BackSalman Khan TV, Deepak Dhar-led Banijay Asia tie up for TV, web content
Banijay Group has tied up with actor Salman Khan's television production house Salman Khan TV to create content across television and web formats
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New Delhi:Banijay Group, the production house behind reality hits such as Keeping Up with the Kardashians, has tied up with actor Salman Khan’s television production house Salman Khan TV to create content across television and web formats.
Banijay last month entered into an equal joint venture with Deepak Dhar, former managing director of EndemolShine India, as part of which he will head the company’s operations as founder and chief executive of the newly created Banijay Asia.
The partnership will see Dhar and Khan generate both fiction and reality shows, across genres.
At Endemol, Dhar was credited with shows such as The Great Indian Laughter Challenge and Bigg Boss, the latter hosted by Khan for several years.
“I am really looking forward to this association, creating ground-breaking content for India and South-east Asia," Dhar said in a statement.
“For us to associate with Salman Khan’s production company is an extremely substantial partnership. With the emerging shows on the television digital platform, this collaboration will build our presence in India and South-east Asia," he said.
Banijay’s library spans programming genres with notable formats including crime drama series Underbelly and ABC’s reality television programme, Wife Swap.
The partnership will ride on the growing TV and over-the-top (OTT) video streaming market in India.
According to the Ficci-EY media and entertainment industry report, television penetration stands at 183 million households and 780 million individuals.
Meanwhile, 250 million people viewed videos online in 2017, a growth of 64% over that of 2016.
Currently, there are nearly 30 OTT firms—both international and local—that require a range of content to compete for viewers’ attention.
“In the last year or so, the focus for OTT platforms has really shifted from library to original content," said Jehil Thakkar, partner at management consulting firm Deloitte India. “That in turn, creates great demand for local production houses that can deliver good quality content in time and within budget. That skill is not very common and there is massive opportunity for those who can execute it well."
However, for Khan, there is more to the partnership.
“This country is home to various talented people who don’t get a fair chance to prove themselves. We at Salman Khan TV not only aim to produce engaging content along with Banijay Group but also provide a fair platform to these young and budding individuals," Khan said in a statement.
“The employment opportunities I can provide on the film front are limited because I am able to do only one or a maximum of two films each year. However, SK TV has a broader base where we will be coming up with multiple shows across various genres hence generating better employment opportunities for these hidden talents who aspire to make it big," he added.
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