iWorld
Rooter acquires media rights to Skyesports’ IPs for one year
Mumbai: In what is said to be one of the largest media rights deals in e-sports, homegrown game streaming platform Rooter has acquired the media rights for all of Skyesports’ IP for the next one year.
As one of the biggest e-sports tournament organisers in South Asia, Skyesports conducts competitions under its self-owned IPs. Going forward, all of Skyesports’ original competitions will be broadcast exclusively on Rooter. The tournaments will be streamed in several languages which include Hindi, English, Tamil, Bengali, Kannada, Malayalam and Telugu.
Last year, Skyesports generated more than 200 million viewers across all its tournaments and achieved a peak concurrent viewership record of 221,000 during the Skyesports Championship 3.0 BGMI finals, said the statement.
In January, Rooter raised $25 million in its series A funding round led by Lightbox, March Gaming, and Duane Park Ventures. Last week, the company also teamed up with the dominant BGMI team, OR Esports, as its official broadcast partner.
“Skyesports is renowned for hosting some of the major esports tournaments in the country,” said Rooter co-founder and COO Dipesh Agarwal. “Teaming up with a platform redefining Indian e-sports, this comes as a landmark deal for both entities. Rooter is the fastest growing gaming platform in India and we will help Skyesports reach millions of fans who will get the best e-sports content exclusively on Rooter. We also look forward to working with Shiva and the rest of the team to provide multiple engagement opportunities for fans with e-sports teams on Rooter’s platform.”
“Our goal has always been to make Skyesports’ IPs, which have been homegrown in India, more accessible,” said Skyesports founder and CEO Shiva Nandy. “I am sure that our e-sports content will feel right at home on Rooter’s platform. Additionally, by distributing the media rights, we are empowering Rooter to implement strategies to further engage our already large audience. We look forward to closely working with them throughout the year to enhance the watching experience for the viewers while building e-sports from the grassroots level and launching more premium IPs.”
“With Skyesports, we envisioned the creation of a closely-knit e-sports ecosystem at the grassroots level. It’s a pleasure to have Rooter join us as a partner and we look forward to working together with them to be able to accelerate our growth in terms of viewership in India,” said JetSynthesys founder and CEO Rajan Navani.
Earlier this month, Skyesports unveiled its roadmap for 2022 with more than $530,000 in prize money up for grabs across several competitions.
e-commerce
Google rolls out new AI shopping tools for Indian users
Gemini, AI Mode in Search, and Circle to Search get smarter upgrades to simplify online buying.
MUMBAI: Google is making online shopping in India a lot less “add to cart” and a lot more “ask and discover”. The tech giant has announced a fresh set of artificial intelligence-powered updates designed to make finding and buying products more intuitive and efficient. By integrating its Gemini models with the Shopping Graph, a massive dataset of over 50 billion product listings that sees nearly 2 billion updates every hour, Google is bringing smarter, more conversational shopping experiences across its platforms.
Users can now move seamlessly from idea generation to product discovery within the Gemini app. Whether planning a festive outfit or building a gift list, shoppers can receive product listings, comparison tables, pricing from across the web, and direct purchase links, all through natural conversation. The feature is currently available in English and Hindi.
Google has upgraded its AI Mode in Search, turning it into a more natural shopping assistant. Instead of relying on traditional filters and keywords, users can ask questions in plain language and receive structured responses with visuals, pricing, reviews, and inventory details. Comparison tables highlighting key differences are also included. While currently available in English, a Hindi version is expected soon.
The popular Circle to Search feature has been enhanced on devices such as the Pixel 10 and Samsung Galaxy S26 series. Users can now identify and explore multiple objects in a single image at once. In fashion-related queries, the tool can break down entire outfits and suggest similar products, making style replication or discovery much easier.
Google stated that these updates build on last year’s successful rollout of the Virtual Try-On tool in India, which helped users visualise apparel before purchase.
In a market where shopping decisions often happen in seconds, Google is betting that smarter AI will turn casual browsing into confident buying. From festive shopping lists to spotting the perfect outfit in a photo, these new tools aim to make every scroll feel a little more rewarding and a lot less overwhelming.
