iWorld
StreamFest is here for Indians to ‘Netflix & Chill’
KOLKATA: The much-hyped Netflix StreamFest is finally here. The global streaming giant is offering Indian users free access to its vast content portfolio during this weekend (5-6 December).
"At Netflix, we want to bring the most amazing stories from across the world to all fans of entertainment in India. It's why we're hosting StreamFest: an entire weekend (5 December 12.01am – 6 December 11.59pm) — of free Netflix," Netflix India vice president (content) Monika Shergill said in a blogpost.
Non-subscribers to Netflix can sign up with their name, email or phone number, and password and start streaming without any payment. However, those who sign up for StreamFest will get access to only one stream in standard definition. This has been done to ensure everyone who comes in gets the best experience.
"So, during StreamFest, if you see a message saying ‘StreamFest is at capacity’, don't worry. We'll let you know as soon as you can start streaming," Shergill noted.
Netflix has been promoting StreamFest aggressively through television and its social media platforms for over a month. It has released ad films featuring Anil Kapoor, Yami Gautam, and Nawazuddin Siddiqui. A recent promotional video featuring prominent content creators including Tanmay Bhat, YouTuber Ashish Chanchalani, former FilterCopy actors Ahsaas Channa and Aisha Ahmed, and vlogger Kusha Kapila was released on social platforms.
“That’s right, it’s time to cancel your plans and settle in to watch Netflix. We don’t need any payment details – just your love and undivided attention,” the streaming service said on its website.
“We think that giving everyone in a country access to Netflix for free for a weekend could be a great idea to expose a bunch of new people to the amazing stories we have and hopefully get a bunch of them to sign up. We will try that in India and we will see how that goes,” Netflix COO and chief products officer Greg Peters said earlier in an earnings call.
Elara Capital VP research analyst (media) Karan Taurani said this is a good marketing strategy and a mode of substitution to the monthly free trial which Netflix used to offer earlier. According to him, Netflix has to get new subscribers at the end of the day through some kind of free trial. He added that two days is ample for users to sample a good amount of content. Taurani noted that the streaming giant has to keep rolling out such attractive promotion plans to increase its subscriber base.
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.
