India's streaming platforms tap gaming craze to expand viewership
Indian streaming platforms are increasingly spotlighting gaming and esports, with a rise in reality shows and scripted series themed around gaming. These efforts are helping to mainstream a genre that had previously remained a niche interest.Streaming platforms are experimenting with a variety of formats, from unscripted bootcamp-style shows to fictional dramas. This reflects a shift in OTT programming priorities. While traditional reality shows have focused on singing, dancing, and survival-based formats, platforms are now exploring content centred on gaming, digital creators, and online communities.
US-based Good Game Group recently unveiled Good Game in India. The format blends gameplay, entertainment, and brand-building challenges, offering a $100,000 prize, along with a chance for the winner to compete in the Asia-Pacific finals.
"With more than 568 million gamers but just 5% of global gaming revenue, India represents a significant growth opportunity,' said Rai Cockfield, founder of Good Game. 'Its well-established film, music, and fashion industries also make it an ideal market to test contestants' crossover potential into mainstream entertainment."
The company has committed up to $50 million over five years. Starting with India, the show is expected to expand to the US, UK, and Australia. It is available on OTT platforms, television, and YouTube, with cricketer Rishabh Pant serving as brand ambassador.
According to the State of India Gaming Report 2022 by AWS and Lumikai, the Indian esports industry is projected to grow to $140 million by 2027. The number of esports players is expected to reach 1.5 million by then.Good Game joins a growing list of gaming-focused shows. One such example is Playground, a creator-led reality competition by Nodwin Gaming.The show, which recently concluded its fourth season on Amazon MX Player, features digital creators and esports athletes competing in team-based challenges. It will now be expanded into multiple languages and co-developed for international markets.
'We've partnered with Endemol Banijay to expand Playground into multiple Indian languages and co-develop it for other markets,' said Akshat Rathee, Managing Director of Nodwin Gaming, during Nazara Technologies' Q4 earnings call. Also in the mix is Gaming Insaan, a docu-reality show released in late 2024 on Amazon MX Player. It follows YouTuber Nischay Malhan (Triggered Insaan) through a 45-day professional bootcamp.On the scripted side, Gamerlog, a coming-of-age esports drama starring Taare Zameen Par actor Darsheel Safary, premiered on June 12 on Amazon MX Player.Amogh Dusad, Director and Head of Content at Amazon MX Player, said, "Gaming and esports are no longer niche interests, but a cultural force shaping how young India consumes content. The lines between gamers, influencers, and entertainers are blurring. As a streaming service, this opens up newer use cases for us that go beyond passive viewing, towards community, identity, and shared culture."Another upcoming project is WCG National Showdown India, set to debut in September through a partnership between World Cyber Games and Mumbai-based Upthrust Esports. The format includes gaming challenges and influencer matchups.To be sure, Amish Tripathi, co-founder of Tara Gaming, said streaming platforms in India have yet to fully leverage the opportunity offered by gaming and esports."Western countries and East Asia have gone much further in this space. Maybe the challenge is that mobile gaming, which dominates the Indian market, does not provide the opportunity for OTT collaborations. I suspect this will change when AAA games based on Indian subjects, such as The Age of Bhaarat, launch and reshape the underlying structure of the market," he added.Tara Gaming is co-founded by Amitabh Bachchan, gaming veteran Nouredine Abboud, and Tripathi.
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