Banijay Entertainment has secured worldwide rights to ‘Battleground’, a fitness-driven competition format originated by Mumbai-based Rusk Media.
The format blends athletic competition, reality-style drama and viewer interactivity, following fitness creators through three stages of competition, including a signature fight club segment. Competitors are divided into four teams, and each team is coached by a leader who is empowered to make bids and trades for players through strategic power plays. Meanwhile, 24-hour cameras feed the reality engine at the heart of the show. Participants will be tested across a wide range of physical disciplines, from raw strength and speed to agility and endurance.
The series’ debut season in India garnered more than 20 million views and 2.5 billion social media impressions, boosting the format’s credibility for the global market.
“Large-scale athletic battles provide real spectacle, and evolving alliances, rivalries, and gameplay bring new competitive energy,” said Helen Greatorex, head of format acquisitions at Banijay Entertainment. “This is a format with truly global potential, directly leveraging the creator-driven landscape that drives viewership today.”
“By combining competitive intensity with real, relatable storytelling, the show creates a compelling viewing experience while providing an opportunity to organically integrate into your brand and connect with your audience in a more meaningful way,” added Mayank Yadav, CEO and co-founder of Rusk Media.
“Battleground” joins Banijay Entertainment’s third-party offerings alongside formats such as “Ninja Warrior,” licensed from Tokyo Broadcasting System, Studio Canal and DreamSpark’s strategic reality title “Werewolf,” and comedy format “You Laugh, You Lose” from Yoshimoto, producer of “The Last One Rafting.”
Banijay Entertainment CEO Marco Bassetti has overseen the company’s growth to reach €3.3 billion ($3.85 billion) in revenue and €544 million ($635 million) in EBITDA in 2025. Founded in 2019, Rusk Media focuses on serialized fiction, unscripted formats and live entertainment built primarily for young audiences, distributed on third-party streaming platforms and its own service Alright TV.
