Mumbai: In a landmark move for India’s digital and gaming entertainment landscape, Banijay Asia, part of Banijay Entertainment, and NODWIN Gaming, a subsidiary of Nazara Technologies, have announced a strategic partnership aimed at reshaping youth engagement through innovative content in esports and gaming.
As part of this collaboration, Banijay Asia will take on production responsibilities for Playground, NODWIN Gaming’s pioneering gaming reality show that merges gaming, influencer culture, and entertainment into a single high-energy format. In addition, both companies will co-develop new intellectual properties (IPs), including scripted and reality formats that blend cutting-edge storytelling with immersive gaming experiences.
Deepak Dhar, Founder & Group CEO – Banijay Asia & Endemol Shine India, commented, “This collaboration with NODWIN Gaming is an exciting extension of our vision to create content that resonates with evolving youth audiences. 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 further 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.”
The move aligns with NODWIN Gaming’s growing dominance in the youth entertainment sector, having successfully launched IPs like BGMI Masters Series (BGMS), Comic Con India, and NH7 Weekender. The partnership is set to build on this momentum by scaling up Playground into an international format and developing 5–10 new shows annually.
Akshat Rathee, Co-Founder & MD, NODWIN Gaming, shared his excitement about the deal, “Youth entertainment is evolving rapidly, and our partnership with Banijay Asia positions us perfectly to lead that change. 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.
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.”
The partnership also underscores Banijay Entertainment’s global strength in gaming-related content, having delivered successful activations around brands like Peaky Blinders, Black Mirror, Simon’s Cat, and MasterChef via its distribution division, Banijay Rights.
