Banijay Asia to focus on unscripted reality content for streaming platforms

After a few months of disruption due to the covid-19 pandemic, Paris-headquartered content studio Banijay Group is back to business in India with an aim to expand its footprint across television and web content for over-the-top streaming services.

“We have a bunch of reality shows planned for both streaming platforms and linear television. While they will include usual formats such as game and reality shows, we’re also excited about bringing some newer unscripted television to India,” said Deepak Dhar, chief executive officer and founder, Banijay Asia.

“The vocabulary and grammar of content on TV and OTT are completely different, and there is so much consumption and opportunity around both,” Dhar added.

To be sure, even as fiction properties, both web shows and movies, dominate video-on-demand (VoD) screens, a bunch of streaming platforms and content creators have been laying their bets on non-fiction, local Indian content.

Telugu streaming platform aha Video launched a chat show with actor Samantha Akkineni called Sam Jam while Viacom18 will premiere its popular reality show Bigg Boss on VOOT six weeks before television. Amazon Prime Video has built on its comedy slate with the Tamil version of Comicstaan. Platforms say the level of engagement and interactivity is always deeper for non-fiction especially with younger audiences who are looking for believable figures to connect with.

Banijay Asia has collaborated with content and production companies such as NBCUniversal Formats, Turmeric Media and Kamal Hasan, Bear Grylls and Delbert Shoopman’s The Natural Studios, Salman Khan TV, MS Dhoni’s new venture- Dhoni Entertainment Pvt Ltd and Group M’s Motion Content Group to create and execute unique concepts for TV and web.

Its recent slate of shows and films across platforms includes The Kapil Sharma Show; Into the Wild with Bear Grylls; Netflix original Tribhanga; Ladies Vs Gentlemen, with Riteish Deshmukh and Genelia D’Souza Deshmukh streaming on Flipkart App; Myntra Fashion Superstar, a digital fashion reality show; ARRived, a YouTube India web series; Hotstar original Hostages; Bombers, a sports drama on ZEE5 and dance reality show Nach Baliye, amongst others. Live Mint