MAM
Ajay Pratap Singh quits as CEO of Nazara’s Sportskeeda
The departure comes as parent company Nazara Technologies looks to shed non-core assets and double down on gaming
BENGALURU: One of Indian sports media’s most recognisable executives is moving on. Ajay Pratap Singh has stepped down as chief executive of Absolute Sports, the Nazara Technologies subsidiary that runs sports media brand Sportskeeda, after more than three and a half years in the role.
Singh was appointed CEO in November 2022, stepping into the chair following the exit of founder Porush Jain. He was no stranger to the company, having joined Sportskeeda as head of marketing in November 2019 and served as chief operating officer for two years before his promotion. Earlier in his career, he had stints at Dainik Bhaskar Group and Tally Solutions.
On his way out, Singh was candid. “Looking back, these last 6.5 years have been hands down the most exciting, chaotic, and incredibly rewarding years of my career,” he wrote in a LinkedIn post. He plans to pursue entrepreneurship but has not disclosed further details.
His tenure was not without achievement. Under his watch, Absolute Sports grew from a single brand into a portfolio of eight, expanding across sports, gaming and entertainment through a series of acquisitions. The stable now includes Pro Football Network, College Football Network, Deltia’s Gaming, Soap Central, TJRWrestling, ITRWrestling and Primetimer.
The timing of his exit is telling. Nazara Technologies is actively exploring the divestment of its esports and adtech businesses to sharpen focus on its higher-margin gaming operations. Nazara founder Nitish Mittersain spelled it out plainly in an interview with Moneycontrol in May 2026. “Our plan is to monetise our non-core assets and focus on our core gaming business,” he said. “It opens up the opportunity for me to bring in cash from these different companies over a period of time and redeploy them in gaming.”
Nazara picked up a majority stake in Absolute Sports for Rs 44 crore in 2019 and steadily increased its holding, acquiring 100 per cent of the company in March 2025. The numbers since have not flattered. Absolute Sports reported a 38.6 per cent decline in revenue to Rs 147 crore in FY26, down from Rs 239.6 crore in FY25, a drop the company attributed to a fall in web traffic following Google’s March 2025 core algorithm update.
Singh built something real. The question now is whether Nazara can find a buyer willing to pay for it.
