E-Sports – Dutch Uncles

Dream11 – Altering Dreams to Reality

MARY KMENLANG KHYRIEM — Fri, 16 Jul 2021 12:35:08 +0000

Often, an idea is easier to perceive than being actually inculcated into becoming a reality. This is the story of one such idea, which was relatively easier to conceive but vastly challenging to be implemented.

The journey dates back to 2008, when two 22-year-olds – Harsh Jain and Sanghvi Bhavith Seth – took their common love for sports, which went beyond playing their favourite English Football Fantasy leagues every weekend, to the next level of creating India’s first fantasy sports start-up – Dream 11.

‘Young and Restless’: Building a Personal Project

Online fantasy sports have seen a massive adoption and immense market growth in India from the early 2010s due to large-scale availability of smartphones and high-speed internet.

And with the above as reference, we can see how the brand Dream 11 is the culmination of a personal project born out of sheer love for sports with young and restless entrepreneurial energy. While Jain was working as a marketing manager at an infrastructure and real estate company promoted by his father, Seth was testing the field with different jobs. The duo went on to complete their MBAs together in the US and decided to launch their start-up in 2008.

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Fantasy sports came into existence in early 2000 in the US and Canada. The ‘dream’ of launching a fantasy sports gaming platform in India was perceived parallely with the onset of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Its introduction to the Indian market was in 2008 during the first season of the IPL. With the launch of Dream 11, Harsh Jain and Sanghvi Bhavith Seth wanted to cash in on market opportunity and gain the early entrant advantage.

But before Dream11 came into the picture, ESPN-Star’s joint venture in the fantasy gaming segment called Super Selectors was set up as the first fantasy gaming company in the country in 2001. Joy Bhattacharjya led the company. Super Selectors was a fantasy cricket game that was run by ESPN and Star Sports. It held contests ranging from a month to the duration of an entire series.

The Super Selectors concept involved picking a team of 11 players within a fixed budget where a set number of substitutions were allowed throughout the tournament and points were awarded based on players’ performances on the field. Players also had the ability to form mini-leagues with their friends. But despite good traction, the company was shelved in 2003. And fantasy sport ceased in India even before it could take off.

Things stayed that way for five years until two fresh college graduates, Harsh Jain and Bhavish Sheth, resurrected the segment through Dream11.

The Pivot

In 2008, Dream11 was launched as a free-for-all sports app where users discussed sports via community platform, read blogs and played fantasy games based on sports seasons. However, this ad-based and season-long format did not find much traction among users and lagged in growth. Besides, the scalability of the model was also under question.

In 2009, the start-up was running out of funds to sustain operations. The founders did not want to go back to their parents for money, and this was a make or break stage for the business. The company needed outside capital, which was a tough task for the founders as they were new in the market. Owing to meager revenues and low user interest, the company lost money for the first three years between 2008 and 2011.

In 2010, the duo ventured into a digital and media agency – Red Digital – on the sidelines of Dream 11. Out of 50 employees of Dream11, 40 were enrolled under Red Digital and asked to work in the new company. The decision worked in their favour as the duo managed to generate money to finance Dream 11 and resume its operations. In 2013, Red Digital was sold to Gozoop for approximately Rs. 7 crores.

During this period, the founders also got back to the drawing board to rethink Dream11 from the ground-up.

The real journey of the start-up began in 2012 with the launch of its freemium model, where users accessed free features up to a point, after which they were asked to pay. The primary focus was shifted towards daily matches. The users were able to put money on a team/player of their choice before the start of the match. Based on performances, points were accumulated and teams/players were ranked at the end and money was made by participants from the pool.

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Dream11 model charged an entry-level fee from the participants in paid contests besides taking a cut (commission) on the money made by the participants which accounted for about 15-20% of the total pool.

Another source that was expected to earn revenues was advertisement. However, the traffic to the website was minuscule besides the low rates. It did try on Google AdSense initially, but dropped the same for user convenience as it was already challenging to convert a free user into a paid one.

