iWorld
ShemarooMe expands its reach for global audiences
MUMBAI: Shemaroo Entertainment Limited, India’s leading content powerhouse has announced a worldwide launch of its video streaming platform – ShemarooMe, in more than 150 countries. With this move Shemaroo aims to bring entertaining content to every asli Bollywood fan in every corner of the world. ShemarooMe will cater to audiences worldwide and this phenomenal growth has been achieved within a span of 7 months of its official launch in India.
Audiences globally will now be able to enjoy Shemaroo’s entertaining content offered through ShemarooMe from a wide array of categories like Bollywood Premiere, Bollywood Classic, Gujarati, Marathi, Punjabi, Comedy, Devotion and Kids. By expanding its territories ShemarooMe has not only increased the touchpoints and accessibility of its content but has also ensured the grandeur and magic of Bollywood content reaches everywhere and audiences get to enjoy the same. ShemarooMe will use different pricing strategy for different markets and offer subscription-based services to all its audiences. Bollywood Fans across the globe can now take limited day free trial of ShemarooMe to watch their favorite content anytime, anywhere. Additionally, this international expansion will open-up doors for various distribution and marketing tie-ups for the company and its businesses which will lead to growth in the overseas markets.
Outlining the global strategy Shemaroo Entertainment Limited CEO Hiren Gada said, “Our content has resonated with audiences across different geographies and we have a bouquet of offerings on our ShemarooMe app which is enjoyed within all age groups. This combination will allow audiences to satiate the Bollywood buffs in them and stay entertained with authentic Indian masala content at any corner of the world. I am confident that ShemarooMe will be taking Indian content to wider networks with this international expansion”.
Shemaroo Entertainment Limited COO Digital Zubin Dubash said, "We are delighted to announce the global launch of ShemarooMe. With our presence in over 150 countries, we strive to entertain every lover of Indian content the world over.” ShemarooMe’s content will be available across different geographies through Google Play Store, Apple Appstore, Roku and even on Amazon Fire TV. For the consumers convenience, app will be soon available on many more platforms.
iWorld
Arafta Season 2 greenlit as YouTube hit crosses 850 million views
GoQuest, Rains double down on global Turkish drama success story
MUMBAI: GoQuest Media and Rains Pictures have greenlit Season 2 of Arafta, riding on the runaway success of its debut season that has clocked over 850 million views on YouTube and secured licensing deals across 19 territories.
The upcoming season, already in production, will span 100 episodes and continue with a YouTube-first release strategy, a model that has proved to be a quiet disruptor in global content distribution. Season 1, which premiered in November 2025, built a strong digital following before translating that traction into international deals.
The series is currently licensed to platforms including Amazon MX Player in India, Kanal 7 in Turkey, and Vidio, along with several markets across Europe such as Romania, Hungary and Latvia. Across five language channels, the show has amassed more than 2.5 million subscribers, signalling growing global appetite for Turkish storytelling.
Notably, many of these licensing deals were struck after the show had already aired on YouTube, flipping the traditional distribution model on its head. Instead of competing with broadcasters, the digital-first strategy appears to be doing the heavy lifting in building awareness and audience demand.
GoQuest Media managing director Vivek Lath said, “Arafta is proving out what we believed about the make-to-sell model. A YouTube-first release does not compete with licensing. It builds the asset that licensees are buying.”
Season 1 wrapped on April 17 with a globally streamed finale that drew over 102,000 concurrent viewers, setting the stage for the next chapter. Lead actors İlsu Demirci and Emin Günenç will return, with the narrative continuing to explore themes of love, vengeance, sacrifice and fate.
Rains Pictures executive Sevda Kaygısız said the decision to move quickly into Season 2 was driven not just by success, but by the depth of the story still to be told. “Arafta is not just a successful project for us; it reflects our belief in powerful storytelling and building a genuine emotional connection with audiences,” she noted.
As Turkish dramas continue to travel beyond borders, Arafta’s success underscores a larger shift in how global hits are made and sold. In this case, the small screen found its big moment online first, and the world followed.
