Esports Industry Grows with New Franchise Owners in Global e-Cricket Premier League

The Global e-Cricket Premier League (GEPL), an esports initiative by digital entertainment company JetSynthesys, is gaining traction as it prepares for its second season. The league aims to be a cricket version of the popular Indian Premier League (IPL) but within the realm of esports. Rajan Navani, founder and CEO of JetSynthesys, is spearheading this effort by bringing in franchise owners to support the league’s development.

In its inaugural season, the GEPL featured the made-in-India game Real Cricket and was managed entirely by JetSynthesys. However, the second season marks a shift as the league looks to establish individual franchise ownership. The first team, based in Bengaluru, is now co-owned by notable figures such as Nikhil Kamath, co-founder of Zerodha, Ankit Nagori, founder of Curefoods, and Prashanth Prakash, partner at Accel.

“This is a set of new-age founder-owners,” Navani told Moneycontrol, highlighting the unique business-building backgrounds of the new owners. He added, “Our goal is to have all eight teams have eight franchise owners in this season.” Though the league is targeting eight teams, official confirmation of the exact number remains pending.

Navani emphasized the importance of franchise owners in fostering community engagement and enhancing brand partnerships. “Franchise ownership changes the economy of the entire league,” he noted. He pointed to examples such as the IPL teams Mumbai Indians and Rajasthan Royals, which have successfully built robust community followings.

The first GEPL season boasted 12 sponsors, including Zebronics, AMD, Dell, and Flipkart. The league was broadcast on Sports 18 and streamed on JioCinema, reaching a cumulative multiplatform audience of over 70 million. Navani anticipates increased sponsorship for the upcoming season, leveraging the newly acquired franchise owners’ resources and business networks.

Esports in India has been capturing a substantial viewership, with GEPL being the second televised esports event following BGMS (Battlegrounds Mobile India Master Series), which aired on Star Sports channels. “After cricket and kabaddi, esports is the most watched sport in India,” Navani stated, referencing concurrent viewership data from Skyesports Championships events.

Looking ahead, the esports industry in India is projected to grow, fueled by the inclusion of esports in the Olympic Games. Navani expressed optimism about cricket’s return to the 2028 Olympic Games and hopes that simulated cricket could find a place in future esports Olympic events.

Regarding the structure of the league, JetSynthesys intends to conduct player auctions, drawing from a pool of top players filtered from a 1.5 crore Real Cricket user base. While plans are underway, Navani indicated that decisions about player auctions and team compositions will be finalized closer to the league’s winter season launch.