NEW DELHI: In a powerful new alliance aimed at reshaping India’s gaming and youth entertainment landscape, Banijay Asia, part of the global content powerhouse Banijay Entertainment, has entered into a strategic partnership with NODWIN Gaming, a material subsidiary of Nazara Technologies and a leading player in the esports and youth engagement space.
The collaboration marks a significant leap in the evolution of gaming content and reality entertainment in India, combining Banijay’s storytelling and production expertise with NODWIN’s dominance in esports, youth festivals, and influencer-led IPs.
Playground: Gaming Reality Reimagined
At the heart of this collaboration is Playground, NODWIN Gaming’s flagship reality gaming show, which blends high-stakes gameplay with influencer drama and youth culture. The show features major Indian digital creators like CarryMinati, Mortal, ScoutOP, and Elvish Yadav, and has emerged as a major hit among Gen Z audiences.
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As part of the partnership, Banijay Asia will now take over the production of Playground, bringing its global production scale and storytelling finesse to enhance the format and expand its footprint across markets and languages.
“Gaming is not just a sport; it’s a culture, a lifestyle, and a massive content opportunity,”
— Deepak Dhar, Founder & Group CEO – Banijay Asia & Endemol Shine India
“This collaboration with NODWIN Gaming is an exciting extension of our vision to create content that resonates with evolving youth audiences. With Playground and our upcoming IPs, we aim to redefine engagement and storytelling in this space.”
— Deepak Dhar
Fresh IPs, Bigger Ambitions
In addition to Playground, both companies will co-develop new scripted and captive reality formats that explore untapped areas of gaming, esports, and youth culture. This includes creating culturally resonant, disruptive formats designed specifically for India’s digital-native audience.
“I look forward to the creative collaboration with Akshat Rathee, and Joost Roset who we previously worked with, in bringing iconic global IPs to India. This is an invaluable opportunity to create clutter-breaking formats in the youth and gaming space.”
— Deepak Dhar
“Youth entertainment is evolving rapidly, and our partnership with Banijay Asia positions us perfectly to lead that change.”
— Akshat Rathee, Co-Founder & MD, NODWIN Gaming
“With Playground, we’ve just begun to explore what’s possible. Backed by Banijay’s global expertise, we’re now set to scale the IP across multiple languages and markets, with the ambition of building an international format.”
— Akshat Rathee
A Vision to Create ‘Cultural Moments’
The collaboration is deeply rooted in NODWIN Gaming’s core philosophy of “timeshare of mindshare”, aiming to not just create content but forge cultural phenomena.
“We’re not just creating content, we’re creating cultural moments. The Rusk creative team will stay actively involved as we expand the universe of Playground, aiming to grow from one show to between five and ten each year.”
— Akshat Rathee
NODWIN: India’s Youth Entertainment Powerhouse
Since its founding in 2014 by Akshat Rathee and Gautam Virk, NODWIN Gaming has grown into a dominant force in esports and youth entertainment. It was last valued at $410 million in November 2024 and now boasts a global presence across South Asia, Germany, Central Asia, Singapore, the Middle East, and Turkey.
Its growing portfolio includes:
- BGMI Masters Series (BGMS) – A nationally televised esports league
- Comic Con India – India’s largest pop culture convention
- NH7 Weekender – A flagship multi-genre music festival
- A suite of gaming leagues, tournaments, reality shows, conferences, content, influencer-led IPs, and merchandise
The company is backed by prestigious investors including Nazara, KRAFTON Inc., Sony Group Corporation, and JetSynthesys.
A New Era in Entertainment
This Banijay-NODWIN partnership symbolizes a larger shift in Indian entertainment—one where gaming is no longer a niche but central to pop culture and youth storytelling. The alliance aims to deliver multi-format, multi-language content that mirrors the aspirations, passions, and lifestyle of young India.
As content consumption patterns evolve and digital platforms grow in influence, this collaboration promises to define the future of youth engagement through interactive, influencer-led, immersive storytelling.
