With an estimated count of thirty million viewers, Esports has witnessed an incredible surge in India in the past few years. The younger generation of the country has been undeniably influenced by the gaming world to an unparalleled extent. Additionally, the high-quality and extremely immersive gaming experience has left a significant mark on the youth of India. With an estimated market projection of INR 100bn in 2025, India is anticipated to become one of the biggest Esports markets in Asia. The country currently boasts millions of active players in competitive esports games like Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI), Call of Duty (CoD), League of Legends (LoL), Counter-Strike (CS), and Dota 2.
Furthermore, incredible career growth by prominent gaming icons of India, including Mortal, Dynamo, ScOut, and many others, has further influenced the youth of the country to perceive full-time gaming as a highly rewarding and exciting profession. Moreover, global content platforms like YouTube, Twitch, and Facebook Gaming have also provided Indian gamers with customized toolkits to reach a wider segment of the audience and build their own success stories. With multiple training programs, the gaming community of India is constantly delving deeper into the realms of Esports and integrating themselves with the ever-growing ecosystem of Esports in the country.
In this article we will take a look at the top five Esports tournaments that have the highest viewership in India.
Battlegrounds Mobile India Pro Series (BMPS)
Battlegrounds Mobile India Pro Series (BMPS) is often hailed as one of the most exciting and prominent esports tournaments in India. Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI), an Indian version developed by Krafton for PlayersUnknown Battlegrounds (PUBG), is played by over 30 million Indians, making it one of the most competitive and popular games in the online multiplayer battle royale genre. The first season of Battlegrounds Mobile India Pro Series (BMPS) was held in 2022 between May 19 and June 5. Although a newly arrived esports tournament, Battlegrounds Mobile India Pro Series (BMPS) broke all viewership records for the BGMI events with an estimated peak viewership count of 304,752. With a formidable total of 154 points and 93 eliminations, THW Esports was announced as the ultimate winner of Battlegrounds Mobile India Pro Series (BMPS) Season 1 and received a cash pool prize of INR 1.2 Lakhs. With extensive coverage and growing popularity of BGMI in the gaming community, the second season of Battlegrounds Mobile India Pro Series (BMPS) turned out to be thrilling and surpassed the records of the previous season. The most recent Battlegrounds Mobile India Pro Series 2023 season created waves in the gaming industry with a significant prize pool of INR 1 Crore, which was won by the Blind Esports squad.
Skyesports Championship
Popularly referred to as the “hub” of the most popular Esports games, including PUBG, Valorant, Dota 2, Free Fire, Clash of Clans, and many others, Skyesports Championship has been the pioneer of the South Asian Esports arena since its establishment in 2018 and is often acknowledged as India’s most successful and longest-running homegrown esports tournament. Additionally, the significant and whopping prize pools attract iconic gamers from around the world. Moreover, with high-quality broadcasts and live-streaming on multiple global platforms, including YouTube and Twitch, the leading gaming and Esports venture, Skyesports Championship has garnered an enormous fan base in India. According to reports and statistics, the most recent season of Skyesports Championship Series 2024, won by WSB Gaming with 261 points and five chicken dinners, witnessed a significant peak viewership of an estimated 131,000 viewers, speaking volumes about the craze of Indian gaming fans for Skyesports Championship.
ESL India Premiership
Organized by the Electronic Sports League (ESL), the ESL India Premiership has played a major role in elevating India’s esports ecosystem. The ESL India Premiership features a wide array of popular esports games, including Counter-Strike, BGMI, FIFA, Clash of Clans, and many others. ESL India Premiership runs on a multi-season format, which makes it possible for esteemed gamers to participate in the Esports tournaments throughout the year. Since it features a wide range of popular Esports games, ESL India Premiership enjoys a significant viewership and is considered to be one of the most popular Esports tournaments in India. The latest “ESL Snapdragon Pro Series 2024: BGMI Challenge Finals” tournament, clinched by Entity Gaming with 189 points and 87 kills, witnessed a peak viewership of 2,10,795, making it one of the most viewed Esports tournaments in India.
DreamHack India
Often referred to as India’s largest LAN party with the world’s fastest internet connection, DreamHack has also been recognized by the Guinness Book of Records. The city of dreams—Mumbai—witnessed DreamHack’s first esports festival in India in 2018. Owing to DreamHack’s tech expos, cosplay competitions, and absolutely thrilling gaming experiences, it was greatly appreciated by the Indian gaming community and instantly became one of the most popular Esports tournaments in the country. The latest season of DreamHack Hyderabad Invitational 2023 took place in Hyderabad in 2023 and witnessed a peak viewership of 580 and a significant prize pool of $6,012. Hosted at the HITEX Exhibition Centre, the DreamHack Hyderabad Invitational 2023 featured a total of six teams who competed against each other to conquer one of India’s most popular and competitive Esports tournaments.
ESL One Mumbai
ESL One Mumbai is often crowned as a top-tier Dota 2 tournament in India, followed by millions of gamers in the country. Generally held on an annual basis in Mumbai, ESL One Mumbai acts as one of the most significant catalysts of Esports for both professional gamers and millions of passionate Dota 2 fans of the country. In addition to the main Dota 2 tournament, ESL One Mumbai also hosts numerous glitzy meet-and-greet events, cosplay competitions, and engaging contests that allow the fans to know exciting details and other insights about their favorite players and teams. The first season of ESL One Mumbai was held in 2019 and was hailed as the very first major Dota 2 professional esports tournament ever held in India. Keen Gaming emerged victorious in the tournament with a formidable score of 3-0.
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