The Legal Hurdle

Dream11 faced a series of challenges for its legality in the courts of India. Avinash Mehrotra, a financial consultant, filed in demanding the Supreme Court to clarify regulations on governing fantasy sports, online gambling and betting websites. To date, Dream11 has overcome various legal challenges by gaining a series of state court rulings finding it to be safe within “skill gaming” protections.

For example, the Bombay High ruled in April 2019 that success in Dream 11 “depends upon the user’s exercise of skill based on superior knowledge, judgment, and attention… It is undoubtedly a game of skill and not a game of chance.” The Supreme Court later backed this ruling. Gambling laws in India are largely left to the discretion of each state, though most states have based their laws on the Public Gambling Act of 1867.

Over the years, fantasy sports have captured the Indian market by attracting consumers and affecting the different sectors of the market. It has also changed the psychology of the people towards e-sports. The sudden growth of sensation in viewers for fantasy sports increased the interest of people in watching different sports, which resulted in the enhancement of the importance of the online gaming industry and fantasy sports companies.

The ‘Real’ challenge

Dream11 faced a lot of challenges finding a reliable source of funding. In an interview, Jain had mentioned that they had approached more than 150 investors who refused to commit, before hitting the first funding.

Dream11 began its fantasy sports business with only a few thousand dollars, but it quickly expanded and acquired a series of angel investor investments. The amount of money needed to run the company was extremely high. But, thanks to their negotiating abilities, they were able to find some decent investment opportunities.

Nevertheless, they learned something new from every rejection which helped the founders make better decisions and use each penny wisely. According to Jain, the success of a business depends more on the execution of an idea than the idea itself.

During this time, the traction for fantasy sports was also picking up in the Indian market. And by the end of 2013, the duo managed to get their first round of funding Kalaari Capital.

Over 10 years, Dream11 has built the category from scratch in India and reaped the benefits of it. And today, it is the largest and most recognized OFS player in India with over 70 million users (a little more than 75% of the users of all other OFS players combined). In 2019, Dream11 generated a revenue of around Rs. 775 crore ($103 milion), a 250% growth over 2018 revenue of Rs. 224 crore ($30 million). Along their journey, the company was backed by marquee investors like Tencent (WeChat owner), Kalaari and Steadview Capital. In Apr 2019, Dream11 was catapulted into the ‘Unicorn Club’ when Steadview Capital invested 60 Million.

Business Model

Today, the company follows the same business model (freemium), as 85% of the players are free users, and the rest 15% are paid users, with Rs 25 as the average investment into the games. It can go as low as Rs 11, and often it can cross thousands as well. The combined winning pot of all winnings is often more than Rs 1 crore, depending on the game, and trends. 15% of its 50 crore users, i.e. 7.5 crore users, pay Rs 25 per month on an average, which becomes revenues of more than Rs 187 core.

Hitting the Jackpot: IPL Sponsorship

In 2020, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) went looking for a home-grown entity as the title sponsor for the 2020 edition of IPL to replace Chinese smartphone brand Vivo which had bagged the sponsorship rights for Rs 438 crore a year. Dream11 got that chance to hold the title sponsor banner.

It is evident that bagging the title sponsorship of IPL made Dream 11 a household name. It managed to bag the title sponsorship of IPL 2020 for Rs 222 crore. The sponsorship for IPL 2020 was up for grabs as the erstwhile title sponsor, Vivo, decided to take a break from the tournament during that season amid calls for boycotting of Chinese goods in the wake of a standoff between Indian and Chinese soldiers in Ladakh since June 2020.

The road to IPL title sponsorship, however, wasn’t all smooth for Dream11 who also had to fend off some anti-China sentiments because of its connection with Chinese technology giant Tencent. The fantasy sports platform’s top bosses, however, managed to convince the BCCI of their ‘all-Indian identity’ by suggesting that Tencent was only a minority shareholder in the company.

