived in theatres. And at the heart of it all stands one of the most magnetic performances in modern drama by Cillian Murphy.
So if Peaky Blinders has been sitting on your watchlist for years, this weekend is your moment.
So, by order of the Peaky fookin’ Blinders, consider this your cue to finally step into the ruthless world of Thomas Shelby. Pour yourself a drink, clear your schedule and press the play button. Because when the Peaky Blinders give an order, you listen.
