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Banijay Asia shoots for the stars with Thailand’s first space reality show
MUMBAI: Space just got a primetime slot. Banijay Asia, in collaboration with SERA (Space Exploration & Research Agency) and Truevisions Now, has unveiled Race to Space Thailand, a genre-bending reality format that will see one Thai citizen catapulted from dreamer to astronaut.
Produced by Deepak Dhar’s Creasia Studio, the show marks the first time Thailand will select and send a citizen into orbit. SERA, which partners as the backbone of the mission, will work hand in glove with Creasia to turn this ‘out-of-the-planet’ spectacle into a reality.
“As an Indian creator, it fills me with pride to see our ideas travelling beyond borders,” said Creasia Studio Banijay Asia Endemol Shine India Founder & Group CEO Deepak Dhar. “Thailand is just the beginning. The format will soon resonate in India as well as across South East Asia.”
For Banijay Asia, the mission goes far beyond entertainment, it’s a milestone in exporting Indian-born creativity to global frontiers. The series blends science, aspiration, and showbiz, democratising space travel and inviting ordinary citizens, regardless of background, to compete for an extraordinary chance.
Truevisions Now’s Ongard Prapakamol called it “a gateway to global-scale content and a new frontier for Thailand,” highlighting how, for the first time, everyday Thais will be in contention for a shot at space.
Banijay Asia & Endemol Shine India Group CDO Mrinalini Jain described it as “a landmark concept that embodies aspiration, innovation, and inclusivity.” SERA co-founder Joshua Skurla added that the project would “inspire an entire nation” while confirming India is next in line for lift-off.
With Season One ready for launch in Thailand and India’s chapter waiting on the launchpad, Banijay Asia’s Race to Space could well be reality TV’s boldest leap yet proof that the sky is no longer the limit.
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Paramount set to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery in $81 billion deal
Shareholders back merger, combined entity could reshape streaming and studios.
MUMBAI: Lights, camera… consolidation, Hollywood’s latest blockbuster might be happening off-screen. Shareholders of Warner Bros. Discovery have voted in favour of selling the company to Paramount in a deal valued at $81 billion rising to nearly $111 billion including debt setting the stage for one of the biggest shake-ups in modern media. The proposed merger, still subject to regulatory approvals, would bring together a vast portfolio spanning HBO Max, CNN, and franchises such as Harry Potter under the same umbrella as Paramount’s own heavyweights, including Top Gun and CBS.
At the heart of the deal is streaming scale. Executives have indicated plans to combine HBO Max and Paramount+ into a single platform, potentially creating a stronger challenger to giants like Netflix and Amazon’s Prime Video. Current market data suggests HBO Max holds around 12 per cent of US on-demand subscriptions, compared to Paramount+’s 3 per cent, together still trailing Netflix’s 19 per cent and Disney’s combined 27 per cent via Disney+ and Hulu.
Paramount CEO David Ellison has signalled that while platforms may merge, HBO’s creative identity will remain intact, stating the brand should “stay HBO” even within a broader ecosystem.
Beyond streaming, the deal would redraw the map for film production. Combining two of Hollywood’s oldest studios Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros., the new entity aims to scale output to over 30 films annually, while maintaining a 45-day theatrical window. Warner Bros. currently commands around 21 per cent of the US box office, compared to Paramount’s 6 per cent, underscoring the strategic weight of the acquisition.
But scale comes with scrutiny. Critics warn that fewer players could mean reduced consumer choice, rising subscription costs, and potential job cuts as the combined company looks to streamline overlapping operations while managing billions in debt.
The news business, too, faces a reset. CNN would join forces at least structurally with Paramount-owned CBS, raising questions about editorial independence and positioning. The merger has already drawn political attention in the United States, particularly given perceived ties between the Ellison family and Donald Trump, though the company maintains that newsroom autonomy will be preserved.
If approved, the deal would mark another milestone in Hollywood’s consolidation wave shrinking the industry’s traditional “big six” studios to a “big four”, with Paramount joining Disney, Universal, and Sony at the top table.
In an industry built on storytelling, this merger may well become its most consequential plot twist yet.
