iWorld
ErosNow gets into a mess with provocative social media posts
MUMBAI: These are sensitive times. Brands and influencers have to tread carefully, almost as if they are walking on egg shells. Streaming service Eros Now learnt it the hard way over the past couple of days.
Ever since the start of Navratri 2020, Eros Now – which is part of Eros STX – has been posting short videos and digital stills from movies produced by Eros International. Some of these featured Deepika Padukone from 2015's Bajirao Mastani. Kareena Kapoor Khan in her Chhammak Chhallo avatar from the 2011 film Ra.One on Twitter. These were accompanied by provocative – and what could be called raunchy messaging, obviously to evoke a grin from the young who flock to dandiya and garba gatherings. The person behind the push is a young social media executive.
"Be naughty, sweet toh mithai bhi hai," read a tweet shared alongside one of the Navratri posters.
Another poster featured a picture of actor Katrina Kaif along with the caption "Do you want to put the ratri in my Navratri?"
All hell broke loose as a section of the Twitterati found the language offensive and vulgar and derogatory of Hindu icons and festivals. And the trolls got to work with a vengeance: starting a hashtag boycott ErosNow which soon became a chorus – so much so that it trended worldwide.
Some even alluded that Ali Hussein the head honcho of ErosNow is a Muslim, which is why the streamer was insensitive to Hindu sentiments. We, at indiantelevision.com, know that a religious slur was not the intent, the idea was to connect with the youth in a manner they talk and joke amongst themselves.
Shame On @ErosNow
Maximum Retweet And Repeat With Me #BoycottErosNow pic.twitter.com/NunUhoW9pl
— Arun Yadav (@beingarun28) October 22, 2020
But the trolls had a field day.
"Dear Eros Now, Why have you posted these double-meaning vulgar banners for the auspicious festive season?" asked one Twitter user.
Others called for strict action to be taken against the company.
Nevertheless, following the uproar ErosNow decided to pull down the so-called offensive tweets and images.
And it shared in a tweet where it explained itself: “We at Eros love and respect our cultures equally. It is not, and it has never been our intention to hurt anyone’s emotions. We have deleted the concerned posts and apologise for having offended anybody’s sentiments.”
— Eros Now (@ErosNow) October 22, 2020
At the time of writing, the anti-ErosNow campaign was losing steam, even though a bunch were still posting their annoyance on Twitter.
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.