Dream11’s association with sports has grown over the years and it is presently partnering a total of 19 sports leagues along with 6 Indian Premier League Franchises

In June 2021, the iconic cricketer and former Indian cricket team captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni was announced as Dream11’s brand ambassador. With MS Dhoni becoming the new face of Dream11, multi-channel marketing campaigns and brand engagement activities were aimed to surge ahead and strengthen its leadership position in the online fantasy sports industry.

With Dhoni as its face, Dream11 instilled the aspiration of sporting expertise into its users by employing the same kind of thinking prowess that Dhoni is the master of.

Cashing in on the Boom

The localisation of content to reach out to players online not only helped Dream11 expand its market and enhance revenue but also to develop brand recall in a crowded market and better user experience.

Growth amid a pandemic

With the World Health Organization (WHO) prescribing video games as a healthy social pastime to combat social isolation during COVID-19, it became a win-win situation for the gamers as well as the e-sports and fantasy gaming platforms.

Under the WHO-backed campaign called #PlayApartTogether launched on March 18 this year, world’s biggest gaming industry leaders promoted the cause with a message to avoid spreading the coronavirus, while still being connected with each other remotely.

Indian Gamers

A 2019 KPMG and IFSG report outlined the key categories of e-sports gaming in India, with a focus on understanding the fantasy sports consumer. These were some of its findings:

75% of respondents played fantasy sports one to three times a week, with the majority engaging in it once a week. A significant 20 per cent reported playing more than five times a week.

85% of all respondents played fantasy games on mobile apps.

54% played for free; 46 per cent have played paid contests at least once in the last 12 months.

The playing frequency was fairly consistent across the age groups of 18-24 and 25-36 with nearly 75-80 per cent of the respondents playing one to three times a week. Nearly 50 per cent in the 37-50 age group reported playing fantasy games more than four times a week.

72% of the respondents considered ‘fun and excitement’ as the primary motivator for engaging in fantasy sports platforms.

71% of the respondents played Fantasy Cricket and 54 per cent Fantasy Football. Other sports such as kabaddi, basketball and hockey were less popular among the respondents.

When asked to recall the names of platforms that came to the respondents’ mind, 60 per cent referred to Dream11, followed by official websites of Premier League Football/English Premier League (EPL) and the IPL.

Future for Fantasy Sports

According to the ‘The Evolving Landscape of Sports Gaming in India’ report, the gaming industry is already worth around Rs. 90 billion rupees and is said to reach Rs. 118.8 billion by FY23 with a growth rate of CAGR 22.1%. The report adds that fantasy sports are different from betting and can potentially aid in slowing down illegal betting in the long run. Fairness, legality, and the safe and secure nature of transactions are aspects that draw users to play these fantasy sports platforms.

India has made exponential growth in terms of its digital infrastructure. Growing affordability of smartphones, expansion of the internet user base, and plummeting data price are resulting in such growth. Therefore, the growth of fantasy sports seems very likely to increase in the future.

Though Dream11 success was not an overnight result, it was rather a reflection of hard work and consistency in the founder’s efforts and team’s mettle in building Dreamsters, the Dream11 community. With all the internal and external factors faced by Harsh Jain and Sanghvi Bhavith Seth in turning their vision into reality, their success story is an inspiration to many pudding faces. Overcoming every hurdle with the strength to oversee through the risk and by not accepting failure with the endurance helps entrepreneurs to move forward.

The story of Dream11 sounds like an inspiring movie but it is a real story of two young minds making their dreams possible. From starting as a fantasy gaming platform to being named as the title sponsors of IPL, Dream11 has come a long way over the years and it does not seem to stop but aims bigger.

For more inspiring stories like this, read our Inspire Section!

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Indian Esports Start-up MPL’s International Ambitions

Shalmoli Sarkar — Tue, 06 Jul 2021 05:35:04 +0000

With lower out-of-home consumption during the pandemic, the new means of recreation has found its place in an individual’s laptop or PC. Esports has witnessed an increase in customer base. Here, the key factor is a visible shift in user psychology – a switch from playing casual games to professional video gaming.

