iWorld
Voot ties up with Poker Sports League for docu-reality series on Poker
Mumbai: Streaming platform Voot on Thursday announced its partnership with Poker Sports League to launch and host the first-ever docu-reality Series on Poker in India – Poker Mantra. The series presented by Pocket52 will be exclusively available on the AVOD platform starting Friday, 16 July
The five-part docu-reality series, Poker Mantra directed by Sreetama Ray will take the viewers through the story of Poker in India, along with interviews of renowned poker and mental coaches, league teams, and sponsors who believe in the future of poker.
Minds Sports League, co-founder, and CMO, Sidharth Mishra said the series aims to break common misconceptions around poker and throw light on the past, present & future of poker in India. “Our supervising producer, Karan Vig, overcame unseen challenges while filming during Covid times, but we managed to get virtual as well as live shoots completed with prominent poker players such as Kanishka Samant, Kunal Patni, Romit Advani, Abhinav Iyer, Abhishek Goindi, Niharika Bindra, Muskan Sethi, the reality series will educate viewers on the important life lessons of money management learned through poker,” said Mishra.
Speaking about the association, Viacom18 Digital Ventures, head-AVOD, Chanpreet Arora said, “At Voot, we have always worked towards providing content that is differentiated and engaging to connect with our users. The unique concept of Poker Mantra will educate enthusiasts about the nuances of the game and create visibility for the sport. Our association with Poker Sports League is also an opportunity to bring new users to the platform. We are looking forward to offering more such unique and innovative content for our viewers at Voot.”
The series will also interview players like Kanchan Sharma, Rajat Sharma, Aniket Pradhan, Harshit Jaiswal, and Nitin Dhamija, Mahima Das Walia, and Radhika Shankar, who will share how one can ace their game by studying and practising thoroughly.
Speaking about the journey of Poker in India, Pocket52 founder and CEO, Nitesh Salvi said, “At Pocket52, we strive to give our players a better gaming experience. It was indeed a proud moment for us to get associated with Poker Sports League Season three as the Title Sponsor. Now we are delighted to say that this momentous virtual docu-series of the tournament is all set to be broadcast on Voot, for the first time in India. We are sure that the thrill of the game will keep all the poker enthusiasts on their feet, and this will be a great learning experience for all. The thrill of real-money gaming, when blended into a classically crafted docu-reality series, is sure to entertain millions of our players across its online poker gaming platform in India.”
Gaming
Nodwin Gaming partners with Runestone for esports data and integrity solutions
South Asian esports leader joins forces with Czech tech firm to enhance tournament operations.
MUMBAI: Nodwin Gaming has just levelled up its game by bringing in a specialist to keep the scoreboard honest and the fans fully engaged. The leading South Asian esports and gaming company has announced a strategic partnership with Runestone, a Prague-headquartered esports technology firm specialising in real-time data and engagement solutions for tournament organisers and publishers.
The collaboration aims to strengthen competitive integrity, improve operational oversight, and deliver more interactive viewing experiences across Nodwin’s properties. It will initially focus on the Nodwin Clutch Series for Counter-Strike 2, a Tier 2 tournament that provides emerging teams with consistent competitive opportunities and helps build the talent pipeline.
The latest edition of the series recently concluded with Big defeating ECSTATIC 2–1 in the grand final of the $50,000 online event.
Nodwin Gaming chief business officer at MENA and global head of data monetization Teemu Koski said, “Integrity and transparency are fundamental to sustainable esports ecosystems, especially in Tier 2 competition where the next generation of talent emerges. Runestone’s expertise complements our experience in building scalable esports IPs.”
Runestone head of partnerships Michael Schwartz added, “Nodwin Gaming has built one of the most dynamic esports ecosystems across emerging markets. We’re thrilled to collaborate on supporting tournaments with greater transparency, deeper fan interaction, and scalable tools.”
Both companies are exploring opportunities to extend the partnership across additional titles, including mobile-first competitive ecosystems, and to develop new products for publishers, tournament operators, and event promoters.
In the rapidly growing world of esports, where fair play and fan excitement are equally crucial, Nodwin Gaming and Runestone are teaming up to ensure every match is not only competitive but also transparent and engaging. This alliance could well become a game-changer for Tier 2 tournaments across South Asia and beyond.
