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WBD Eyes More Factual IP After 'Operation Sindoor' Success, Says Sai Abishek
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Moneycontrol•24-09-2026, 15:02
WBD Eyes More Factual IP After 'Operation Sindoor' Success, Says Sai Abishek
- •Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) plans to expand its premium factual entertainment in India beyond standalone documentaries, focusing on franchise-building and original Indian intellectual property.
- •The success of 'Declassified: Operation Sindoor' has validated WBD's belief in the Indian audience's appetite for high-quality factual storytelling, with the program exceeding all benchmarks on streaming and YouTube.
- •Sai Abishek, Head of Factual Entertainment, Lifestyle & Kids, South Asia, WBD, highlighted the challenges of securing access to key figures like National Security Adviser Ajit Doval for 'Operation Sindoor'.
- •WBD aims to build repeatable franchises across genres such as armed forces, history, mythology, true crime, adventure, and survival, moving away from one-off programming.
- •The company is observing changing audience behavior across linear TV, streaming, YouTube, and Instagram, with growing consumption of Discovery content among Gen Z and Gen Alpha, influencing their strategy for authentic Indian factual IP.
Key Questions Answered
Warner Bros. Discovery aims to expand premium factual entertainment in India beyond standalone documentaries by building large-scale, repeatable franchises and original intellectual property across genres like the armed forces, history, and survival, anchored by their new Declassified franchise.
Securing NSA Ajit Doval's participation involved leveraging decades of established trust between Discovery, the armed forces, and production partner Sparklework Films, alongside navigating his recovery and busy calendar.
Declassified: Operation Sindoor premiered on August 15 across Discovery and discovery+, chronicling the planning and execution of India's 88-hour military response following the Pahalgam terror attack.