The immense popularity of esports can be well understood from the numbers reflected in the joint report of FICCI-EY titled ‘Ready. Set. Game On!’ which says that the industry is worth Rs 3 billion in FY2021 and expects to touch Rs 11 billion by FY2025.

Esports companies that earlier were limited to their independently organised world championships have received a never seen before inclusion in the world’s most coveted sporting event – Tokyo Olympics 2021. The International Olympic Committee has launched the virtual Olympic series in five disciplines of physical sports:

Motorsport
Cycling
Baseball
Sailing
Rowing

Though currently a non-medalled event in the Olympics, it will soon be recognised as a legitimate sport.

Speaking of Esports gaining a global status, we cannot deny the popularity of Indian gaming and Esports platform Mobile Premier League (MPL) which enjoys a user base of 60 million and 5 million in India and Indonesia respectively. The gaming platform is looking to foray into the international markets as well as gain international status.

Mobile Premier League: The International dream

After gaining a firm foothold in the Indonesian market since mid-2019 with more than 5 million registered users in the country, it is planning to step into the US market that is the world’s largest mobile market.

Mobile Premier League, in the US, wants to gain standalone status in the gaming market by becoming a ‘super app’. It will roll out new game formats such as synchronous gaming for the American populace in games like baseball, solitaire, bowling, various puzzles, etc.

Knowing that competitive gaming or Esports is already validated in the country, tapping the US market will benefit the company as there is no other equivalent platform offering a similar value proposition, currently operating there.

Mobile Premier League is inching closer to building its international presence with the recent sponsorship deal worth Rs 8 Crore with the Indian Olympic Association till the end of 2022 covering the major events in the period.

This deal will make Mobile Premier League come onboard as the principal sponsor for the Indian contingent at the Tokyo Olympics, 2022 Asian Games and Commonwealth Games.

The recent Series D funding of $95 million in Feb 2021 from Composite Capital and Moore Strategic Ventures has increased Mobile Premier League’s valuation to $945 million, soon to gain the unicorn status after Dream 11. The funds collected will be utilised to expand its business overseas and grow its Esports portfolio by conducting tournaments at national and international level.

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According to the joint report of FICCI and EY, the emergence of Esports gaming platforms is estimated to generate more than 11000 jobs and add Rs 100 billion to the economic value of India in investments, in-app purchases, winnings, taxes and related consumption.

How Will Esports Platforms Benefit Indians?

According to the joint report of FICCI and EY, the emergence of Esports gaming platforms is estimated to generate more than 11000 jobs and add Rs 100 billion to the economic value of India in investments, in-app purchases, winnings, taxes and related consumption.

New income streams will emerge in event management, ethical and legislative laws, game design, Esports marketing and league management. It will open a new career path for the Indian developers who will develop games suitable for world Esports tournaments.

Learnings for New Start-ups in Esports Space

Esports is a booming sector in India with smartphones becoming ubiquitous. According to an EY India survey on smartphone users, out of every eight people, one user participates in Esports tournaments for every six people who play social games. This makes the space lucrative.

Capitalising during IPL

Mobile Premier League striking sponsorship deals – T20 league and IPL 2020 – helped gain maximum reach that resulted in daily app installations up by 100 percent and increased the number of fantasy gamers by 7 times.

It engaged more users in the IPL season by organising new in-app features, sign-up bonuses, virtual meet-and-greet sessions with cricketers and contests.

Acquire local gaming platforms

On acquiring Delhi-based Esports gaming platform GamingMonk, Mobile Premier League has not only gained its 1.3 million users but has brought key national, regional and global tournament IPs ( intellectual property) and has developed a full suite of Esports and broadcasting capabilities.

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Gaming Start-ups, Know Your 2021 Customers

Aakash Sharma — Tue, 01 Jun 2021 08:35:03 +0000

The online gaming industry in India is booming due to the technology, easy availability and access to the internet. The idea of gaming and e-sports is not radical anymore. It is now widely known and is very popular among millions of Generation Z and millennials.

