Gaming and esports firm NODWIN Gaming has acquired exclusive broadcast rights for the Esports World Cup (EWC) in India and South Asia, as it targets an ambitious expansion in reach and viewership across the region.
“We are targeting between 50 to 100 million unique viewers across India and South Asia for the Esports World Cup, combining both live and on-demand platforms,” Akshat Rathee, Co-Founder and Managing Director of NODWIN Gaming, told financialexpress.com. “While distribution specifics are still being finalised, our focus is squarely on reach. This is going to be one of the most widely watched esports tournaments in the region.”
India, Rathee said, is no longer a peripheral market in global esports. “India isn’t just into esports; it is helping shape its future,” he said. “We’re seeing traction from Tier-1 metros all the way to Tier-3 towns.” According to a FICCI-EY report, total participation in Indian esports tournaments crossed 2 million in 2024, up from just 1 million in 2022 and is projected to hit 2.8 million in 2025. Rathee pointed to BGMS Season 3, which alone garnered 145.5 million views across platforms, calling it “a cultural phenomenon.”
For this edition of the World Cup, NODWIN is setting high expectations on live engagement. “We’re aiming for 1 million concurrent viewers across platforms, especially if India reaches the medal rounds,” said Rathee. “That’s not just a numerical goal — it’s about making esports part of national consciousness.”
On engagement, NODWIN has identified three key benchmarks. “We want to cross 1 billion minutes of watch time across South Asia, drive active chat participation during marquee matches, and see a 10x uplift in social media mentions for Indian players and teams,” Rathee said. “Engagement tells us fans care, that they’re emotionally invested.”
Airtime and viewership have surged in recent years. According to FICCI, live airtime for competitive games grew from 4,500 hours in 2022 to 7,400 hours in 2024, and is projected to reach 9,000 hours in 2025. Average unique viewership has also climbed to 287,000 in 2024, up from 190,000 in 2022.
The company is not expecting commercial returns in the first year. “We are not targeting revenue in Year 1,” Rathee said. “Our partnership with the Esports World Cup Foundation is impact-driven, not revenue-first. This year is about building distribution, fan adoption, and credibility in the market.”
Asked about average revenue per user (ARPU), Rathee was clear: “We’re not applying an ARPU lens right now. Over time, it will scale naturally as esports becomes more mainstream. Our long-term ambition is to monetise at levels competitive with sports like Kabaddi.”
On sponsorships, he confirmed that no deals have been closed yet. “As of today, no sponsors have been officially signed. Most brands are waiting for final confirmation on distribution before committing,” he said. That said, over 100 brands have expressed strong interest, a number consistent with FICCI’s estimate that brand participation peaked at 82 in 2023 and is expected to reach 75 in 2025.
While sponsorships are expected to grow over time, Rathee anticipates that media rights will account for a larger share of revenues in the near term. “Eventually, we see a 50:50 split between sponsorship and media rights, but for now, distribution is driving more value,” he said.
India will have a strong representation at the World Cup. BGMI champions Aryan x TMG Gaming will represent the country, while Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi, the first Indian to qualify in the chess category, will play for Gen.G Esports. Fellow Grandmasters Nihal Sarin and Aravindh Chithambaram will compete under Team S8UL.
NODWIN hopes to leverage the popularity of these players to capture over half the region’s active esports audience. “We’re aiming to reach over 60 per cent of South Asia’s esports audience,” said Rathee. “That’s achievable with the right mix of regional language content and fan engagement layers.”
FICCI data also shows that women now make up 25% of India’s esports fan base, with expectations to reach 28% in 2025, driven by stronger female representation in games and fan-centric narratives. The company is also forecasting growth in domestic prize pools. “In 2024, the total prize pool across Indian tournaments was Rs 18.7 crore,” Rathee said. “We expect that to grow to Rs 25 crore in 2025. The ecosystem is maturing fast.”