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Ekta Kapoor’s Balaji Takes Premium Fiction Exclusively to YouTube
Balaji Telefilms is making five fiction shows for YouTube.
Together, the shows will have 200 episodes.
Some are new seasons of popular Balaji digital series, while one is a new project.
YouTube will show the programs to viewers around the world.
People will generally watch them without needing a special streaming subscription.
Instead, YouTube and Balaji will earn money from advertisements and sponsorships.
Balaji will continue to own the stories and characters.
The deal could show that expensive entertainment does not always need to be kept behind a paywall.
It also helps YouTube offer longer, television-style programs on connected TVs.
Balaji Telefilms will release five digital-first fiction series, totaling 200 episodes, exclusively on YouTube.
The deal includes Haq Se Season 2, Kehne Ko Humsafar Hai Season 4, and the new project Phir Pyar Ki Yeh Kahani Suno.
Balaji will retain 100% ownership of the shows’ intellectual property rather than surrendering it to a streaming platform.
The arrangement relies on advertising revenue and sponsorships instead of a conventional subscription-based model.
YouTube gains premium Indian fiction for its global and connected-TV audience, while Balaji gains distribution scale and long-term IP value.
- Who
- Balaji Telefilms, led by Ekta Kapoor, and YouTube are involved; YouTube’s Gunjan Soni also commented on the strategy.
- What
- Balaji is taking five digital-first fiction series, comprising 200 episodes, exclusively to YouTube under an advertising- and sponsorship-led arrangement.
- Where
- The series will be distributed on YouTube, targeting viewers in India and globally, including on connected televisions.
- When
- The articles describe the slate and deal as announced, but do not provide a specific date.
- Why
- The arrangement is intended to give YouTube premium Indian fiction and connected-TV advertising inventory while allowing Balaji to retain its intellectual property and reach a larger audience.
Key facts
- Producer
- Balaji Telefilms
- Leader
- Ekta Kapoor
- Distributor
- YouTube
- Slate size
- Five series comprising 200 episodes
- Included titles
- Haq Se Season 2, Kehne Ko Humsafar Hai Season 4, and Phir Pyar Ki Yeh Kahani Suno
- IP ownership
- Balaji will retain 100% ownership of the intellectual property
- Revenue model
- Advertising revenue and sponsorships
Quotes
Gunjan Soni
YouTube executive quoted discussing the platform’s digital-first and connected-TV strategy
“The future of TV has to be designed around a digital-first audience that wants the best of both worlds: high-quality shows on the biggest screen in the home, with the flexibility of on-demand.”
CNBC TV 18
Sources
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