According to industry experts, India has over 300 million players. This development and crowd are reflected in the growing popularity of games such as PUBG Mobile, FreeFire and Valorant. Online games are now a bundled model for start-ups and established businesses, a place where professional and amateur players can work together productively.

Future and Growth of Gaming Start-ups in India

Industry stakeholders have witnessed various vital trends in the sector, driving its growth in the coming times. Here are a few.

Live Streaming and Increased Viewership

E-sports and video games are now majorly live-streamed on YouTube, Facebook Gaming, TwitchTV, etc. This is only increasing the visibility and real-time activation of e-games content. Gaming combined with immersive streaming can maximise game activity and help build a robust, extensive and diverse fan base soon.

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The COVID-19 pandemic extensively pushed digital appropriation and growth of gaming enterprises. It also led to the proliferation of the esports industry in India.

E-sports and Gaming Start-ups in Education

Many educational technology start-ups such as SplashLearn have included electronic games in their curriculum and teaching their courses in association with gaming. Additionally, with the increasing mastery in the segment, the education industry might soon provide esports degrees and certificate courses. This will rope in the best coaches, players, and gamers and form an extensive network of gamers, esports clubs and communities.

Increased Use of Mobile Devices

According to a report by BARC & Nielsen, mobile gaming users per week expanded to 68% during the lockdown phase from 60% in pre-COVID times. The time people spend playing mobile games each week has increased from 151 minutes before the pandemic to 218 minutes currently. With the bolstering popularity and widespread use of the internet, games have opened a new market that allows start-ups to enter the market through their products and entertaining gaming ventures.

Cloud Gaming

The successful development of Software as a Service (SaaS) and Platform-as-Service (PaaS) has led to the introduction of the Sport as a Service (GaaS) model. This model has the potential to transform the gaming industry. It is expected that the new trends will introduce much professional e-sports equipment via this industry model shortly. This service also allows players to play online on personal computers or mobile devices from anywhere.

Millennials – the Largest Demographic

Millennials and Generation Z are more actively involved in the development of the e-sports industry than anyone. According to Nielsen’s market research, 71% of gamers who regularly watch games on YouTube and other video-sharing programs are Millennials. This youth population includes the most active digital athletes with an average age of around 35 years. Analysts approximate that 2021 might be the year when gaming reaches an inflexion point as an entertainment medium.

How can gaming start-ups capture these opportunities?

With your innovative gaming solutions and indigenously developed video games, you can vastly grow into a potential source of mainstream entertainment. Video games are growing into a storytelling medium, which used to be the sole preserve of cinema, television, and print media, as is majorly witnessed in the made in India game FAU-G.

Gaming and fantasy sports are also seeing explosive growth. And this hasn’t gone unrecognised by the government. The NITI Aayog has called for a self-regulatory organisation only for online fantasy sports in India. Such developments are characteristic of the growth potential associated with the industry. Above all, India has the potential for converting into a video gaming hub going into the future.

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Revenant Esports to Become a Rs. 200 Crore Brand By 2022

Aakash Sharma — Tue, 11 May 2021 08:35:03 +0000

Revenant Esports is one of the most prominent esports companies in the country and has grown into a dominant company in the division since its inception. It is a next-generation sports platform dedicated to working with the best gaming athletes in the world. The company intends to continue to improve the value and experience of esports by multichannel collaboration among athletes, brands, content creators and communities.

Revenant Esports: A Prime Habitat for All Esports Players

The recent funding from investor Sajan Raj Kurup in Revenant Esports has taken the company’s goal one step further. Revenant Esports plans to become a Rs 200 brand in the next 18 months. Kurup, a serial marketer and investor, has invested approximately $1 million in Revenant Esports and has a 40% stake in India’s fastest growing gaming company.

