iWorld
Voot ties up with Poker Sports League for docu-reality series on Poker
Mumbai: Streaming platform Voot on Thursday announced its partnership with Poker Sports League to launch and host the first-ever docu-reality Series on Poker in India – Poker Mantra. The series presented by Pocket52 will be exclusively available on the AVOD platform starting Friday, 16 July
The five-part docu-reality series, Poker Mantra directed by Sreetama Ray will take the viewers through the story of Poker in India, along with interviews of renowned poker and mental coaches, league teams, and sponsors who believe in the future of poker.
Minds Sports League, co-founder, and CMO, Sidharth Mishra said the series aims to break common misconceptions around poker and throw light on the past, present & future of poker in India. “Our supervising producer, Karan Vig, overcame unseen challenges while filming during Covid times, but we managed to get virtual as well as live shoots completed with prominent poker players such as Kanishka Samant, Kunal Patni, Romit Advani, Abhinav Iyer, Abhishek Goindi, Niharika Bindra, Muskan Sethi, the reality series will educate viewers on the important life lessons of money management learned through poker,” said Mishra.
Speaking about the association, Viacom18 Digital Ventures, head-AVOD, Chanpreet Arora said, “At Voot, we have always worked towards providing content that is differentiated and engaging to connect with our users. The unique concept of Poker Mantra will educate enthusiasts about the nuances of the game and create visibility for the sport. Our association with Poker Sports League is also an opportunity to bring new users to the platform. We are looking forward to offering more such unique and innovative content for our viewers at Voot.”
The series will also interview players like Kanchan Sharma, Rajat Sharma, Aniket Pradhan, Harshit Jaiswal, and Nitin Dhamija, Mahima Das Walia, and Radhika Shankar, who will share how one can ace their game by studying and practising thoroughly.
Speaking about the journey of Poker in India, Pocket52 founder and CEO, Nitesh Salvi said, “At Pocket52, we strive to give our players a better gaming experience. It was indeed a proud moment for us to get associated with Poker Sports League Season three as the Title Sponsor. Now we are delighted to say that this momentous virtual docu-series of the tournament is all set to be broadcast on Voot, for the first time in India. We are sure that the thrill of the game will keep all the poker enthusiasts on their feet, and this will be a great learning experience for all. The thrill of real-money gaming, when blended into a classically crafted docu-reality series, is sure to entertain millions of our players across its online poker gaming platform in India.”
e-commerce
Instamart gold dig event at Hussain Sagar goes viral
Hyderabad activation ties to gold price lock offer ahead of Akshaya Tritiya
MUMBAI: All that glitters isn’t just gold, it’s also great marketing. A quirky on-ground activation by Instamart at Hussain Sagar Lake has turned into a viral spectacle, with videos of people digging for gold coins flooding social media feeds this week. The campaign, executed in collaboration with Moms, transformed a patch of the city’s iconic lakefront into what online users quickly dubbed a “mini gold rush”. Armed with spades, participants dug through a mud-filled pit in search of hidden gold coins, an activity that drew crowds, cameras and plenty of commentary online, ranging from amused disbelief to outright fascination.
At the heart of the frenzy was a promotional push for Instamart’s ‘Gold Price Lock’ feature, which allows users to secure prevailing gold rates between April 10 and April 16 and complete their purchase later during Akshaya Tritiya, a period traditionally associated with high gold buying. The mechanic cleverly blended physical participation with digital conversion, turning curiosity into a potential transaction.
Branded as ‘Gold Diggers’, the activation leaned into gamified engagement. Those who struck lucky walked away with coins, those who didn’t were nudged with a simple message: lock the price now, buy later. The result was a steady stream of footfall and a surge in user-generated content, as onlookers and participants alike documented the spectacle.
The timing is significant. India remains one of the world’s largest consumers of gold, with demand peaking around Akshaya Tritiya. Data from the World Gold Council suggests the festival alone accounts for roughly 25–30 tonnes of gold purchases annually, making it a high-stakes window for brands looking to tap into consumer sentiment.
As the ‘Gold Price Lock’ feature remains live until April 16, the campaign has already done its job turning a simple product feature into a citywide moment. Because sometimes, the quickest way to get people talking about gold isn’t to sell it, it’s to make them dig for it.
