Ekta Kapoor, Gunjan Soni Unpack Balaji’s Five-Show, 200-Episode YouTube India Deal (EXCLUSIVE)
Balaji Telefilms and YouTube have announced a partnership under which Balaji will produce five original fiction shows totalling 200 episodes exclusively for YouTube India, in an interview with Variety. The deal reflects a bet by Balaji joint managing director Ekta Kapoor that Indian audiences moving away from traditional broadcast television will still watch long-form serial drama, provided it is delivered through platforms like YouTube rather than scheduled TV. Kapoor retains creative control and intellectual property ownership of the shows, while YouTube handles global distribution and monetisation via advertising and brand deals, a structure both executives suggest could become a model for other producers.
The slate includes "Haq Se" Season 2, "Phir Pyar Ki Yeh Kahani Suno" and "Kehne Ko Humsafar Hai" Season 4, with further projects still in development, all produced in 4K and rolling out over the coming festive season. YouTube India managing director Gunjan Soni cited Comscore data ranking YouTube the top streaming platform for connected TVs, reaching roughly 75 million Indian adults, and noted 94% of viewers spend over 72 minutes daily on connected screens, countering assumptions that YouTube audiences only favour short-form content. Kapoor said the shows target a "TV+" audience underserved by both broadcast TV and niche paid apps, with any short-form spin-offs used purely for promotion, and that audience data rather than direct feedback would guide future storytelling decisions.
In short
- Balaji and YouTube India partner on five shows, 200 episodes total
- Kapoor keeps IP ownership; YouTube handles distribution and monetisation
- YouTube cites 75 million Indian adults reached on connected TVs
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The partnership could give Indian viewers who have moved online access to long-form serial drama without requiring a paid subscription, while helping producers reach audiences on connected TVs. Balaji retains creative control and ownership, and YouTube’s distribution and advertising reach could offer a useful model for financing ambitious fiction beyond broadcast television.
The case against
The deal’s scale and reliance on advertising could concentrate influence in a major platform and make future production decisions more dependent on audience metrics and brand appeal. A platform-led model may also leave uncertain whether long-form shows can sustain viewers and revenue over time, or whether it will offer producers and audiences the range and stability of established television or paid services.
Explained simply
Balaji Telefilms is an Indian production company known for television drama, led by joint managing director Ekta Kapoor. YouTube is a video platform where people can watch both short clips and full-length programmes, including on connected TVs.
The partnership brings together Balaji’s experience making serial dramas and YouTube’s online distribution and advertising. Kapoor says the shows are aimed at viewers who want longer stories online, while YouTube India managing director Gunjan Soni points to the platform’s large connected-TV audience.
The arrangement gives Balaji ownership of the shows and control over their creative direction, while YouTube distributes them and helps generate income. It reflects a wider question for producers: whether long-running drama can find an audience outside scheduled television and paid streaming services.
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