INOX Leisure Ltd (INOX) and Esports Federation of India (ESFI) has entered into a partnership to provide a community viewing experience of Esports tournaments on big screens to gaming enthusiasts. As an exclusive cinema partner, INOX will host and promote ESFI tournaments across the country. With this the multiplex operator has created a new revenue stream. The company however did not reveal the details of the investment, adding that while tournaments will be a ticketing event besides sponsorship. “The seminars and workshops at this point won’t be charged. However, the final product of these engagements will yield revenue for us. Right now, the revenue will be small as we monetise the commercial activities such as tournaments but it’s a long-term partnership and eventually, revenue will follow. For us, this year we are focusing on simply building this category and will actively look at it as a revenue stream from the second year,” Anand Vishal, chief sales and revenue officer, Inox Leisure, told BrandWagon Online. The ticket price for the tournament will likely range anywhere between Rs 100-250. According to sources, it is believed that the company is aiming to clock revenue worth Rs 5-8 crore, from the current partnership.
As per the E&Y report titled Esports In India, India currently has more than 1,50,000 professional esports players that has generated a viewership of 17 million people across 14 broadcast platforms, and the forecast is to have 1.5 million professional players with 85 million viewership from over 20 broadcasters by FY2025.
Besides hosting tournaments, ESFI will hold gaming workshops in INOX and will further leverage the cinema’s auditoriums as a training facility for gamers. The aim is to establish a place for networking for gamers and aid in building a community. “We want to create an awareness regarding gaming being a viable career option. Going to cinema halls to watch a movie is a family affair and we can use this to promote the gaming ecosystem,” Lokesh Suji, director, Esports Federation of India (ESFI), said.
With this partnership, the two organisations aim to target users between 14-25-years who are either gaming enthusiasts or are eager to explore the gaming world. According to the exhibition chain claims to have an audience base of 70 million, of which 45% belong to the TG. The company claims that this will allow them to expand their audience base in tier 2 and tier 3 cities. “Inox has a fair bit of presence in the sports sector – with our association with Indian Olympics Association, Asian Games. We wanted to explore esports segments but want to partner at a larger scale than be associated with just one particular tournament or game. When you look at metro cities- there are a lot of opportunities but when it comes to tier 2 and tier 3 cities, these opportunities are lacking. With this partnership, we aim to bridge the gap,” Vishal stated.
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