The partnership also gives Balaji access to an increasingly large connected-TV audience. YouTube reached over 75 million people aged 18 and above on CTV in India in April 2025 and ranked No. 1 in reach across CTV screens among media platforms in India in May 2025
Balaji Telefilms and YouTube have entered into a strategic content partnership that will see five original shows spanning 200 episodes launch directly on the platform, in a deal that ties premium entertainment production to YouTube’s growing advertising, brand-deal and Connected TV ecosystem.
Under the partnership, Ekta Kapoor will lead the creative vision and Balaji will retain ownership of the intellectual property, while YouTube will provide global distribution and monetisation pathways through ads and brand deals. The arrangement comes as YouTube pushes deeper into the living room, increasingly positioning itself not just as a creator-led video platform but as a destination for premium, long-form entertainment and CTV advertising.
The slate will include Haq Se Season 2, Phir Pyar Ki Yeh Kahani Suno, Kehne Ko Humsafar Hai Season 4 and other projects currently under development. The shows will be produced in 4K and made available globally.
The partnership also gives Balaji access to an increasingly large connected-TV audience. YouTube reached over 75 million people aged 18 and above on CTV in India in April 2025 and ranked No. 1 in reach across CTV screens among media platforms in India in May 2025
For YouTube, the deal strengthens its pitch to traditional entertainment producers looking to build premium programming directly on the platform while retaining IP ownership and tapping digital advertising and branded-content revenues.
Gunjan Soni, Managing Director – India, YouTube, said,“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. With Ekta Kapoor and her extraordinary instinct for human emotion and creative storytelling, we’re making that future possible today on YouTube. I’m excited about this partnership and how YouTube continues to unlock distribution and monetization pathways for innovative storytellers to connect with audiences on their own terms.”
Commenting on the collaboration, Ekta Kapoor, Joint MD, Balaji Telefilms Ltd., said, “Every story begins with a feeling, one that has the power to touch hearts, spark memories, and bring people together. For me, storytelling has always been about creating emotional connections that stay with audiences long after the screen goes dark. As more and more viewers turn to YouTube to discover and engage with content, it presents an exciting opportunity to connect with audiences in the most innovative ways. Through this partnership with YouTube India, we’re opening a new chapter to share stories that entertain, inspire, and truly move people across the globe.”
The partnership also comes as Balaji Telefilms works to reduce its dependence on television and build a larger films and digital business.
In a recent conversation with Storyboard18, Sanjay Dwivedi, Group CEO and Group CFO of Balaji Telefilms, said the company expects its traditional revenue pyramid to reverse over the coming years, with motion pictures becoming the largest contributor, followed by digital and then television.
“Primarily it was led by TV, then motion pictures, then digital. I think it will just turn upside down. Motion pictures will be the major contributor, followed by digital and then TV,” Dwivedi said.
Balaji’s digital commissioned-content order book currently stands at more than ₹350 crore. The company is also looking to build a more IP-led films business, producing around four to five films annually over the next three years while increasingly favouring projects where it can retain intellectual property and capture greater upside.
“We are not shying away from the commissioning model. But we will be building more where there is reward and where we retain IP. That’s the model to go,” Dwivedi had said.
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First Published on September 4, 2026, 11:00:02 IST
