JioCinema Enters Esports Arena, Will Live Stream Battlegrounds Mobile India Series

JioCinema has partnered with game development platform Krafton India to live stream the official Battlegrounds Mobile India Series (BGIS). 

The final round of The Grind, the first phase of BGIS 2023, is scheduled to begin on August 17 and end on August 20. It will be followed by the first round of BGIS 2023 streaming from August 31 onwards. The tournament’s grand finals will be streamed from October 12 to 14 on JioCinema.

Krafton has claimed to see over 2,000 teams signing up for the tournament, who will compete for prize money of INR 2 Cr, with INR 75 Lakhs up for grabs for the winner. 

BGIS will feature Hindi and English commentary for all preliminary matches and the grand finale. 

Commenting on the development, Hursh Shrivastava, head of strategy, partnerships and acquisitions, Viacom18 Sports, said, “Esports has evolved beyond its niche origins and emerged as a mainstream experience, with a consistent surge in popularity. We are excited to deliver an exhilarating experience to a broader audience across the country with BGIS 2023.”

In May, South Korean developer Krafton announced the return of its popular game Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) after a nine-month ban in India in 2022.

BGMI was pulled down from Google and Apple stores following a government order in July 2022. Initially launched in 2021, the game garnered 100 Mn registered users in India within a year of the launch. 

From PUBG Mobile to BGMI, Krafton has faced hiccups due to regulatory issues in India. Despite that, Krafton has been trying to scale up in India and recently announced its commitment to invest $150 Mn in India over the next two to three years to invest in Indian gaming and entertainment startups.

Meanwhile, Viacom18’s JioCinema has been enriching its portfolio and now making a foray into esports streaming as well. It streamed premium sporting events such as FIFA World Cup, and Indian Premier League (IPL) over the last one year to emerge as a strong contender in the Indian over-the-top (OTT) ecosystem.

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