Jun 30, 2026 9:00pm IST
GMMTV CEO Tha On Spread of Thai Boys’ Love Industry: ‘India consistently ranks among our top five markets’
LGBTQ+ romances are all the rage on streamers and among viewers, especially with the popularity of shows like Heated Rivalry. That’s not a new occurrence for Thai entertainment companies, which have been at the forefront of queer love stories, becoming the pioneers of the field for over a decade now. The BL (Boys’ Love) and GL (Girls’ Love) industries have flourished under their guidance.
Sataporn Panichraksapong, the man behind one of the most popular Thai production media and talent agencies, which gave fans shows like SOTUS, 2gether and more recently Me and Thee, GMMTV, speaks to Variety India about running the mammoth machine as its CEO and how it grew from a humble domestic attempt to a global powerhouse. He also dishes on the spread and popularity of the genre in India.
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Why did you initially think of popularising the BL and GL industry?
It began with a desire to tell a wider range of stories that could genuinely connect with audiences on an emotional level. Human relationships and emotions are universal, and everyone can relate to them in their own way. Our goal was simply to give audiences more choice in the content available to them. The growth of BL and GL content has been driven by the strength of the storytelling itself, not by chasing a trend, and it has happened naturally, through the support of our viewers.
What were the initial hurdles you faced while taking on bigger productions, financially and otherwise?
In the early days, there was considerable uncertainty around market size and long-term sustainability. We had to invest ahead of demand being proven, while continuously raising the quality of our production. At the same time, we were learning how to expand our work onto an international stage and finding the right balance between creative ambition and business reality. Building trust with partners and platforms before market data existed to support our case was one of the more delicate challenges.
You took to releasing your content on YouTube, right from the get-go, a freely available platform. What was the thought behind choosing to do so?
We wanted to reduce geographic limitations and remove barriers that might prevent audiences from discovering our content. YouTube gave viewers around the world an easy way to come across Thai stories, and that accessibility has been central to our international growth. At the time, this genre did not yet have an established audience abroad, so reaching viewers directly mattered a great deal. From the very beginning, digital platforms helped us build a global fan community organically and played a significant role in bringing Thai content to the international stage. Beyond YouTube, we have also partnered with various online video platforms and OTT services that have helped expand awareness of our content, broaden our reach, and introduce our work to wider audiences over time.
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What have been your biggest markets outside of Thailand? Where does India stand?
We have received a strong response across many regions, with our content reaching audiences worldwide. On our official YouTube channel, international viewership now accounts for 70 percent of our total content distribution (across Asia, Latin America and Europe), compared to 30 percent domestic. Across our official channels, artists and mascots combined, our digital community has grown to over 600 million followers, reflecting continued momentum in fan engagement worldwide.
India consistently ranks among our top five markets by viewership out of all the territories we reach. In 2025, we held our first-ever event in India, the LYKN Unleashed Tour, with two stops in Bengaluru and New Delhi, and the response from fans was overwhelming. Taken together with the strength of our digital numbers, this indicates that India is a market with real growth and genuine demand, and we see considerable opportunity to further expand our presence and offerings here.
How much do you think the Thai industry helped to make the conversation around queer romance more mainstream?
The Thai entertainment industry has helped bring queer romance to a much wider audience, and storytelling that embraces diversity has gained greater recognition internationally as a result. This has increased both the visibility and accessibility of these stories on a global scale. At the same time, we see this success as the product of collaboration among creators, artists, and fans around the world, rather than the achievement of any single industry alone.
How have the international fans been aiding your attempts at going global/ mainstream further?
International fans have played one of the most important roles in our global growth. Fan communities help introduce Thai content to new audiences and continue to expand our reach. Their engagement and organic support have had a significant impact on visibility and have been a key driver of our growth. Fans have genuinely helped carry Thai entertainment to a global audience, and we remain truly grateful for their support from every corner of the world.
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