MAM
NODWIN Gaming secures major partnerships for DreamHack India 2023
Mumbai: South Asia’s leading emerging market gaming and esports media company NODWIN Gaming has partnered with Intel, Monster, Hyundai, TVS Raider, Opraahfx, BenQ, and ACT for the fourth edition of India’s premier digital festival, DreamHack. The much-awaited three-day grand celebration of gaming and pop culture, packed with exhilarating action, cutting-edge technology, and esports marvels kicks off on 3 November, in the city of Nizams, Hyderabad, for a second consecutive year.
NODWIN Gaming’s strategic alliance with tech giant Intel as the festival’s global partner will usher in Intel’s unmatched expertise and state-of-the-art technology to elevate the overall DreamHack India experience. This collaboration ensures that attendees stand at the forefront of gaming innovation, resonating perfectly with Intel’s unwavering dedication to empowering the gaming and esports ecosystem, harmonizing seamlessly with NODWIN Gaming’s commitment to delivering the ultimate spectator experience to the community. Joining Intel in this exciting venture is Monster Energy, a brand synonymous with esports and gaming across the world. This collaboration aims to energize DreamHack India attendees and create a dynamic atmosphere that supercharges the esports and gaming community at India’s premier digital festival.
Adding to the festival’s excitement, Hyundai has been announced as the official mobility partner, with Indian two-wheeler manufacturing giant TVS Raider joining as the official motoring partner for the latest edition of DreamHack India.
NODWIN Gaming has further announced that ACT will serve as the festival’s connectivity partner, ensuring seamless internet connectivity, vital for esports enthusiasts and the success of the multitude of esports tournaments delivering the customary DreamHack India experience.
Opraahfx will be the festival’s talent partner, bringing an array of experiences, activities, and talent from the entertainment industry, playing a pivotal role in ensuring that DreamHack India is an all-encompassing entertainment extravaganza.
Intel has also been named as the title partner for the CS2 Invitational tournament, with world-renowned consumer electronics manufacturer BenQ joining as the tournament’s monitor partner. The CS2 Invitational will also have DreamHack mobility partner Hyundai featuring as a partnering brand.
NODWIN Gaming also extends its gratitude to the Government of Telangana for its unwavering support in the success of DreamHack India 2023.
Together, NODWIN Gaming and its esteemed partners share the joint objective of leveraging their brand strengths to deliver the highest level of entertainment to DreamHack India attendees. The mega collaboration promises to set new standards for gaming festivals and provide the community with an unforgettable three-day DreamHack experience.
Commenting on the latest edition of DreamHack India 2023, NODWIN Gaming co-founder and managing director Akshat Rathee said, “We are thrilled to bring the 4th edition of DreamHack India to Hyderabad for the second successive year. DreamHack embodies the very essence of the digital world and stands as a grand celebration of technology, gaming, esports, and pop culture. We want to express our sincere gratitude to the Government of Telangana for their steadfast support. NODWIN Gaming, in collaboration with our esteemed partners, remains dedicated to advancing the esports landscape in India through our collective intellectual properties. Our shared objective is to leverage the unique strengths of each brand to elevate the overall experience for our DreamHack community. While there is undoubtedly a significant amount of work ahead, we are embarking on an exhilarating journey filled with promise and excitement!”
NODWIN Gaming has also announced day passes designed to cater to the specific entertainment preferences of DreamHack attendees in addition to the previously unveiled feature-laden festival passes. These day tickets are priced from Rs 299 and can be acquired through DreamHack India’s official ticketing partners, PayTM Insider, and MeraEvents.
MAM
Microdrama Specialist COL Group International Builds Out With Narativ, Rock Networks & BlingWood Deals
MUMBAI: Microdrama powerhouse COL Group International is building out its distribution network, with its CEO saying vertical video is about to enter its “next competitive chapter.”
The microdrama arm of publicly-listed Chinese company COL Group appointed Narativ Media as its official distributor in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and CIS regions and Africa, and a struck new content deal with a new Dubai-based microdrama platform.
The deals were unveiled this morning at MIP London, and also included Rock Networks as its exclusive Southeast Asia telco distribution partner for its app, FlareFlow. MIP London is now into its second day at the Savoy Hotel and adjoining IET London complex.
The deals come soon after COL appointed Harbour Rights to represent its titles in Europe and Latin America, as we reported yesterday in our extended feature on microdrama distribution.
COL’s Singapore-based microdrama unit says its “coordinated global distribution architecture and significantly expanded international content slate” would help to scale its catalogue to more than 1,700 microdrama titles worldwide. These hail from South Korea, Japan, Africa, the Middle East, Southeast Asia and the UK and roll out across Sereal+, FlareFlow and 17K.
A deal with Dubai-based BlingWood, which recently launched as an OTT platform, will expand COL’s access to Middle Eastern and Indian microdramas, and includes a broader pipeline of Indian series from storytelling platform Pratilipi, Korean titles from BeLive Studios and British reality-led formats from Tattle TV — the UK’s first dedicated microdrama app, including titles such as Dog Dates.
“Microdrama is entering its next competitive chapter, where quality, retention and monetization standards are increasingly shaped by data and operational discipline,” said Timothy Oh, General Manager of COL Group International.
“As pioneers in both China and the U.S., scaling some of the world’s leading platforms in this space, we understand what it truly takes to win sustainably. Our role is not simply to offer catalogue volume, but to help partners select, position and scale the right content for their platform and audience. By bringing together a broad, constantly refreshed slate from across regions, we enable smarter curation, clearer differentiation and long-term growth for serious industry players.”
Narativ deal
COL and UAE-based Narativ described their deal as a “strategic expansion of premium vertical content distribution across high-growth emerging markets,” and comes as the microdrama continues to boom financially. The growth of the medium will be among the key topics of conversation today at MIP London, where COL chief Oh will be speaking.
The pact extends beyond content representation and is being billed as part of a more “structured micro-drama distribution infrastructure.”
Narativ will spearhead market development, platform alliances, broadcaster relationships and digital monetization frameworks across the MENA and CIS regions and Africa, where they have identified “rapid mobile-first consumption growth and strong demand for short-form, high-engagement storytelling formats.”
“Micro-dramas are reshaping global viewing habits, particularly across mobile-first markets like MENA, Africa and CIS,” said Manjyot Sandhu, CEO and co-founder of Narativ. “Our appointment as official distributor for COL Group in these territories reflects Narativ’s strategy to build sustainable distribution architecture.
“A key pillar of the collaboration includes integration with FlareFlow, enabling strategic telco partnerships, bundled carrier offerings, and alternative monetization pathways designed to accelerate scale across mobile ecosystems and OTT platforms.”
Oh added: “We are building more than a content slate – we are building the global infrastructure for microdrama. With hundreds of new titles launching every quarter, scale and regional strength are critical. Narativ with its deep foothold in MENA, Africa CIS and other key markets makes them a natural strategic partner as we expand FlareFlow and bring microdrama to new platforms, telcos and audiences.
Narativ, which is joint venture Sandhu operates with Copyright Capital, manages around 7,000 hours of content and has a digital network spanning 150 million subscribers across 21 language.
COL Group has emerged as one of the biggest microdrama platforms, running platforms such as FlareFow. It is also a part-owner of ReelShort.
