NODWIN Gaming has launched NODWIN Sports, a new vertical focused on mainstream sports, with an aim to build new-age sporting properties, drive mass participation and create commercial opportunities across the Global South.
The new business will leverage NODWIN Gaming’s experience in youth-focused entertainment, content, production and community building to develop sports and fitness competitions and lifestyle-led participation properties.
NODWIN Sports will operate across four key areas: new-age sports and mass-participation IPs, sports advisory and engagement with governing bodies, strategic partnerships and commercial alliances, and white-label execution and operations.
The vertical will work with sports federations, governing bodies, rights holders, athletes and brands on areas including property creation, ecosystem development, commercial strategy, partnerships and end-to-end execution.
Gurbaksh Singh Virdi will lead NODWIN Sports as vice president. He joins the company after serving as sports marketing lead at Adidas India, where he led the sports marketing vertical across cricket, running, training, football and motorsport. His work included partnerships involving the BCCI, Indian Olympic Association and properties across football and motorsport.
Prior to Adidas, Virdi worked across sports marketing, athlete management and IP development. At Puma, he expanded the company's team sports portfolio, while at Cornerstone he led strategic athlete IP initiatives, including running programmes for Virat Kohli's One8 brand, and helped launch the agency's esports division.
Commenting on the launch, Virdi said the new vertical would bring together his experience across federations, athlete development, brand partnerships and sporting properties to create sports properties aligned with changing audience behaviour.
Akshat Rathee, co-founder and managing director, NODWIN Gaming, said the company sees an opportunity to build sports properties around how younger audiences participate in, follow and engage with sport.
NODWIN Sports will draw on NODWIN Gaming's existing capabilities across content, production, partnerships and community engagement. Its portfolio includes properties such as the BGMI Masters Series, Comic Con India, NH7 Weekender and VCSA, spanning gaming, music, lifestyle and youth culture.
With the launch, NODWIN Gaming is expanding beyond gaming and youth entertainment into mainstream sports, with NODWIN Sports positioned as a platform for developing and operating sporting properties across markets.
