Rusk Media expands Indian production hub as it eyes more US shows, int’l partnerships

Mayank Yadav (left) and Tyler Massey

Rusk Media, the Indian digital media company focused on Gen Z and Gen Alpha audiences, is expanding its unscripted production hub in Mumbai as it looks to shoot more international adaptations of its growing roster of formats.

The company, which took on new investment from Yash Raj Films earlier this year, announced an expansion into the US market this summer with the appointment of veteran exec Tyler Massey to lead a new LA-based division.

In India, the seven-year-old company has become a significant player in the market as a specialist in content for Gen Z and Gen Alpha, landing high-profile commissions from JioHotstar and Prime Video as well as releasing projects via its proprietary Alright! TV platform.

Over those seven years, it has focused on local unscripted, scripted, Gen Z-focused soap operas and, more recently, animation. Now, it is attempting to replicate that model in the US, starting with US adaptations of three of its unscripted formats: Battleground, Engaged and Playground.

Engaged sees singles navigating flirty tasks, partner swaps and unexpected twists to test whether they can make a serious relationship commitment. The first season launched earlier this year on streamer JioHotstar.

Battleground is a youth-skewing series that tracks fitness creators as they navigate a three-stage competition that tests their flexibility, endurance, agility, strength and speed. Earlier this year, Banijay acquired global rights to the format after the first season generated more than 20 million views and 2.5 billion social media impressions across India.

Playground, meanwhile, is described as India’s first gaming reality show, with teams of gamers living in a house and competing in both casual and pro-level games. The original Hindi-language version of the show is currently in its fifth season on Prime Video and Amazon MX Player in India.

The Indian version of Engaged premiered earlier this year to strong viewership, prompting Rusk to adapt it as its first US show. The project was filmed in March in India using a 16-person American cast and US showrunner Aaron Catling.

“What we’re doing is creating US shows for a global audience, but we’re saving a lot of money by producing it in India, so it’s a really great model,” said Massey, who is also leading Rusk’s push into the microdrama space in the US, as well as looking to growing its licensing business. The US version of Engaged will be released later this year on Alright! TV and later on YouTube.

Massey added that the model means Rusk Media is not reliant on the buyer to come in and underwrite the entire cost, in part due to the advertising sales division which brings in sponsorship money. The goal is to replicate this model with its other formats, with Rusk currently in talks with various partners about shooting at its Indian production hub.

Rusk Media co-founder and CEO Mayank Yadav said the company continues to see a gap in the market for family-friendly shows for Gen Z.

“Our belief is that there is very little programming that’s made for Gen Z audiences that they can enjoy with their family,” he said.

Yadav added that now is an appropriate time for Rusk Media to enter the US market as it has a large enough slate of proprietary formats, and the audience demand is there.

“We have the right set of capabilities, infrastructure, and most importantly, the data to help us figure out what we can produce [in the US]. So it’s a combination of the right intelligence and the right IP base. Plus, we see a growing opportunity in the US market with Gen Z for microdramas and new formats,” said Yadav.