Connect with us

Aquisitions/Mergers

NODWIN Gaming Acquires AFK Gaming

Published

on

nodwin-gaming-acquires-afk-gaming
Reading Time: 3 minutes

NODWIN Gaming, a leader in new-age youth entertainment, gaming, and esports and a material subsidiary of Nazara Technologies Limited (BSE: NAZARA), today announced the acquisition of AFK Gaming Pvt. Ltd., a leading gaming and esports media company subject to closing formalities. With this, AFK Gaming will become a fully owned subsidiary of NODWIN Gaming.

This acquisition strengthens NODWIN Gaming’s esports related content production & distribution, and marketing & PR services capabilities. These capabilities will enhance NODWIN Gaming’s offerings to brands and publishers, making it a strong one-stop-shop for all esports & gaming related marketing activities and thereby increasing the share of wallet of marketing budgets for NODWIN Gaming.

The acquisition of 93% of the share capital of AFK Gaming will be a combination of cash and stock swap of NODWIN Gaming shares for a total consideration of INR 7.6 Crores. NODWIN already owned the balance 7% of AFK previously. As part of this transaction, the founders will become shareholders of NODWIN Gaming and be integrated into different verticals in the NODWIN Gaming ecosystem. In 2017, NODWIN Gaming led AFK Gaming’s first round of investment as a strategic investor, helping the founders turn their hobby into a business. This acquisition completes the lifecycle of NODWIN’s strategic investment into the company, making AFK a 100% subsidiary on close.

Founded in 2012 by Nishant Patel, Rakesh Ramchandran and Siddharth Nayyar, AFK Gaming has been at the forefront of the Indian gaming and esports media industry for over a decade. Apart from providing the latest updates from the industry through its website and its specially curated gaming business newsletter Pixel P&L, its agency vertical, Max Level, offers bespoke marketing services to teams, tournament organizers, game publishers and brands looking to connect with gaming and esports audiences. This includes campaign management, IP building, content production, video editing, consultancy, social media marketing, influencer programs and public relations & communications as well. Its clientele includes brands like ASUS ROG, CyberPowerPC India, KRAFTON, Saudi Esports Federation, ESL Faceit Group, The Esports World Cup, Jio Games, TVS and more. Max Level has worked closely with NODWIN Gaming for a majority of its IPs and white-labelsolutions.

Advertisement
Prague Gaming & TECH Summit 2025 (25-26 March)

Nishant will join the founders’ office to work on strategic initiatives across the NODWIN Group, while building out Pixel P&L as a media product within the company. Rakesh will be a part of the larger NODWIN team, focusing on augmenting the company’s ability to build tech led products and Siddharth will continue to head Max Level, focusing on high quality, cost efficient, marketing and PR services.

This acquisition further bolsters NODWIN Gaming’s services portfolio in the gaming and esports ecosystem.

Akshat Rathee, Co-Founder of NODWIN Gaming, commented: “I have known Nishant, Sid and Rakesh since the inception of AFK Gaming. We all started out at the same time, while the esports industry in India was just beginning to pick up. We have built respect for each other over time by butting heads, competing, collaborating and supporting each other when there was little hope. I have learnt to admire their ability to persevere, pivot and be true to the fan. This focus is to be treasured. Once you have that respect and understanding of our strengths and weaknesses, working together is a natural causality. As we come together as one group, I welcome them as shareholders of NODWIN Gaming and as leaders in our group. I look forward to the many missions we will pick up and go on together.”

Nishant Patel, Rakesh Ramchandran and Siddharth Nayyar, Co-Founders of AFK Gaming, stated: “Joining the NODWIN group feels like a homecoming for us. When esports was barely a coined term, Akshat and us agreed to work to grow the market rather than compete in an industry that had yet to prove itself. This led to a long and trust-imbued relationship where Akshat watched over us as a friend, investor, mentor and board member. Now that the industry has matured a bit, our existing synergies with NODWIN allow us to hit the ground running and we’re confident in our ability to unlock the next level of growth for the group!”

The acquisition comes at a time when NODWIN Gaming continues to grow in India and emerging markets worldwide. This deal complements NODWIN Gaming’s recent strategic moves, including the acquisition of Trinity Gaming India, Comic Con in India, German esports and gaming marketing agency Freaks 4U Gaming, West Asia and Turkey-focused marketing agency Publishme, Singapore-based live events firm Branded, and Turkish esports and gaming company Ninja Global.

