Gaming Unicorn MPL Enters Africa With Launch Of App In Nigeria

In a move to shore up its revenue and userbase, gaming unicorn Mobile Premier League (MPL) has entered the fast-growing African gaming market with the launch of its app in Nigeria.

With this, MPL said it now has presence in four continents – Asia, North America, Europe, and Africa.

In a statement, MPL said it has partnered Africa-based mobile gaming publisher Carry1st to launch its games in the continent. “This partnership allows MPL to tap into Carry1st’s extensive knowledge of the 270 Mn plus-strong African gaming market,” it said.

MPL app will offer gamers in Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa, the opportunity to monetise their skills by engaging in paid competitive gaming (PCG). This relatively new form of gaming allows users to participate in low-to-high stakes skill-based gaming contests, going beyond traditional games.

“As the first Indian gaming company to launch in Africa, it is a testament to our success in the PCG space and our commitment to expanding our global reach. We look forward to building a strong presence in the Nigerian gaming market and offering a world-class gaming experience to our users,” Sai Srinivas, CEO and cofounder of MPL, said.

MPL’s foray into the African market comes at a time when the number of internet users are on the rise in the continent. As per Statista, the African continent had 570 Mn users in 2022. Of this, Nigeria had the highest number of internet users at over 100 Mn.

Meanwhile, as per a report by Carry1st and Newzoo, the number of mobile game users in Sub-Saharan Africa more than doubled to 186 Mn between 2015 and 2021, with 95% playing games on smartphones.

According to MPL, 23% of the population in Nigeria is gamers and 95% of them have a strong affinity towards mobile gaming. More importantly, 32% of gamers in Nigeria pay for games, with revenue per install higher than in India, as per the startup.

Founded in 2018 by Srinivas, Kiran G, and Malhotra, MPL is an esports and skill gaming platform. It offers over 70 games across categories such as daily fantasy sports, quizzing, board games, esports, and casual games on its mobile app. It competes with the likes of Dream11, Games24X7, and Winzo.

Last year, MPL exited the Indonesian market and also shut down the streaming service on its app. It also laid off 100 people from various verticals.

The gaming startup reported a 3X rise in its net loss to $149.3 Mn in the financial year 2021-22 (FY22) from $48.3 Mn in FY21. Operating revenue of M-League Pte Ltd, the Singapore-based parent entity of MPL, increased 29% to $65.6 Mn in FY22 from $50.8 Mn in FY21.

India continued to remain the top market for MPL, contributing more than 88% to the startup’s total revenue of $66.8 Mn. Revenue from India stood at $58.3 Mn in FY22, while Europe generated revenue of $6.7 Mn. The US contributed $557K in revenue in FY22.