iWorld
YouTube Red rebranded as YouTube Premium with expanded reach in 14 countries
MUMBAI: YouTube Red, the ad-free subscription video on demand (VOD) service launched in October 2015, has been rebranded as YouTube Premium on 17 May 2018. The rebranded service, YouTube Premium, will be rolled out soon in existing YouTube Red markets like US, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico and South Korea.
It will have a higher price point for customers that are new to the premium-level offering which will fetch $11.99 per month, $2 more than the earlier price. Current YouTube Red subs that sign up for YouTube Red service before YouTube Premium is formally launched will get the lower price of $9.99 per month. With respect to updated pricing, one exception is South Korea, which will offer YouTube Premium at the current price of YouTube Red.
The new YouTube Premium includes the ad-free YouTube Music (a revamped music streaming service that will take on rival offerings such as Spotify and Apple Music), plus access to original series, including Cobra Kai, and movies (like upcoming sci-fi title Impulse) and other YouTube content without ads.
YouTube Premium is also getting a wider reach, as it’s to be rolled out in Canada and 13 European markets including Austria, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
Google hasn’t revealed YouTube Red sub numbers, but the service was reported to have about 1.5 million paying customers a year after launch.
Also Read :
YouTube web series to showcase road safety awareness across India
Three years down, YouTube Kids unable to make an impact
iWorld
Subedaar puts Indian original cinema on the global map with record-breaking Prime Video debut
MUMBAI: Prime Video has a runaway hit on its hands. Subedaar, the gritty action drama starring Anil Kapoor, has stormed to become the most-watched Indian original movie on the platform in its opening weekend, cracking the Top 10 across 31 countries and landing in 91 per cent of India’s pin codes within days of its March 5 premiere.
The film, a visceral, emotionally-charged story of a retired soldier, Subedaar Arjun Maurya, wrestling with civilian life amid crime and corruption, has struck a nerve. Directed by Suresh Triveni and co-starring Radhikka Madan, Mona Singh, Saurabh Shukla, Aditya Rawal, Faisal Malik, and Khushboo Sundar, the film is already being hailed as a showcase for what Indian original storytelling can achieve on the world stage.
“Subedaar’s success is a reflection of the growing scale and global resonance of Indian storytelling,” said Nikhil Madhok, director and head of originals at Prime Video India. “The film’s emotional narrative, its rooted portrayal of a soldier confronting his toughest battles beyond the battlefield, has struck a chord. Anil Kapoor delivers an acting masterclass, while Suresh Triveni’s solid direction and great performances from the ensemble cast have resulted in love and appreciation from customers across the world.”
Kapoor, 62, has been here before, but rarely at this altitude. Written by Triveni and Prajwal Chandrashekar, with dialogues by Triveni, Saurabh Dwivedi, and Chandrashekar, the film is a production by Opening Image Films in association with Anil Kapoor Film & Communication Network (AKFCN), produced by Vikram Malhotra, Kapoor, and Triveni.
Subedaar streams exclusively on Prime Video in Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu across India, and in over 240 countries and territories worldwide.
For Prime Video, the numbers tell the real story: one weekend, one film, a global footprint, and a very loud signal that Indian original cinema is no longer just travelling well. It’s arriving.
