Yash Raj Films enters vertical, mobile-first entertainment market
What's the story
Yash Raj Films (YRF), the renowned Bollywood studio, has made its first strategic investment in digital-first entertainment company Rusk Media. This move comes as YRF seeks to tap into India's blooming vertical entertainment market and mobile-first storytelling. The financial details of the investment have not been disclosed yet.
Partnership details
YRF will oversee creative direction of original animation, IPs
As part of this partnership, YRF will take charge of the creative direction for original animation and vertical micro-drama intellectual property (IP), per Variety. On the other hand, Rusk Media will produce and distribute this content via its Alright! TV platform and global digital channels. This collaboration aims to cater to the Gen Z and Gen Alpha audiences that Rusk Media has been targeting with its business model.
Strategic shift
'The world's best studios evolve with changing audience behaviors'
Akshaye Widhani, CEO of YRF, said the investment was driven by changing audience behavior and not a departure from their focus on theatrical storytelling. He noted that India's 377 million mobile-first audience makes this an opportune time for YRF to enter the vertical entertainment category. "The world's best studios evolve with changing audience behaviors... They define themselves by great storytelling, taking compelling stories to audiences wherever they choose to engage," he added.
Content creation
Focus on original IP for vertical storytelling
The partnership will initially focus on creating original IP for vertical storytelling instead of adapting YRF's existing film franchises. Widhani emphasized that "vertical storytelling has its own grammar and its own audience expectations. Getting that right with original content is the priority." Mayank Yadav, co-founder and CEO of Rusk Media, said this collaboration aims to fill the gap in India's vertical entertainment market, which has yet to produce enduring franchises despite generating scale.
Financial overview
YRF's financials and Rusk Media's funding details
YRF reported an operating revenue of ₹740 crore and a net profit of ₹56 crore in FY24, as per Acuite Ratings & Research. This investment follows Rusk Media's recent Pre-Series C funding round, where it raised ₹100 crore led by Nazara Technologies with participation from existing investors Info Edge Ventures and IvyCap Ventures, along with a consortium led by Audacity VC.