KICK bags exclusive streaming rights for BGMS Season 5

MUMBAI: The battleground is staying the same, but the viewing lobby has changed. As India’s esports industry levels up, BGMS is pressing play on a digital-first future with a new streaming partner that’s betting big on gaming communities.

NODWIN Gaming has named KICK the exclusive digital streaming partner for BGMI Masters Series (BGMS) Season 5, marking a strategic shift in the tournament’s distribution as one of India’s biggest esports properties moves beyond its television-first roots.

Under the partnership, every match of BGMS Season 5 will stream exclusively on KICK, with the tournament running from 10 August to 6 September 2026. Matches will begin daily at 4 pm IST, with the final game of each day scheduled for 7.20 pm IST.

The deal reflects the changing dynamics of India’s esports market. When BGMS debuted, the tournament relied heavily on television to introduce competitive gaming to mainstream audiences. Five seasons later, with a sizeable digital-first fan base in place, NODWIN Gaming is pivoting towards platforms built around gaming communities as it looks to deepen engagement and unlock new commercial opportunities.

The partnership also comes as India’s gaming ecosystem matures. According to Naavik’s India State of Play 2026 report, the country continues to generate nearly 8 billion game downloads annually, while the average cost per install (CPI) fell to around $0.05 by the end of 2025, making India one of the world’s most cost-efficient gaming markets.

The report also points to a significant shift in consumer behaviour. While download growth has stabilised, in-app purchase revenue has more than doubled over the past five years, suggesting that long-term engagement and monetisation are becoming more important than simply acquiring new users. That trend is increasing the value of premium esports tournaments and live content for streaming platforms.

For KICK, the partnership strengthens its ambitions in one of the world’s fastest-growing gaming markets. The livestreaming platform says it has grown to more than 100 million active users globally and surpassed 1.5 billion hours watched during the second quarter of 2026. The platform currently leads livestreaming markets across the Middle East, North Africa and Latin America, while expanding rapidly across Europe, Australia and Asia.

KICK also positions itself as a creator-first platform, allowing streamers to retain 95 per cent of subscription revenue. According to the company, creators have collectively earned more than $228 million through its Partner Programme.

For NODWIN Gaming, the move represents more than a change in where fans watch the action. It signals the next stage in BGMS’ evolution—from a tournament that introduced esports to mainstream India into an intellectual property focused on digital communities, premium live content and long-term commercial growth. As competitive gaming continues to attract larger audiences, the real contest may no longer be confined to the virtual battlefield, but to the platforms competing for every viewer.