Prime Video has profitability potential; ad biz off to strong start: Amazon chief

Online retailer and tech company Amazon.com Inc CEO Andy Jassy yesterday said that the streaming TV advertising initiative has got off to a ‘strong start’ and added that OTT platform Prime Video has the potential to be a profitable business on its own. Pointing out that the recently started ads in Prime Video shows and movies

News9 launches football talent hunt ‘Indian Tigers & Tigresses’

In a move to bolster India’s football prowess and provide a global platform for budding talents, News9, the English news brand of TV9 Network, announced the launch of ‘Indian Tigers & Tigresses’, which, it said, is the most extensive football talent hunt ever, targeting boys and girls under the age of 14. The initiative — unveiled amidst esteemed figures from German football

Rasika Dugal links ‘Mirzapur’ popularity to authentic characters

Actor Rasika Dugal, who is looking forward to the premiere of ‘Mirzapur’ season three, says the team of the series is leaving no stone unturned to ensure the experience is worthwhile for fans. Dugal, who plays Beena Tripathi in the show, in an interview to PTI, said she is happy to be part of the Prime Video series that revolves around gang wars and illegal weapon cartels in the backyard of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

Insta tests blurring messages with ‘nudity’ to safeguard teens

Instagram will test features that blur messages containing nudity to safeguard teens and prevent potential scammers from reaching them, its parent Meta said yesterday as it tries to allay concerns over harmful content on its apps. The tech giant is under mounting pressure in the United States and Europe over allegations that its apps were addictive and have fuelled mental health issues among young people.

‘Dil Dosti Dilemma’ premieres April 25 on Prime Video

‘Dil Dosti Dilemma’, an upcoming young adult series, will premiere on Prime Video on April 25, the streamer announced on Friday. An adaptation of author Andaleeb Wajid’s 2016 book ‘Asmara’s Summer’, the show is directed by Debbie Rao and produced by Ten Years Younger Productions. It features actors Anushka Sen, Kush Jotwani, Tanvi Azmi, Shishir Sharma in lead roles, PTI reported.

Saket Jha Saurabh joins Snapchat India’s senior leadership team

In a recent announcement, Snapchat India has appointed Saket Jha Saurabh to their senior leadership team, as reported by various media outlets. Saurabh, previously serving as Meta‘s Director and Head of Media Partnerships, brings a wealth of experience to his new role. With a diverse background spanning across Big Tech, digital startups, and prominent media companies in India..

BBC breaks up Indian ops for regulation compliance

The BBC split up its news operations in India into two and four former BBC India staff set up a new Indian company to produce content for its six Indian language services. The BBC said the establishment of the independent, Indian-owned entity called the Collective Newsroom was so that it could cover stories on India in compliance with Indian foreign direct investment laws, according to an Economic Times report on Wednesday.

‘The Greatest Of All Time’ set for Sept 5 release

Actor Vijay’s next release, ‘GOAT (The Greatest Of All Time)’ has locked a release date of September 5, 2024, on the occasion of Vinayaka Chaturthi. His last release was the hit action drama ‘Leo’ directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj. The film, formerly referred to as ‘Thalapathy 68’, is directed by Venkat Prabhu and produced by Kalpathi S Aghoram’s AGS Entertainment. The music score is by Yuvan Shankar Raja, PTI reported.

Munawar Faruqui unveils teaser of ‘First Copy’

On the occasion of Eid, musician Munawar Faruqui announced on Thursday that he is making his acting debut in a web series titled ‘First Copy’. Taking to social media, Munawar unveiled the official teaser and captioned it: ‘Eid Mubarak’. The one-minute, forty-three-second teaser takes viewers back to 1999, when DVDs were a trend. It shows Munawar’s character stating that Bollywood...

Apple TV+ renews ‘Monarch: Legacy of Monsters’ for S2

Streaming service Apple TV+ has given a season two order for ‘Monarch: Legacy of Monsters’ and is developing multiple spinoffs in the Monsterverse franchise. The series, which debuted on Apple TV+ in November 2023 to positive reviews, continues the story of the ‘Monsterverse’, established in Legendary-backed movies – ‘Godzilla’, ‘Kong: Skull Island’, ‘Godzilla: King of the Monsters’ and ‘Godzilla vs. Kong’.