iWorld
YouTube’s ad revenue growth slows down in Q2, subscription revenue sees good growth
KOLKATA: In the pandemic-hit period, Google-owned YouTube’s advertising revenue declined in the Q2 of 2020 compared to the previous quarter. It has raked $3.81 billion for the quarter up from $3.60 billion in the year-ago period but lower than $4.04 billion in Q1.
“For YouTube, we ended March with a year-on-year growth rate in the high single digits, and that's reflecting a substantial headwind from brand. The headwind from brand moderated modestly at the end of the second quarter, and then we saw a further improvement in July. Direct response has been consistently strong,” Google and Alphabet CFO Ruth Porat said.
Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai also mentioned strong growth in non-ads revenues particularly from Cloud, Google Play and YouTube subscriptions. Nevertheless, content acquisition costs of the company were primarily driven by content costs for YouTube TV and paid YouTube Music and premium subscription services.
He also added that YouTube Premium Music and TV subscriptions performed well during the quarter. “This, in turn, is helping our partners, developers and creators earn revenue and deliver valuable services to people. We are focused on the steps to build long-term value with these opportunities,” Pichai said.
However, while the ad market saw a bump since March, the headwind from brand moderated modestly at the end of the second quarter seeing further improvement in July. Moreover, the company added features in the quarter to make video ads more easily shoppable and browsable on YouTube as more businesses are shifting to online to offset physical store closures.
iWorld
Prime Video unveils trailer for Tamil series Exam, streaming May 15
Dushara Vijayan, Aditi Balan headline scam thriller set in exam world
CHENNAI: Prime Video has dropped the official trailer of its upcoming Tamil Original series Exam, a high-stakes suspense drama set in the murky world of competitive entrance exams.
Backed by creative producers Pushkar and Gayatri under Wallwatcher Films, the seven-episode series is written and directed by National Award-winner A. Sarkunam. It stars Dushara Vijayan and Aditi Balan in lead roles, with Abbas playing a pivotal character.
Set in the fictional town of Thykara, the series follows Jhansi, played by Dushara Vijayan, as she attempts to expose a deep-rooted scam, aided by her mentor Jayachandran, played by Abbas. Standing in her way is DSP Maramalli, portrayed by Aditi Balan, setting up a tense face-off driven by ambition, pressure and moral choices.
The show will stream from May 15 on Prime Video in India and across more than 240 countries and territories. It will be available in Tamil, with dubbed versions in Telugu, Hindi, Malayalam and Kannada, along with subtitles in 15 languages.
Writer-director A. Sarkunam said the story aims to resonate across geographies and social strata, going beyond the scam to explore ambition, pressure and the consequences of personal choices. He added that the narrative unfolds through the intersecting journeys of Jhansi and Maramalli, building tension as their worlds collide.
Dushara Vijayan described Jhansi as a fierce and determined character, calling the role both demanding and rewarding, with the story capturing the difficult choices her character must make.
Aditi Balan said the series offers a hard-hitting look at the exam ecosystem, adding that her character is layered and shaped by both internal conflict and external pressures.
Abbas, marking his return to mainstream Tamil entertainment, said the series stands out for its layered storytelling and unpredictable twists, with his character adding depth to the central narrative.
With its mix of suspense, social commentary and character-driven storytelling, Exam is shaping up to be a tense watch as it dives into one of India’s most high-pressure systems.
