Yash Raj Films has officially announced a strategic investment with Rusk Media, a digital-first entertainment company. The move represents a major alignment of traditional premium film-based ecosystems and the fast-growing mobile-driven digital content space. The strategic partnership merges the vast creative heritage of a traditional powerhouse of a film company with a dynamic digital media platform that is deeply entrenched in the culture of younger generations of consumers. The development coincides with a radical change in entertainment consumption habits, characterised by a constantly connected, media-savvy public and its demand for more serious, digitally formatted entertainment.

Collaborative structure and creative synergy

This strategic support follows a major institutional financing deal for the digital entertainment company. Based in Delhi, Rusk Media recently closed a pre-Series C financing round for an amount of ₹100 crore (approximately $10.6 million). Gaming and sports media company Nazara Technologies led the successful capital infusion. 

Notably, the investment round included notable venture capital companies and institutions, including Info Edge Ventures and IvyCap Ventures, and a specialized investment bloc led by Audacity VC. These funds would exclusively be used for the development of the next generation of digital intellectual properties for Indian and highly competitive international markets.

As per the newly executed partnership deal, Yash Raj Films and Rusk Media will bring their operational expertise and hand over special entertainment assets to each other. In particular, Yash Raj Films will lead the creative direction for original animation and vertical micro-drama content. The creative stewardship represents an important diversification, both for the legacy studio and for formats specifically designed for handheld devices and fast digital consumption. 

Yash Raj Films will be guiding the creative narrative, script development, and artistic direction of these upcoming projects, which will now be available as a shorter digital experience. Yash Raj Films will spearhead the creative direction, whereas Rusk Media will assume the entire management of the manufacturing pipelines and the ultimate distribution of the newly generated digital property. 

By using its specialized infrastructure, the startup can disseminate the original animation and vertical micro-drama series TV shows through its own digital content distribution platform, Alright! TV and multiple other worldwide digital channels. This partnership enables both companies to make the best use of their respective strengths, combining high-quality artistic programme-making and a data-driven production process with tried-and-tested internet distribution platforms that satisfy consumers with a focus on mobile screens.

Core audience focus and ecosystem integration

Co-founded in 2019 by the young brand owners Mayank Yadav, Karanvir Sofat and Shantanu Singh, Rusk Media is a brand with a unique identity as a mobile-first, Gen-Z focused digital entertainment powerhouse. The company is focused on the development of superior, serialized video intellectual property, whether fiction or non-fiction. 

Aside from the content itself, Rusk Media has an active presence in social UGC gaming, giving them a multi-dimensional approach for their audiences. The startup has highlighted its engagement with consumers as having achieved over one billion monthly viewings through its digital audience network.

Rusk Media’s financial condition demonstrates a history of regular commercial upscaling and effective fiscal control. The company’s operational revenue more than doubled to ₹81.38 crore from ₹56.85 crore during FY2025 compared to FY2024, according to confirmed corporate filings.

A net loss recorded by the company in its digital media business came to ₹25.33 crore in FY2025 compared to ₹28.70 crore in FY2024, marking an 11.7% difference. This demonstrates a solid top-line growth in comparison to the falling net losses and is suggestive of the increasing commercial value of its digital platform.

The collaboration offers a robust avenue to help Yash Raj Films integrate its artistic brand into the modern digital economy. Yash Raj Films is a completely integrated media house with the core business of making films, full-scale production, post-production services and a theatre release network which is far and wide spread across the country as well as internationally. 

The traditional company is still active in the business of music distribution, digital content publishing, entertainment marketing, talent management, brand alliances, licensing, merchandising, and state-of-the-art studio productions. Leveraging the entire corporate apparatus in such a manner allows the studio to have an impact on the emerging mobile-based segments of the entertainment industry.

From this move, Yash Raj Films is directly supporting an entity that will build a multiproduct content portfolio through Rusk Media. Rusk Media offers serialized fiction, Unscripted Reality television content, Animation stories, Vertical dramas and Live entertainment content for the modern internet user. 

These multiple streams enable cross-platform storytelling and quick monetisation of these creative productions under a streamlined production house. This ability is essential to generate long-term value for the modern consumer, who freely accesses different social video venues, streaming platforms, and interactive digital environments.

Conclusion

Yash Raj Films’ investment in Rusk Media is a major milestone in the growth of India’s media and entertainment landscape. Backed by fresh funding of ₹100 crore from a pre-Series C round led by Nazara Technologies, Info Edge Ventures, IvyCap Ventures, and Audacity VC, Rusk Media has the capital runway it needs to grow its digital presence outside India. The team-up involves a cinematic leader running the creative light for animation and vertical micro-dramas while leveraging Rusk Media’s time-tested distribution platforms, including Alright!.

TV is expected to reach more than one billion views per month. The vertical entertainment future lies in a high-quality, mobile-first IP experience, and this partnership is poised to become the standard bearer in that domain as it continues to narrow deficits and grow year-over-year revenues.