Revenant Esports has more than 25 esports under its ambit, including popular mobile games such as Call of Duty: Mobile, PUBG Mobile, Clash of Clans and FreeFire. The injection of the new funding will allow the company to expand its reach to the gaming community and promote a unique consumer experience.

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As the firm has become one of the fastest-growing players in the world, stakeholders are confident that Revenant will grow tenfold in the next two years.

How has Revenant Esports made inroads in the Indian Esports Scene?

Revenant Esports is a destination for both casual and professional gamers and ambitious gaming enthusiasts and content creators. Since its inception, the company has set up significant infrastructure to stream games and esports. The company has charted tremendous progress in the Level 2 gaming market.

With approximately 15,000 active players participating and 20,000 hours of watch time through their content creator network, tournaments and athletes, the company aims to grow further in the field of e-sports.

With around 300 million players, India is one of the top five esports markets in the world. Also, because of COVID-19, online games attracted more attention as people remained home. With the necessity of social distancing, telecommuting has become the new norm, and physical sporting events are remaining limited, boosting e-sports and mobile gaming online events.

Indian Gaming Scene – A Breeding Ground for Opportunities

India’s vast esports and gaming ecosystem has become the world’s third-largest hub, following only the United States and China. An increasing number of gaming firms have entered the unicorn club with over $1 billion valuations after raising large funding rounds.

Esports are a hit in India. According to Venture Intelligence data, venture capital funds spent $438 million on gaming entrepreneurs in India in 2020. The industry estimates that the number of esports players in the country will double to 17 million by 2021.

Moreover, this is the first instance that the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) has considered esports as a sporting event in the 2022 Asian Games. The move has given even more clout to the segment, and opportunities for new start-ups are aplenty.

One thing is clear- as Revenant Esports has got significant backers, the move has opened up roads for new players and start-ups to cover leaps in this highly growing market space.

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Top 10 Sport Start-Ups in India

Tanisha Achrekar — Tue, 13 Apr 2021 00:35:04 +0000

Be it Amir Khan’s Lagaan, Shahrukh Khan’s Chak De India or Priyanka Chopra’s Mary Kom, these movies reflect the deep-rooted relationship between India and sports. Start-ups are leveraging on this relationship and coming up with their unique discoveries. Combining technology and sport, start-ups have created some of the best sports apps and services in the country.

The top 10 sport start-ups in India and what makes them the best.

Dream 11

This unicorn start-up is now a well-established name in and out of the sports world. Sponsoring the IPL to bring fantasy platform in India, the start-up continues raising bars higher and higher. Users on their platform can play fantasy cricket, basketball, hockey, volleyball, football, kabaddi, handball, rugby or even baseball. With more than 10 crore users, they are determined to set new records every day.

SportsApp

SportsApp is a platform integrated simply for connecting one sport lover to another. The app has a wide range of players who have played at different levels and have different experiences. SportsApp was launched to get all players together on their platform. Founded in 2018, the start-up has received funding of $50,000 in its angel round in August 2019.

Adda52

When it comes to playing the right cards, the founders of Adda52 know it all. The Delhi-based start-up allows players to play several card games online with real money. The growing popularity of this start-up led to their merger with Delta Corp in 2017. Indians have always been fond of card games and to no surprise, their app holds more than 20 lakh downloads. Their authentic and easy payment process has bought in popularity amongst users.

Mobile Premier League

Mobile Premier League popularly known as MPL is a tech start-up based in Bangalore. Directly competing with Dream 11, MPL is also a widespread name in the fantasy cricket industry. The company has received fundings from Sequoia Capital India, BeeNext and Times Internet. Their total funding reportedly amounts to $40.5 million. The platform has one of the most popular faces in India, Virat Kholi as their brand ambassador.

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Start-ups are leveraging on the deep-rooted relationship between India and sports.

