New Delhi Naman Mathur: 25-year-old Mumbai-based Naman Mathur, better known as Soul Mortal, is worried about the future of eSports in India. When Mathur and his friends began their careers five years ago, they struggled to explain what they did to family and friends. In the past year or so, the situation has changed dramatically.
Although the popularity of gaming has grown rapidly, it is still limited to the web-savvy, younger audience. But now, with Nodwin Gaming and Star Sports joining hands to telecast the Battleground Mobile India Masters Series, a mega eSports event for the first time in India, the gaming industry is expected to witness the next level of growth.
“The entry of eSports into the mainstream media is important because it creates a space for players, and space to grow more and more,” Mathur said. Career gamers.
Till now, eSports events were streamed on online platforms like SonyLIV, Hotstar and YouTube. The BGMI Masters Series is a tournament where players compete 1.5 crore prize money.
In a first for India, last October, Nodwin tied up with PVR Cinemas to live stream e-sports events across cinemas in Gurugram, Hyderabad, Indore and Mumbai.
Kamal Gyanchandani, head of strategy at PVR, said at the time that PVR wanted to make it an annual affair to help it grow “on the lines of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
“Think of it as the IPL of e-sports in India. Think of theaters as the same place as stadiums to play sports,” Gyanchandani had said.
Multiplex chain INOX has partnered with the eSports Federation of India (ESFI) in February to broadcast the Road to Asian Games, an event organized to finalize the team that will represent India at the Asian Games. first time.
To be sure, eSports in India still has a long way to go, but the revenue from the industry is growing. According to a March report by EY-FICCI, while the number of players doubled to 600,000 in 2021 compared to a year ago, industry revenue grew 29%. from 7.5 billion 9.7 billion in the same period.
Experts said smaller cities could contribute a larger part of the target audience of eSports, who typically consume content on TV rather than subscribing to OTT platforms, and tie-up with TV channels from far-flung areas of India. Will widen the reach of eSports in the regions. ,
Lokesh Sooji, Director of ESFI and Vice President of Asian Esports Federation, said that esports is still misunderstood by people in India, and TV will make more people realize that it is a competitive sport where gamers use their physical and mental abilities. Definitely do to compete. Genres of video games.
“This will bring eSports mainstream and give it the credibility, legitimacy and fantasy that is mostly associated with traditional sports. Akshat Rathi, Managing Director and Co-Founder, NODWIN Gaming said, people can enjoy eSports like cricket or football through television sets and DTH service.
Experts say access to TV and other traditional media outlets could spur foreign investment and open up new advertising and branding options. “Unlike watching digital, watching television doesn’t interrupt an important moment with an ad blocker, and who wouldn’t want that,” Suzy said.