Production House
Sony Pictures to cut hundreds of jobs in global business overhaul
Studio shifts focus to anime, gaming IP and franchises amid industry churn
MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Entertainment is set to cut a few hundred jobs globally as part of a broader effort to realign its business with changing audience habits and growth areas, according to media reports.
The layoffs will span the company’s film, television and corporate divisions, reflecting a wider reset underway across Hollywood as studios adapt to rising costs and the steady shift away from traditional television to digital-first content.
Sony Pictures Entertainment chief executive Ravi Ahuja said the company is repositioning itself for future growth. “Over the past year, we have sharpened our strategy and clarified where we believe the greatest opportunities exist. To support our growth, we are aligning our organisation with where the business is going, not where it has been. That requires changes to how we are structured and where we invest,” he noted.
The restructuring comes with a clear strategic pivot. Sony is doubling down on high-growth segments such as anime through Crunchyroll, as well as adaptations of popular PlayStation titles like God of War and Helldivers. Franchise-led storytelling and known intellectual property are increasingly central to its content playbook.
Leadership changes are also part of the shake-up. Game Show Network president John Zaccario is set to exit, signalling a broader recalibration within legacy television operations.
The move mirrors an industry-wide trend, with major studios trimming costs while investing more selectively in scalable, globally resonant content. As streaming matures and audience preferences evolve, the emphasis is shifting from volume to value.
For Sony Pictures, the message is straightforward. Fewer roles, sharper focus, and a stronger bet on franchises that travel well across screens and markets.
Film Production
Priyanka Kaur Dhillon joins SVF Entertainment as lead for music distribution
A seasoned content dealmaker with 16 years in digital and satellite media joins the Bengali entertainment powerhouse as it pushes into the pan-India music market
Mumbai: Priyanka Kaur Dhillon has made her move. The content acquisitions and commercials veteran, most recently commercial manager at Sony Pictures Networks India, has joined SVF Entertainment as lead for music distribution, stepping into one of the more interesting briefs in regional entertainment right now.
SVF is no ordinary regional label. Over 30 years it has built a formidable legacy in Bengali cinema and music, driven by culturally resonant storytelling and a catalogue that consistently punches above its weight. Its recent success with Chiraiya underlines the point. But the Kolkata-based powerhouse now has its sights firmly set beyond Bengal, most visibly through Legacy, a rap reality series produced in collaboration with hip-hop label Kalamkaar that signals a deliberate push into the pan-India music ecosystem.
Dhillon brings precisely the kind of muscle SVF needs for that expansion. At Sony Pictures Networks India, she led film acquisition and commercials and handled music licensing across the entire satellite network. Before that, she spent nearly 15 years at Hungama, rising to assistant general manager and leading strategic content licensing for the platform’s digital entertainment business, with a particular focus on international markets. Her label relationships span the full roster: Sony Music, Universal Music, Warner Music, Believe International, Tunecore, The Orchard and a clutch of smaller aggregators. She has negotiated and closed deals with Hollywood studios, Bollywood production houses and regional content players alike, building pricing models and deal structures off data analysis rather than instinct.
Announcing the appointment, Dhillon said she was “thrilled to begin this journey with an iconic Bengali music label and content powerhouse,” adding that SVF’s “constant drive to push boundaries” was what drew her to the role.
SVF has spent three decades proving that regional does not mean limited. With a sharp commercial operator now steering its music distribution, its bid to go national just got a good deal more serious.