Run Adam

Newly part of the sport start-up league, Run Adam is already making headlines as it is backed by MS Dhoni. Sources have it that Dhoni has bought a 25% stake in this company. Run Adams is concentrated on uniting sportspersons, professionals and business on their integrated online portal. The company offers athletes to connect with all the needful resources they require in just a click. The start-up also raised $1.5 million in the seed-funding round.

KOOH Sports

KOOH Sports is an international sport start-up with its headquarters in Mumbai. They provide sports education, training and technology intending to promote a healthy lifestyle. Establishing sports programs in schools, they are developing interest amongst children in sports on a foundation level. KOOH is reportedly funded by Elevate Sports, Faering Capital, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and HDFC Ltd.

Collectabillia

The Bangalore-based start-up is a celebrity commerce company. On their online portal, fans can win memorabilia autographed by their icons through an auction. Along with that, there are several merchandise available too. They aim to inculcate the mindset of personalised merchandise along the same lines as buying an art. The star-crazy market of India is a huge boon to Collectabillia.

Time Of Sports

The Time Of Sports is majorly focused on providing a sports platform for everyone in India with their vision of creating a fit nation. The start-up provides consultancy services to the sports and business sectors along with hosting several sporting events. They have observed an untapped potential in the country when it comes to sports and fitness. Time Of Sports has its presence across UAE, CIS, Singapore and Africa apart from India.

Playo

Playo had an unconventional idea that was much needed in the country. The sport start-up is focused on being the one-stop destination to bring sports back in everyone’s lives. They are focused on empowering the local sports communities by allowing them to make new play pals, discover new venues, organize matches and share experiences. Their app is focused on bringing together recreational activities be it sports, fitness or fun. They want to bring back the childhood memories of playing sports back in everyone’s lives.

BalleBaazi

BalleBaazi is an online fantasy platform that is focused on providing an interactive user experience to its audience. The platform allows users to participate in fantasy sports leagues and is one of the prominent fantasy cricket platforms in India. Along with cricket, BalleBaazi has further expanded its reach to fantasy leagues of other sports too. In 2019, the start-up raised $4 million in Series A funding from Singapore and Delhi.

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How the Partnership of a Gaming Platform and Healthcare Service Provider Looks Like?

Aakash Sharma — Sat, 20 Mar 2021 10:35:04 +0000

Market sharing strategies are the cornerstone of future development and expansion strategies for businesses. They help companies understand the competitive landscape, reduce costs, improve business performance, and increase sales. Companies that raise brand awareness and targeted customer segments in emerging markets are often open to cross-industry collaboration.

E-Sports and Healthcare Collaboration: More than Welfare

E-Sports Company Mobile Premier League (MPL) and NxtGen Infinite Datacenter recently announced that they would be joining a growing list of companies to cover the cost of vaccination to their employees and co-dependents.

MPL has announced that it will conduct a comprehensive vaccination campaign for all Indian employees and their relatives. The company is already partnering with healthcare providers. It plans to commence the drive as soon as the necessary government protocols and regulations for the general public’s vaccination are announced.

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Flipkart, the e-commerce giant, will bear the immunization costs of all Flipkart and Myntra employees.

Healthcare Expansion is becoming a Priority

When entering emerging markets, such as India’s fast-growing IT industry, healthcare companies need to consider the following points:

Identify suitable markets and industries with adequate growth potential and potential.

Develop new marketing channels and optimize communication content that resonates with customers in emerging markets.

Create connections and partnerships with national and local companies through mergers and acquisitions to improve service quality.

Determine effective pricing strategies and ensure that plant capacity is used optimally to increase investment and profitability.

Positive Intervention of MPL in the Vaccine Healthcare Process

The immunization activities employed by MPL will not only cover the costs. They will also include the entire process, including pre-vaccination medical advice, vaccination plans, and the doctor’s vaccination follow-up.

The vaccination campaign is the voluntary participation of employees and their families. More than 2,000 people, who are integrated with the program, will benefit from the drive.