Advertisement
Prague Gaming & TECH Summit 2025 (25-26 March)

The post NODWIN Gaming Acquires AFK Gaming appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Aquisitions/Mergers

Nazara’s subsidiary Absolute Sports acquires TJRWrestling.net and ITRWrestling.com

Published

on

nazara’s-subsidiary-absolute-sports-acquires-tjrwrestlingnet-and-itrwrestling.com
Reading Time: < 1 minute

 

Absolute Sports, a subsidiary of Nazara Technologies and the parent company of Sportskeeda.com, announced today that it has signed definitive agreements, subject to closing conditions, to acquire two IPs, TJRWrestling.net and ITRWrestling.com. These business assets will be acquired from Titan Insider Digital. These IPs add to the already dominant global position of Absolute Sports in the combat sports publishing industry.

TJRWrestling and ITRWrestling established in 2009 and 2020 respectively, have built a robust audience base within the wrestling fan community through their high-quality and in-depth combat sports news and content coverage. Together, they currently attract 1.7 million monthly active users and generate 4.6 million monthly pageviews, predominantly from North America. They generated $722K (~INR 6.1 crore) in revenue in 2024.

The transaction, valued at $1.25 million (~INR 10.5 crore), will be an all-cash asset purchase via the company’s U.S. subsidiary, Sportskeeda Inc., and is expected to close within the next 45 days.

Advertisement
Prague Gaming & TECH Summit 2025 (25-26 March)

This strategic acquisition bolsters Sportskeeda’s position in the combat sports segment and expands its presence in the U.S., home to the world’s largest pro-wrestling fanbase. The integration of these platforms will also create deeper engagement opportunities for fans and advertisers across digital formats.

Ajay Pratap Singh, CEO of Absolute Sports, commented: “ITRWrestling and TJRwrestling are two of the most respected voices in the global wrestling community. This acquisition aligns perfectly with our vision to be the leading go-to destination for wrestling content worldwide. It also reinforces Absolute Sports’ dedication to expanding its footprint in the fast-growing U.S. media market through a targeted and impactful M&A strategy.”

The post Nazara’s subsidiary Absolute Sports acquires TJRWrestling.net and ITRWrestling.com appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Continue Reading

Affiliate Industry

Already Media acquires Live Casino Comparer

Published

on

already-media-acquires-live-casino-comparer
Reading Time: < 1 minute

Tech-driven affiliate and media company Already Media has acquired Live Casino Comparer for an undisclosed sum.

Live Casino Comparer is a well-established review portal focused on the live dealer niche. It was founded in 2014, and its team brings more than 30 years of casino experience to every review it publishes.

The site’s founder, Neil Walker, will stay on both as an advisor and an active part of the content team, helping to scale Live Casino Comparer’s output across both the B2C and B2B verticals.

Already Media will also rebuild the site’s platform and has plans to enter into new geos and content formats.

Advertisement
Prague Gaming & TECH Summit 2025 (25-26 March)

The deal was brokered by Corfai, the specialist M&A advisory founded by Ben Robinson.

Alina Famenok, CEO at Already Media, said: “This is another landmark for Already Media, as we continue to acquire brands that expand our reach and can benefit from our technology. We’re excited to get to work alongside Neil to take Live Casino Comparer to new heights. Huge thanks to Ben and the Corfai team for helping us close this deal in just two weeks, which is surely the fastest M&A deal in iGaming history.”

Neil Walker, founder at Live Casino Comparer, added: “I couldn’t be more excited to begin this new chapter for Live Casino Comparer as part of the Already Media team. They bring the technical and operational firepower to scale globally, while keeping the spirit of honest, expert-driven reviews at the core.”

The acquisition aligns with Already Media’s strategy of acquiring trusted affiliate brands and elevating them through its technology-led approach.

Last year, the company acquired PokerListings, and has since migrated it to a new platform, entered new regions and developed a vibrant community around the brand.

