Move over big bosses, broadcasters now have locals in charge

Mumbai: With fatigue setting in for international reality shows, broadcasters are leaning on home-grown non-fiction formats to manage costs, deepen audience engagement and build long-term value through intellectual property (IP) ownership. Imported formats such as Bigg Boss, Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC) and MasterChef have long anchored non-fiction schedules but carry heavy licensing fees and limited scope for localisation since they come with a set of guidelines. By investing in original formats, networks gain flexibility to adapt shows across regional markets while retaining monetisable IP.