Balaji Telefilms and YouTube India have announced a significant partnership that will bring five original series comprising 200 episodes exclusively to the video platform. The deal marks a strategic shift for television producer Ekta Kapoor, who will maintain creative control and intellectual property rights while YouTube handles distribution and advertising monetization. The slate features new seasons of established titles including “Haq Se,” “Phir Pyar Ki Yeh Kahani Suno,” and “Kehne Ko Humsafar Hai,” with additional projects currently in development. All productions will be filmed in 4K quality and roll out throughout the upcoming festive season.
The partnership reflects changing viewing habits among Indian audiences who increasingly favor on-demand consumption over traditional broadcast schedules. According to YouTube’s managing director for India, Gunjan Soni, the platform reaches approximately 75 million Indian adults on connected television devices and ranks as the top streaming service for this demographic. Despite perceptions that younger viewers prefer short-form content, Soni notes that 94 percent of YouTube viewers spend more than 72 minutes daily on connected screens, demonstrating sustained engagement with longer narratives.
Kapoor emphasized that the collaboration targets an underserved audience segment seeking relatable content that bridges mass appeal and niche programming. Rather than converting shows into short-form content, Balaji plans to use brief clips primarily for promotion. The company will leverage audience data and viewing patterns to inform storytelling decisions, moving beyond traditional broadcast demographics to reach viewers directly. YouTube positioned the arrangement as a collaborative ecosystem approach rather than competition with other streaming platforms.
Originally reported by Variety →
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