iWorld
Viu & Nicotex Partner to Launch Adventure Series ‘I Can You Can’
MUMBAI: Viu announced the launch of its first adventure reality show ‘I Can You Can’ in partnership with Nicotex. The show is produced by BBC, India. With the introduction of this new style of journey-based content, Viu continues to offer fresh and compelling content in a variety of genres.
The six-episode series is set to go live Sunday 17 December 2017 at 7:00 pm IST and will be telecast every Sunday. It will be available on Viu and will be televised as a simulcast on National Geographic. Hosted by actor, model, and athlete Milind Soman, the series will showcase a journey of six people, including three who want to quit smoking and three who have already succeeded in quitting. The interesting part of the journey is the interaction between the smokers and the ones who have quit and their efforts to not just conquer the Everest Base Camp, but also their own “personal Everests”.
Commenting on the launch of the show and partnership with Nicotex, head monetisation & distribution – Viu India Sameer Gogate said, “At Viu, we endeavor to showcase premium content that is fresh, contemporary and relevant to millennials. ‘I Can You Can by Nicotex’ is an example of this. I believe that Viu’s young audience will find this offering engaging and inspiring.”
Elaborating on the show, Cipla Health, the company behind Nicotex, CEO Anantha Nayak said, “The sole purpose of Nicotex has been to make a smoke-free India. In our journey to inspire health, ‘I Can You Can’ is a one-of-a-kind show and integration opportunity for the brand. We believe this format of message delivery will help spread our message to the consumers in a highly engaging manner.”
The ‘I Can You Can’ project was tied in together with Viu & BBC for brand Nicotex by agency m/SIX. Expressing his thoughts on this, Mindshare content head Devendra Deshpande said, “With this collaboration between Nicotex and our partners, we are optimistic about making a difference to the lives of those who wish to make a lifestyle change for the better. We have been involved right from the initial stages of understanding the brand, to concept creation and finding the right channel partners. Content plays an important part of the brand’s strategy and by teaming up with Nicotex, I am sure” I Can You Can” will be a successful series.”
BBC Worldwide India creative and business head Soniya Kulkarni commented, “I Can You Can” is BBC Worldwide’s new, unique and challenging show. We filmed in 2 countries and across cultures while attempting one the world’s toughest climbs. The series talks about kicking the addiction to smoking but is told in an engaging way, that does not preach or condescend. With the active and constant support from our partners MindShare and Viu, we think we’ve achieved our own Everest – an international level of look and storytelling which remains our aim across all our productions.’’
Viu has developed over 3,000 hours of compelling original content across Asia, giving impetus to the budding local talent, while reaching out to millennials with relatable digital content that they have come to love. In the past year Viu has created a number of engaging shows across genres such as SPOTLIGHT, Gehraiyaan, Social, PillA, Pelli Gola, No.1 Yaari and Social. Viu has more than 23 million users across region delivering over 150 million video views with an average watch time per user per month of 35 hours.
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.