Advertisement
Prague Gaming & TECH Summit 2025 (25-26 March)

The post Already Media acquires Live Casino Comparer appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Continue Reading

Aquisitions/Mergers

Sportradar Announces Agreement to Acquire IMG ARENA and Its Strategic Portfolio of Global Sports Betting Rights

Published

on

sportradar-announces-agreement-to-acquire-img-arena-and-its-strategic-portfolio-of-global-sports-betting-rights
Reading Time: 2 minutes

 

 Will Strengthen Company’s Global Offering for Most Bet Upon Sports Including Tennis, Soccer and Basketball     

Expected to Accelerate Revenue, Adjusted EBITDA and Free Cash Flow Growth and Will Be Accretive to Adjusted EBITDA Margins   

Sportradar Group AG, a leading global sports technology company focused on creating immersive experiences for sports fans and bettors, today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement with Endeavor Group Holdings, Inc. to acquire IMG ARENA and its global sports betting rights portfolio. IMG ARENA’s portfolio will enhance Sportradar’s content and product offering and further strengthen its strategic position as a leading content provider in the most bet upon global sports, including tennis, soccer and basketball.

Advertisement
Prague Gaming & TECH Summit 2025 (25-26 March)

Adding these betting rights to its content portfolio increases Sportradar’s depth and breadth in key global sports, expanding the Company’s content distribution and further fueling product development. With its highly scalable technology platform and extensive client network, Sportradar will seamlessly integrate and monetize these rights driving incremental value for clients, partners and shareholders.

Upon closing, the acquisition will provide a number of key benefits:

  • Enhances margins: Immediately accretive to Sportradar’s adjusted EBITDA margins, aligning with our disciplined investment approach;
  • Accelerates growth: Further accelerates Sportradar’s robust revenue, adjusted EBITDA and cash flow growth;
  • Unique structure: Sportradar will not be required to pay any financial consideration; Transaction provides financial consideration totaling $225 million comprised of $125 million paid to Sportradar and up to $100 million cash prepayments made by Endeavor to certain of the sports rightsholders;
  • Highly strategic portfolio: Basketball, soccer and tennis account for approximately 70% of the rights which are the top three most bet on global sports, complementing our existing sports portfolio.

This incoming portfolio of global betting rights comprises strategic relationships with over 70 rightsholders covering approximately 39,000 official data events and 30,000 streaming events across 14 global sports on six continents. Prominent global properties include Wimbledon, U.S. Open, Roland-Garros, Major League Soccer, EuroLeague basketball and PGA Tour. Combined with existing tennis rights, Sportradar will now hold betting rights to three of the four Grand Slams.

The unique structure of this transaction will further strengthen Sportradar’s already robust balance sheet and enhance its significant liquidity position, allowing for continued strategic investments and opportunities for incremental shareholder returns, including an anticipated acceleration on the pace of its existing buyback program.

Carsten Koerl, Chief Executive Officer of Sportradar, stated: “Sportradar’s success is driven by the breadth of its sports coverage, its broad product portfolio and leading technology, and its global distribution network.  Given our proven track record of maximizing ROI through our global betting rights deals and our strengthened position across tennis, basketball and soccer, we are confident in our ability to realize the full economic potential of this portfolio. In addition, the unique structure of this transaction accelerates our revenue and cash flow profile and will be immediately accretive to our margins. The addition of these strategic rights will unlock new growth opportunities, enabling us to deliver exceptional value to our partners, clients and shareholders.”

The transaction is currently expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2025, subject to receipt of regulatory approvals and satisfaction of closing conditions. UBS Swiss Financial Advisors is acting as exclusive financial advisor and Brandl Talos served as transaction counsel to Sportradar.

Advertisement
Prague Gaming & TECH Summit 2025 (25-26 March)

The post Sportradar Announces Agreement to Acquire IMG ARENA and Its Strategic Portfolio of Global Sports Betting Rights appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Continue Reading

Trending

Offering comprehensive coverage on all aspects of the gaming sector, our daily posts include online and land-based gaming, betting, esports, regulatory and compliance updates, and technological advancements. Regular features encompass daily news articles, press releases, exclusive interviews, and insightful event reports.

The platform also hosts industry-relevant webinars, and provides detailed reports, making it a one-stop resource for anyone seeking information about operators, suppliers, regulators, and professional services in the European gaming market. The portal's primary goal is to keep its extensive reader base updated on the latest happenings, trends, and developments within the gaming and gambling sector, with an emphasis on the European market while also covering pertinent global news. It's an indispensable resource for gaming professionals, operators, and enthusiasts alike.

Contact us: [email protected]

Editorial / PR Submissions: [email protected]

Copyright © 2015 - 2024 - Gaming News Room is part of HIPTHER Agency. Registered in Romania under Proshirt SRL, Company number: 2134306, EU VAT ID: RO21343605. Office address: Blvd. 1 Decembrie 1918 nr.5, Targu Mures, Romania