Balaji Telefilms and YouTube join forces for five original shows

MUMBAI: The living room is getting a new script, with Balaji Telefilms and YouTube teaming up to take Ekta Kapoor’s storytelling from television-scale production to a digital-first global audience.

The strategic partnership will see the two entertainment companies launch five original shows spanning 200 episodes on YouTube, combining Balaji’s storytelling and intellectual property with YouTube’s global distribution and monetisation capabilities.

Under the arrangement, Ekta Kapoor will lead the creative vision and retain ownership of the intellectual property, while YouTube will provide distribution and monetisation through advertising and brand partnerships. The slate will include returning favourites such as Haq Se Season 2 and Kehne Ko Humsafar Hai Season 4, along with Phir Pyar Ki Yeh Kahani Suno and other projects currently under development.

The shows will be produced in 4K and designed as digital-first productions with the scale and production values traditionally associated with television. They will be available to audiences globally, positioning YouTube not merely as a promotional platform but as the primary home for the new slate.

The move comes as YouTube increasingly finds its way onto the biggest screen in the house. The platform reached more than 75 million people in India aged 18 and above on Connected TV in April 2025 and, according to Comscore, ranked No. 1 in reach across CTV screens in India among media in May 2025.

For Balaji, the partnership offers a way to take its established storytelling machinery beyond conventional television and meet audiences where on-demand viewing is becoming part of everyday living-room entertainment.

Ekta Kapoor, Joint MD, Balaji Telefilms, said the collaboration would allow the company to connect with audiences through YouTube as more viewers turn to the platform to discover and engage with content.

Gunjan Soni, Managing Director – India, YouTube, said the partnership reflects a future of television built around digital-first audiences who want high-quality programming on the biggest screen at home while retaining the flexibility of on-demand viewing.

The first batch of originals is expected to roll out this festive season, marking Balaji’s deeper push into native YouTube programming. The partnership will also use YouTube’s wider ecosystem for trailers, behind-the-scenes material and premieres, with audiences able to follow updates through the TheIndianKDrramas channel.

With five shows, 200 episodes and a global distribution platform, Balaji and YouTube are betting that the next television appointment may not need a television channel at all.