RISE Worldwide, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Reliance Industries, will form a joint venture with BLAST Esports Ltd for esports business in India, the company announced on April 2. The partnership will also help bring the European esports entertainment company’s events to India.
BLAST is one of the biggest esports tournament organisers in the world, with its events estimated to generate 2 billion views in 2025, reaching audiences in more than 150 territories and broadcast in more than 30 languages, the company statement said.
It works with game publishers including Epic Games, Valve, Riot Games, KRAFTON and Ubisoft to produce, market and deliver esports for several popular games including PUBG, Dota 2, Counter-Strike 2, Fortnite, Rainbow Six and Rocket League. These games have a combined active monthly player base of over 350 million.
“BLAST is best known for its unparalleled production quality and game changing fan-first moments. Bringing together the best teams and biggest superstars to fight it out for glory and multi-million dollar prize pools,” the release said.
As part of the strategic partnership, it will form a new joint-venture entity with BLAST, the company said. This will help BLAST host its events on the JioGames platform. The joint venture will further provide various services to publishers and sponsors, oversee end-to-end tournament management, provide targeted marketing as well as production and broadcasting of the events.
India is one of the most exciting and fastest-growing gaming markets in the world, with a rapidly expanding esports audience and appetite for more competitive gaming experiences, BLAST CEO Robbie Douek said.
“By partnering with Reliance, a market leader with unparalleled expertise and reach in India, we have a unique opportunity to elevate the local esports scene to new heights,” he said.
BLAST has a proven track record of delivering world-class tournaments and entertainment for global audiences, and “we can’t wait to bring that expertise to India”. The joint venture will not only help grow the Indian esports ecosystem but also create new pathways for local talent to shine on the global stage, he said.
Reliance sports head Devang Bhimjyani said the company is excited to partner with BLAST, a leader in conducting world-class esports tournaments globally in partnership with the largest gaming publishers for marquee gaming titles.
“I welcome Robbie and his team to the Reliance Group. We are very confident that with this partnership, India esports will be able to realise its full potential. With this JV, Reliance will extend its interest in sports into esports and leverage RISE’s ability to market and promote sporting events and teams, along with Jio providing its distribution and technology expertise,” Bhimjyani said.
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