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In what could be described as a historic moment for Esports in India, Star Sports has partnered with Indian Esports company Nodwin Gaming to broadcast the Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) Masters Series tournament from June 24 to July 17, 2022.
This would be the first time on Indian television that an Indian Esports event is being televised by a major television network. The tournament will be aired Live on Star Sports 2 from Nodwin Studios in New Delhi in Hindi, Tamil and English.
Announcing the partnership between Star Sports and Nodwin Gaming, Sanjog Gupta, Head – Sports, Disney Star put out an official statement which read, "Esports in India is a fast-growing segment which has seen accelerated adoption over the last two years. It has immense headroom for growth in India when compared with its status in evolved markets around the world. It is also gaining prominence in the ecosystem as a competitive sport. Esports competitions have already developed a niche following on digital platforms."
"As the preferred destination for sports fandom, Star Sports is always looking for opportunities to engage fans, galvanise communities and recruit new audiences. Our partnership with Nodwin Gaming seeks to shape the future of eSports in India by introducing high-quality competition and prominent players to millions of TV viewers around the country. It will hopefully fuel fandom for eSports amongst gamers and elevate aspiration amongst athletes."
.@NodwinGaming has announced a collaboration with Indian sports broadcaster Star Sports.
— Esports Insider (@esportsinsider) June 16, 2022
As a result, the broadcaster will show live coverage of the Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) Masters Series event starting on June 24th.https://t.co/x3cYD7BA7w pic.twitter.com/AhyONGsIGi
The upcoming BGMI tournament is expected to be the one of many Esports events that will be televised regularly as Star Sports pushes to capitalise on the growth of Esports in India.
The tournament will see India’s top 24 BGMI squads battling it out for the ultimate "Chicken Dinner." Teams will get an opportunity to win cash prizes from a massive tournament pool prize of INR 1.5 crore.
“We have been working tirelessly through the pandemic to build the foundation for such a big collaboration. This is a very big step for us in the right direction as we now take Esports to the masses," Akshat Rathee, MD and co-founder, Nodwin Gaming, stated.
"So far, esports has always been associated with live streaming on digital platforms. Through this collaboration with a mainstream sports channel, we hope to break that mould. Satellite television does have its advantages like its unrivalled reach across every nook and corner of the country, uninterrupted and timely broadcast that is not dependent on internet connectivity and speed as well as affordability for the masses living in far-out areas. We look forward to spreading the reach of esports, making a connection with the youth across India and bringing esports into the arena of other traditional sports."