In a significant development for India’s gaming and entertainment ecosystem, Banijay Asia has entered into a strategic collaboration with Nodwin Gaming, a division of Nazara Technologies, to bring transformative changes to the world of esports, gaming reality shows, and youth-focused content.
This high-impact alliance aims to blend cutting-edge content creation with India’s booming gaming culture. As part of this partnership, Banijay Asia will take over the production of ‘Playground’, Nodwin’s flagship gaming reality show that has successfully bridged the gap between esports, entertainment, and influencer-driven storytelling.
The companies are also set to co-develop fresh original formats including scripted series and captive reality shows, aiming to introduce new intellectual properties (IPs) rooted in gaming and youth engagement.
“This collaboration with Nodwin Gaming is an exciting extension of our vision to create content that resonates with evolving youth audiences,” said Deepak Dhar, Group CEO of Banijay Asia & Endemol Shine India.
“Gaming is not just a sport; it’s a culture, a lifestyle, and a massive content opportunity. With Playground and our upcoming IPs, we aim to redefine engagement and storytelling in this space.”
He added, “I look forward to the creative collaboration with Akshat Rathee, and Joost Roset who we previously worked with, in bringing iconic global IPs to India. This is an invaluable opportunity to create clutter-breaking formats in the youth and gaming space.”
Nodwin Gaming, known for top-tier esports properties like the BGMI Masters Series (BGMS), Comic Con India, and NH7 Weekender, continues to lead India’s esports narrative. With the backing of Banijay Asia, Nodwin is now planning to scale ‘Playground’ across multiple languages and regions, turning it into a global-ready gaming entertainment format.
“Youth entertainment is evolving rapidly, and our partnership with Banijay Asia positions us perfectly to lead that change,” said Akshat Rathee, Managing Director of Nodwin Gaming.
“With Playground, we’ve just begun to explore what’s possible. Backed by Banijay’s global expertise, we’re now set to scale the IP across multiple languages and markets, with the ambition of building an international format.”
Rathee continued, “At the heart of our approach is our philosophy of ‘timeshare of mindshare’. We’re not just creating content; we’re creating cultural moments. The Rusk creative team will stay actively involved as we expand the universe of Playground, aiming to grow from one show to between five and ten each year. This is just the beginning of a bold new chapter in gaming and youth content.”
This partnership comes at a time when esports in India is being recognized as a mainstream sport, and the youth are actively driving demand for interactive, immersive digital experiences. By combining Banijay’s global content production expertise with Nodwin’s deep knowledge of the Indian gaming community, this collaboration is set to push creative boundaries and set new industry benchmarks.
Banijay’s global portfolio includes successful gaming crossovers with IPs like Peaky Blinders, Black Mirror, Simon’s Cat, and MasterChef, further validating its strength in creating gaming-themed content that resonates across generations.
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This sounds like an exciting venture! The collaboration with Akshat Rathee and Joost Roset seems promising, especially with their previous experience. The focus on creating “cultural moments” rather than just content is a refreshing approach. Expanding the Playground universe from one show to potentially ten each year is ambitious but inspiring. The idea of “timeshare of mindshare” is intriguing—how exactly do you plan to measure its success? I’m curious, what kind of global IPs are you looking to bring to India? This could be a game-changer for the youth and gaming space, and I’m eager to see how it unfolds. What’s the timeline for these new shows?
This sounds like an exciting venture! The collaboration with Akshat Rathee and Joost Roset seems promising, especially with their previous experience. The focus on creating “cultural moments” rather than just content is a refreshing approach. Expanding the Playground universe from one show to potentially ten each year is ambitious but inspiring. The idea of “timeshare of mindshare” is intriguing—how exactly do you plan to measure its success? I’m curious, what kind of global IPs are you looking to bring to India? This could be a game-changer for the youth and gaming space, and I’m eager to see how it unfolds. What’s the timeline for these new shows?
This sounds like an exciting venture! The collaboration with Akshat Rathee and Joost Roset seems promising, especially with their previous experience. The focus on creating “cultural moments” rather than just content is a refreshing approach. Expanding the Playground universe from one show to potentially ten each year is ambitious but inspiring. The idea of “timeshare of mindshare” is intriguing—how exactly do you plan to measure its success? I’m curious, what kind of global IPs are you looking to bring to India? This could be a game-changer for the youth and gaming space, and I’m eager to see how it unfolds. What’s the timeline for these new shows?