The BBC’s commercial arm is to cease selling and producing its formats in-house within India and says Banijay Asia will now serve as the exclusive representative of its unscripted and scripted format catalogue in the country.
In addition to its own formats such as Dancing with the Stars, The Office and Top Gear, BBC Studios represents an extensive portfolio of third-party formats including The 1% Club and Great Bake Off which it licences to, and often produces for, overseas broadcasters.
The company is a 100% owned subsidiary of the BBC and operates a host of production companies and channels in the UK and around the world, including the UKTV portfolio of channels, and last year generated revenues of £1.8 billion and more than £200m in profits.
The new multi-year partnership with Banijay Asia will see BBC Studios cease its own production activity locally, once current and contracted commitments are delivered.
Banijay Asia is a joint venture between Banijay Entertainment and Founder and Group CEO, Deepak Dhar, who leads both Banijay Asia and Endemol Shine India in the region.
Jacob DeBoer, EVP Global Entertainment for BBC Studios, said: “Banijay Asia is an outstanding producer with the creativity, vision and local expertise to bring BBC Studios’ rich catalogue of formats to life for the Indian market.
“We are excited for this partnership to bring the next generation of compelling, talked-about entertainment shows to Indian audiences.
“I would also like to pay tribute to the BBC Studios team in Mumbai for all the incredible content they have developed and produced over the years, with our very first episode of Jhalak Dikhla Ja in 2006.”
Deepak Dhar said: “BBC Studios has an incredible catalogue of iconic formats and, as its exclusive partner in India, we will bring these powerful stories to Indian viewers with our unique approach to storytelling.
“This strategic collaboration aligns with our vision of delivering high-quality, impactful content that resonates across platforms.”
Matt Forde, MD Global Entertainment for BBC Studios, added: “Our strategy is to deliver BBC Studios’ hit entertainment shows to audiences around the world, working with the best in the business to engage audiences locally.
“Banijay Asia shares our commitment to its craft and to powerful storytelling, with a proven track record in adapting hit shows that really breakthrough in India.
“We can’t wait to see what they will do with our world-leading IP.”