Indian esports tournament BGMI Masters Series was announced by Nodwin Gaming in collaboration with Star Sports, an Indian broadcaster. The second season of the tournament, which begins on 4 August, will include 24 teams and provide a prize pool of Rs 2.1 crore.
Among the 24 teams, 14 esports outfits will be invited directly, while the remaining 10 spots are to be earned by the victors from the Open Qualifier where anyone in India can participate. The live broadcast of the BGMI Masters Series Season 2 will kick off at 9:30 pm on the Star Sports Network and Rooter.
Season 2 will be broadcast on Star Sports in three different languages – Hindi, English and Tamil. This initiative aims to connect core esports with viewers from various linguistic and cultural backgrounds, making esports content more inclusive and appealing to a broader audience. Beyond the regular broadcast, Star Sports has announced additional programming, setting the sports network as a key destination for BGMI enthusiasts.
Nodwin Gaming co-founder and managing director Akshat Rathee said, “Last year, we took a bold and historical leap of faith by airing the BGMI Masters Series on primetime television with our partners Star Sports. That leap turned out to be an incredible success, revolutionising the esports ecosystem and transforming how esports is traditionally consumed in India. BGMI season 2 doubles down on our commitment to bringing the epitome of BGMI esports to the masses. We have a larger prize pool, larger participation base, and larger distribution with all our partners.”
Speaking about the upcoming season, Disney Star Sports head Sanjog Gupta said, “Esports is a rapidly emerging category, fueled by the growing gaming culture in India and the global acknowledgement of its status as a sport. The first season of the BGMI Masters’ series, in partnership with Nodwin Gaming, was positioned as the pinnacle tournament for the game in India and demonstrated the potential of a world-class esports competition staged at an elevated scale. Over 36 million viewers tuned in for the first season on TV with more than 40 per cent below the age of 21. Encouraged by the results, we believe that this endeavour – BGMI Masters – will excite the gaming community, drive wider acceptance for esports among non-gamers, and overall, engage a younger demographic on our platforms.”
The digital broadcast of the Masters Series 2022 surpassed the 100 million viewership milestone. For the upcoming Season 2, Nodwin Gaming has announced esports content platform Rooter as the championship’s digital streaming partner.
Rooter co-founder and COO Dipesh Agarwal said, “For the tournament, we are geared to deliver the rich and immersive viewing experience that fans expect from us, even as we create more interactive avenues for them to root for their favourite teams. The much-awaited Master Series is also a great opportunity for brands to connect with the gaming community in a highly engaging setting. We are now actively working with multiple brands to help them reach out to the community through our media solutions like sponsorships, advertising campaigns, creator marketing, and more.”
Nodwin Gaming has partnered with Indian two-wheeler manufacturer TVS Motor Company, under which TVS Raider will exclusively be the mobility partner of Season 2.
Mass-favourite esports powerhouses from last year’s tournament have undergone significant roster changes in this new season, and with emerging underdog teams qualifying from the preceding qualifiers, an exciting David vs. Goliath narrative could be on the cards. Further, the community might even witness an unexpected turn of events, heralding the arrival of a new BGMI powerhouse.