iWorld
MX Player crosses one billion downloads on Google Play Store
Mumbai: OTT streaming platform MX Player has crossed one billion downloads on Google Play Store over two years after its launch.
According to data, there are only 15 non preinstalled apps, worldwide, that have more than one billion downloads (70 apps if default Google Apps on Android are included).
MX Player has over 280 million monthly active users in India and features alongside Netflix, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and Spotify as one of the apps that has more than a billion downloads.
It ranks in the same league as Microsoft Word, Skype, ShareIt, and popular games such as Subway Surfers and Candy Crush Saga.
“We are very excited to have crossed the one billion downloads mark, which is a testimonial to Indian audiences adopting this platform as their preferred destination for all things entertainment,” said MX Media chief executive officer Karan Bedi. “Our vision since the launch has been to cater to the true Bharat and in just over two years since the launch of our OTT offering, we’ve managed to achieve this iconic business milestone. We are looking forward to continuing this momentum on the back of compelling content and innovative product offerings in the imminent future.”
The OTT platform’s hit shows include “Ek Thi Begum 2,” “Aashram,” “High”, “Chakravyuh – An Inspector Virkar Crime Thriller,” “Hello Mini” season 2 and 3, and “Samantar 2,” with upcoming shows like “Matsya Kaand” and “Girgit” amongst others.
The video streaming platform was the first to upgrade its video encoding and compression technology to H.266 (versatile video coding) that slashes data usage for streaming videos by more than half.
MX Player’s diverse content library ranges from their exciting slate of MX originals, MX exclusives, MX vdesi – international content dubbed in local Indian languages, and branded content as MX specials. The platform has also expanded its OTT service internationally in March 2020 across 12 territories including UAE, US, Canada, UK, Australia, New Zealand, Bangladesh, Nepal, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Maldives, and Bhutan.
Gaming
MTG gaming chief Benninghoff joins NODWIN board as esports firm primes for IPO
The Gurugram-based esports firm is pursuing a public listing, has returned to profitability and is growing revenues by 42 per cent
GURUGRAM: NODWIN Gaming is moving fast. The Gurugram-based gaming and esports company has launched a pre-IPO fundraising round, appointed UBS as lead adviser for both the round and a subsequent public listing, and landed a heavyweight board director, all in one go.
The new board member is Arnd Benninghoff, executive vice president of gaming at Stockholm-listed Modern Times Group (MTG), who has overseen the group’s strategic investments and portfolio growth since 2014. He is no stranger to building things: Benninghoff has founded and built fifteen companies, served as chief digital officer at ProSiebenSat.1 Media AG, managing director of SevenVentures, and chief executive of Holtzbrinck eLAB. He began his career as a journalist at Deutsche Presse Agentur and various TV networks, holds a Diplom-Kaufmann in business and administration from the University of Münster, and previously sat on the board of Edgeware AB.
The numbers back the ambition
NODWIN is not pitching a story without substance. The company has returned to EBITDA profitability and posted a 42 per cent year-on-year revenue surge, reaching $58.5m in the first nine months of FY2026. The pre-IPO round will combine a primary issuance to fund global expansion through organic growth and acquisitions, alongside a secondary sale to give existing shareholders some liquidity.
Akshat Rathee, co-founder and managing director of NODWIN Gaming, said Benninghoff understands “the entire lifecycle of the gaming and media ecosystem, from the boots-on-the-ground reality of building startups to the strategic complexity of managing multi-billion dollar global portfolios.”
Benninghoff, for his part, said the company “sits at the intersection of sports, entertainment, and technology, making it one of the most exciting players in the global gaming landscape today.”
A portfolio built for the global south
Founded in 2014 by Rathee and Gautam Virk, NODWIN has quietly assembled one of the more compelling esports portfolios outside the Western hemisphere. Its properties include DreamHack India and Comic Con India, and it recently acquired StarLadder, the Ukraine-based tournament organiser behind premier events in CS:GO and Dota 2. The company also serves as a long-term strategic marketing partner for the Evolution Championship Series (EVO), the world’s most prominent fighting game tournament, helping push it into new geographies.
Its geographic focus spans South Asia, Central Asia, Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Africa. Backers include Nazara Technologies, KRAFTON, Sony Group Corporation, JetSynthesys, and the founders’ investment vehicle Good Game Investments.
What comes next
With UBS running the books, a board freshly reinforced with European media and gaming expertise, and revenue heading in the right direction, NODWIN is laying the groundwork deliberately. The esports industry has burned investors before with big promises and thin margins. NODWIN’s return to profitability, combined with a real portfolio of owned intellectual properties across gaming, music and youth culture, gives it a more credible runway than most. The IPO clock is now ticking.
