iWorld
Zee5 partners with smart TV OS Whale TV
MUMBAI: Zee5 has got onto another independent smart TV OS, Whale TV. With this, the streamer will be available on all Whale TV smart TVs, including major brands such as Philips, TCL, and Sharp, across more than 150 countries including India, the Middle East and North Africa, Asia-Pacific, and the US.
Zee5 offers south Asian content including original shows, franchise hits, and diverse content across 18 languages. Operating in over 190 countries, the platform boasts a catalogue that spans blockbuster movies, acclaimed TV shows, and lifestyle programming. By partnering with Whale TV, Zee5 is making its content accessible to millions of viewers worldwide.
On Whale TV models, consumers will now have an easy-to-use smart TV experience with advanced AI powered recommendations, making it easier than ever to discover and enjoy Zee5’s wide range of premium titles including Oscar winner RRR, Sam Bahadur, Gyaarah Gyaarah, Hanu-Man (Telugu) and more.
Said Zee5 chief business officer Manish Kalra: “Smart TVs are an increasingly dominant way for people to consume content. This strategic alliance with Whale TV further strengthens our global reach, enabling entirely new audiences to discover our curated catalogue of premium South Asian content at scale. We are confident that this partnership will accelerate our efforts to bring viewers across the globe seamless access to the best of south Asian content.”
“With Whale TV we aim to deliver a smart and simple TV experience to consumers, where they can watch their favorite entertainment whether that’s streamed, broadcasted or playing on a connected device. With our global reach it is important that we offer a diverse content selection and we are delighted to add Zee5 Global to our platform,” added Whale TV VP content distribution Lucas Huang.
iWorld
Tips Music CEO Hari Nair to step down
Girish Taurani and Sushant Dalmia to jointly steer the company as the hunt for a new chief begins
MUMBAI: A leadership shuffle is under way at Tips Music. Hari Nair, the company’s chief executive, will step down on April 30 as the music label begins the search for a successor.
The company said Girish Taurani, executive director, and Sushant Dalmia, chief financial officer, will jointly oversee operations during the transition while the board identifies a permanent replacement.
Nair joined Tips Music in 2023 and set about reshaping the veteran music label into a more digital, data-led enterprise. During his tenure, the company secured licensing and partnership deals with global platforms including Sony Music Publishing and TikTok, while renewing agreements with Warner Music Group.
Drawing on earlier experience in technology and entertainment, including a stint at ByteDance, Nair pushed the organisation towards a performance-driven culture. He built a brand partnerships division and introduced proprietary software systems aimed at strengthening digital distribution and data capabilities.
Kumar Taurani, chairman and managing director, credited Nair with embedding a data-led culture within the company and driving revenue growth in line with shareholder commitments.
In his resignation note, Nair said that after helping transition the label into a modern, digitally focused and process-driven organisation, the time had come to pursue his next leadership challenge.
The leadership change comes as the broader Tips Films group shows signs of financial stabilisation. In the third quarter of FY26 the company reported a net loss of Rs 2.86 crore, narrowing sharply from Rs 14.2 crore in the previous quarter. For the nine months ended December, losses stood at Rs 12.37 crore.
Yet revenue told a more volatile story. Income from operations slid to Rs 4 crore in Q3 FY26 from Rs 56 crore in the preceding quarter, taking total operating income to Rs 4.56 crore.
For a company built on a catalogue of more than 34,000 tracks and decades of Bollywood hits, the next chief will inherit both a digital engine and a volatile music market. The playlist may be familiar, but the next act at Tips Music is only just beginning.
