Reality
Banijay Asia’s The 50 tops OTT charts with 6.5 million views
Reality format outmuscles cricket and premium dramas to become JioHotstar’s most-watched show
Mumbai: In a streaming arena crowded with cricket and big-ticket dramas, a reality gamble has paid off. Banijay Asia’s The 50 has clocked 6.5 million views on JioHotstar, emerging as the most-watched show on OTT, according to Ormax Media’s latest viewership report.
The feat is notable. The show held its own even as audiences toggled between the ICC World Cup, women’s international cricket and premium scripted fare such as Dhurandhar.
Adapted from the global format Les Cinquante, The 50 ranks among India’s largest reality experiments. It corrals 50 high-profile names from television, reality franchises and the digital world into a palace-style set-up, where survival hinges on strategy and social manoeuvring rather than audience votes.
Its sharpest twist is commercial as much as creative. The final cash prize is not pocketed by the winning contestant but by one of the winner’s registered followers, chosen via the platform. The device turns fans from spectators into stakeholders, and engagement into currency.
“The success of The 50 only reaffirms that Indian audiences are ready for bold, innovative and truly global formats when they are thoughtfully localised. To emerge as the most-watched OTT show amid marquee sporting events and premium scripted titles is a testament to the strength of the format, the scale of production and the power of audience engagement built into the show. At Banijay Asia, we remain committed to pushing the boundaries of unscripted entertainment—creating formats that are not only culturally resonant, but also redefine how audiences participate in and experience reality content,” said Deepak Dhar, founder and group ceo, Banijay Asia & EndemolShine India.
The format has travelled well abroad, with adaptations across key markets. Its Indian run, Banijay argues, shows how global IP can be localised through culturally tuned casting, scale and storytelling.
The win also caps a strong year for the studio. Over the past 12 months, many of the most-watched unscripted titles across platforms have come from Banijay Asia, underlining its grip on the premium reality and non-fiction segment. Its recent slate has repeatedly topped charts, blending creative ambition with commercial punch.
Founded in 2018 as a joint venture between Banijay Entertainment and Deepak Dhar, the company straddles genres and screens. Its scripted roster includes The Night Manager, The Trial, Hostages, Call My Agent: Bollywood, Fall, Dahan, Matsya Kaand, Undekhi and Tribhanga, with Indian versions of Monk, House and Suits in the pipeline. On the unscripted side sit titles such as Rise and Fall, Temptation Island, The Kapil Sharma Show, MTV Roadies, The Voice, The Big Picture, Into The Wild with Bear Grylls and Case Toh Banta Hai.
For now, the numbers do the talking. In the dogfight for digital attention, The 50 has turned format into firepower—and viewers into the final prize.
Reality
Jio bets big on gaming with global reality show push
Good Game India promises Rs 1 crore prize and a hunt for the country’s first gaming superstar
MUMBAI: India’s gaming gold rush just got flashier. Reliance Jio has teamed up with Good Game Group to launch Good Game India, billed as the world’s first as-live global gaming reality show, set to go live in July 2026.
The ambition is sweeping. The show aims to tap into over 500 million young viewers, streaming across platforms including JioHotstar, JioTV and JioGames’ own ecosystem.
Backing the spectacle is a high-profile jury. Actor Samantha Ruth Prabhu, cricketer Rishabh Pant and gaming creator Ujjwal Chaurasia will front the show as brand ambassadors and judges, lending mainstream heft to an industry hungry for crossover appeal.
At stake is Rs 1 crore, one of the richest purses in India’s reality-show circuit, alongside a shot at global representation. But this is no ordinary gaming contest. Contestants will be judged not just on skill, but on creativity, content chops and their ability to build communities, a nod to the creator economy reshaping digital entertainment.
The format blends esports-style challenges with in-real-life tasks, layered with fan voting, live interactions and always-on social storytelling. The pitch is clear: gaming is no longer just play, it is performance, influence and commerce rolled into one.
With early traction already building online, Jio’s gamble signals a larger shift. As screens multiply and attention fragments, the battle is no longer for viewers alone, but for creators who can command them. In that race, gaming may well be India’s next big stage.
