Lionsgate is spinning off its streaming operations in South Asia and Southeast Asia to Rohit Jain, the executive who spearheaded the platform’s regional expansion, as the Hollywood studio pivots toward a licensing model in the territory.

The New York-listed company, trading under the ticker LION, announced Tuesday that Jain will take full ownership of Lionsgate Play. The transaction marks Jain’s exit from the studio, where he most recently served as president of Lionsgate Play Asia. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, though the studio confirmed it will retain its core film and television distribution businesses in India and Southeast Asia.

Under the terms of a multiyear agreement, the newly independent entity will continue to use the Lionsgate Play brand name. The studio will also license its library of film and television titles to the platform, ensuring a steady pipeline of premium content for the service. This structure allows the studio to maintain a brand presence in the region’s digital market while offloading the operational complexities and capital requirements of a direct-to-consumer platform.

The move comes as global media conglomerates recalibrate their international streaming strategies to prioritize profitability over subscriber volume. By transitioning to founder-led ownership, Lionsgate Play aims to leverage Jain’s localized expertise to navigate a crowded market where regional players are increasingly challenging global giants.

Brian Goldsmith, Lionsgate's chief operating officer, credited Jain with establishing the brand’s resonance in South Asia and Southeast Asia over the last eight years. Goldsmith characterized Jain as an entrepreneur with the specific regional experience necessary to guide the platform through a period of rapid digital evolution.

Jain, who joined Lionsgate nearly a decade ago to build its India footprint from the ground up, said the platform is now positioned to expand beyond its current identity as a Hollywood-centric service. He indicated that the new ownership structure would allow for a more agile approach to shaping a "future-ready" platform tailored to the specific demands of Asian viewers.

Lionsgate Play has distinguished itself in the premium segment by offering high-end Western content, often dubbed or subtitled in local languages. While the platform has faced stiff competition from rivals such as Disney+ Hotstar and Netflix, its move to independent ownership suggests a shift toward a more localized, niche-driven strategy.

The studio's decision to retain its traditional film and television licensing business underscores its commitment to the region’s broader media ecosystem, even as it scales back its direct involvement in the streaming infrastructure. This hybrid approach—licensing content while exiting platform management—reflects a growing trend among mid-sized Hollywood studios looking to maximize the value of their intellectual property without the overhead of maintaining global apps.