The first-ever Esports World Cup (EWC), held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, has achieved impressive viewership numbers in India, despite no Indian players competing in the event.
According to data from the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC), the tournament reached 10.5 million viewers in India, with a total of 64 million minutes watched.
Although Indian gamers were absent from the competition in Riyadh, Indian social media influencers played a key role in promoting the event.
Popular creators helped gather an even larger online audience, with influencer Rishabh Shukla alone driving 20.3 million views through his social media content.
Star Sports, the official broadcaster of the event in India, has also confirmed these impressive figures.
Esports Thriving in India
Sanjog Gupta, Head of Sports at Disney Star, emphasized India's growing esports presence, saying,
“India is home to nearly 500 million gamers and an even larger fanbase, making it a strong and promising market for esports.”
He also mentioned the support that India’s Prime Minister has shown for the gaming industry, highlighting the trust and optimism around esports in the country.
Star Sports has been actively involved in India’s esports scene since 2022, when it partnered with Nodwin Gaming to broadcast the BGMI Masters Series, marking the first time an esports event was televised on the network.
Gupta also pointed out that Indian players face challenges in competing globally, primarily because Krafton’s Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI), the country’s most popular and affordable game, is not available in other countries.
Additionally, only a small percentage of Indian players can afford the high-end hardware needed to compete in global titles like Call of Duty, DOTA 2, and Counter-Strike.
However, this hasn’t stopped Indian fans from following esports. Gupta added,
“Despite the barriers, the passion for esports remains strong, as shown by the viewership during our very first broadcast.”
EWC's Global Impact and Viewership in India
The EWC, hosted in Riyadh, boasted a prize pool of over $60 million (around ₹500 crore), the largest ever in esports history.
Over an eight-week period, from July 3rd to August 25th, top players from around the world competed in 19 different game titles and 22 tournaments. Check full Results.
The tournament broadcasts were primarily in English, but two games—Call of Duty: Warzone and Counter-Strike 2—were also streamed in Hindi to cater to the Indian audience.
The peak viewership in India was recorded during the Dota 2 matches, with major markets for the event being Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and West Bengal.
In addition to the broadcast, 11 Indian influencers created content to promote the EWC, contributing significantly to the event’s success in the country.
Along with Star Sports’ social media activity, this promotional content engaged 2.9 million people and reached more than 39 million viewers in India, according to the broadcaster’s data.
As India continues to solidify its place in the global esports arena, the success of the Esports World Cup in the country signals a bright future for gaming enthusiasts and professionals alike.
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