Other Big Companies Are Also Joining the List of Covering Employee Vaccination Drives

Several companies, including Flipkart, Infosys, Accenture, Capgemini, Reliance Industries, TVS Motor Company, ReNew Power, Mindtree and Sify Technologies, have also agreed to cover the cost of vaccines for their employees and families.

Flipkart, the e-commerce giant, will bear the immunization costs of all Flipkart and Myntra employees. Flipkart said in a statement to employees that its next phase of the vaccination campaign would cover all employees and existing priority groups.

What’s in it for you?

As IT companies collaborate with the healthcare sector to support the COVID-19 vaccination process, it is clear that cross-sector partnerships are an essential factor in developing new business prospects. Indeed, this approach can also be seen as a go-to-market strategy as it provides active input for product and service design and thus attracts a diverse customer base.

In the healthcare industry, understanding the challenges and risks of technology adoption is imperative. Along with that, having a deep understanding of the healthcare market’s competitive landscape is essential to improve efficiency and drive growth. New companies entering this industry need to consider these key factors.

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E-Sports – Dutch Uncles

Dream11 – Altering Dreams to Reality

‘Young and Restless’: Building a Personal Project

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Fantasy sports came into existence in early 2000 in the US and Canada. The ‘dream’ of launching a fantasy sports gaming platform in India was perceived parallely with the onset of the Indian Premier League (IPL).​

The Pivot

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Dream11 model charged an entry-level fee from the participants in paid contests besides taking a cut (commission) on the money made by the participants which accounted for about 15-20% of the total pool.

The Legal Hurdle

The ‘Real’ challenge

Business Model

Hitting the Jackpot: IPL Sponsorship

Cashing in on the Boom

Growth amid a pandemic

Indian Gamers

Future for Fantasy Sports

Indian Esports Start-up MPL’s International Ambitions

Mobile Premier League: The International dream

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According to the joint report of FICCI and EY, the emergence of Esports gaming platforms is estimated to generate more than 11000 jobs and add Rs 100 billion to the economic value of India in investments, in-app purchases, winnings, taxes and related consumption.

How Will Esports Platforms Benefit Indians?

Learnings for New Start-ups in Esports Space

Capitalising during IPL

Acquire local gaming platforms

Gaming Start-ups, Know Your 2021 Customers

Future and Growth of Gaming Start-ups in India

Live Streaming and Increased Viewership

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The COVID-19 pandemic extensively pushed digital appropriation and growth of gaming enterprises. It also led to the proliferation of the esports industry in India.

E-sports and Gaming Start-ups in Education

Increased Use of Mobile Devices

Cloud Gaming

Millennials – the Largest Demographic

How can gaming start-ups capture these opportunities?

Revenant Esports to Become a Rs. 200 Crore Brand By 2022

Revenant Esports: A Prime Habitat for All Esports Players

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As the firm has become one of the fastest-growing players in the world, stakeholders are confident that Revenant will grow tenfold in the next two years.

How has Revenant Esports made inroads in the Indian Esports Scene?

Indian Gaming Scene – A Breeding Ground for Opportunities

Top 10 Sport Start-Ups in India

The top 10 sport start-ups in India and what makes them the best.

Dream 11

SportsApp

Adda52

Mobile Premier League

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Start-ups are leveraging on the deep-rooted relationship between India and sports.

Run Adam

KOOH Sports

Collectabillia

Time Of Sports

Playo

BalleBaazi

How the Partnership of a Gaming Platform and Healthcare Service Provider Looks Like?

E-Sports and Healthcare Collaboration: More than Welfare

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Flipkart, the e-commerce giant, will bear the immunization costs of all Flipkart and Myntra employees.

Healthcare Expansion is becoming a Priority

Positive Intervention of MPL in the Vaccine Healthcare Process

Other Big Companies Are Also Joining the List of Covering Employee Vaccination Drives

What’s in it for you?

Fantasy sports came into existence in early 2000 in the US and Canada. The ‘dream’ of launching a fantasy sports gaming platform in India was perceived parallely with the onset of the Indian Premier League (IPL).