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Tag: Sportskeeda

  • Sportskeeda CTO Sankalp Sharma exits after 10 years at the helm

    Sportskeeda CTO Sankalp Sharma exits after 10 years at the helm

    MUMBAI: You can’t spell Sportskeeda without code. And for the last decade, Sankalp Sharma has been the man behind the machine, the chief technology officer who took a broken codebase, a skeletal team, and a laundry list of experiments, and turned it into a battle-hardened platform serving millions of sports fans worldwide. Now, after 10 years and 7 months, Sharma is moving on, leaving behind a tech legacy etched into the site’s DNA.

    Sharma’s tenure has been one of audacious scale. From six hot codebases and a dozen services, his lean team engineered a system that now handles a billion API calls a day with near-million concurrency. As CTO since December 2020 (after stints as VP of technology and tech lead), he not only scaled from “0 to 1, 1 to 10, and on to 100” but also reshaped how Sportskeeda approached experimentation, reliability, and growth.

    Reflecting on his philosophy, Sharma describes his approach as “going wide, going deep, and going around” spotting unnoticed patterns, rolling up his sleeves to refine systems, and navigating future goals through the fog of war. Along the way, he fostered a culture of curiosity, killed fluff projects early, and championed open-source contributions. His earlier career saw roles at Essencemediacom, Mindshare, VML, Foxymoron, TCS, and even a freelance stint helping startups and Fortune 500 companies alike.

    From one-click deployments to site reliability engineering, from streamlining legacy microservices to mentoring LGBTQIA+ professionals and startup founders, Sharma’s playbook has been as much about people as it was about platforms. As Sportskeeda now looks ahead to its next growth chapter, it does so with a tech foundation built on Sharma’s decade-long vision of harmony amid chaos.

     

  • From Netflix to Next-Gen AI, Akash Iyer joins OpenAI India as social lead

    From Netflix to Next-Gen AI, Akash Iyer joins OpenAI India as social lead

    MUMBAI: Lights, camera… AI-ction! After nearly seven years scripting cultural moments at Netflix, Akash Iyer is stepping into a whole new frame as the social lead for OpenAI in India. Iyer, who announced his move on LinkedIn with a mix of excitement and humility, joins at a pivotal moment. India is ChatGPT’s second-largest market after the US, and OpenAI is doubling down on its local presence with its first India office slated to open in Delhi later this year and a new India-only ChatGPT plan priced at Rs 399 per month.

    With over a decade in media and marketing, Iyer has a résumé as eclectic as it is impactful. At Netflix, he masterminded over 100 campaigns, from The Archies to the flagship Playback, scaled Youtube from zero to 20 million subscribers, and grew Instagram from 1 million to 8 million followers. Before that, he sharpened his storytelling craft at Buzzfeed, Sportskeeda, and The Glitch, dabbling in everything from viral video formats to sports explainers.

    His move signals OpenAI’s serious intent to court India’s fast-growing user base especially students, who, according to the company, use ChatGPT more here than anywhere else in the world. OpenAI comms head for Asia Pacific Jake Wilczynski summed it up: “India is not just a big market, it’s a critical one.”

    For Iyer, the leap is more than a career pivot. “It’s an incredible opportunity, but also a deep responsibility to contribute to building AGI for the benefit of humanity,” he wrote. With his cultural instincts and digital flair, OpenAI’s India story may just get the blockbuster treatment it needs.

  • Taboola and SportsKeeda forge an exclusive two-year content partnership

    Taboola and SportsKeeda forge an exclusive two-year content partnership

    Mumbai: Taboola, a global leader in powering recommendations for the open web, helping people discover things they may like, today announced a two-year partnership with Sportskeeda, a prominent, global sports content platform. This collaboration is set to elevate user engagement, expand audience reach, and unlock monetization possibilities by delivering premium, high-quality content recommendations to Sportskeeda’s readers.

    Sportskeeda, a well-known sports content platform, is a ‘Great Place to Work’ certified organisation and holds an impressive global rank of 8 on Similar Web, demonstrating its substantial and highly engaged audience. Through this strategic partnership, Sportskeeda aims to maximize revenue by enhancing audience engagement and providing its readers with tailored and relevant content recommendations.

    Under the exclusive agreement, Taboola will provide recommendations to Sportskeeda on Desktop, Mobile, and Accelerated Mobile (AMP) pages, along with integrated video capabilities. This offering will be live on all international traffic, covering prominent regions such as the US, UK, Canada, and Australia.

    Sportskeeda CEO Ajay Pratap Singh expressed his enthusiasm for the partnership, and said, “We are thrilled to collaborate with Taboola to offer our readers a seamless and engaging content experience. Taboola’s reputation for superior performance and emphasis on delivering high-quality content perfectly align with our goals, making this partnership truly exciting for us.”

    Taboola CEO Adam Singolda said, “We are excited to partner with Sportskeeda, a widely respected and highly visited sports publisher all around the world. As their global footprint grows, we continue to provide the foundation on which they can deliver more personalized content recommendations to Sportskeeda readers, driving continuous engagement and returning audiences. Together, we will drive innovation, elevate reader engagement, unlock new avenues for revenue growth and more.”

    Taboola’s journey towards building new technologies helps various platforms from all domains to drive reader engagement and stimulate consumers’ interest by discovering the content of their choice.

    Learn more about Taboola’s recommendation platform and services here. 

  • Sportskeeda founder Porush Jain exits; Ajay Pratap Singh takes the reins

    Sportskeeda founder Porush Jain exits; Ajay Pratap Singh takes the reins

    Mumbai: On Friday, sports news content and gaming site Sportskeeda announced an interesting turn of events by bringing onboard the company’s current COO, Ajay Pratap Singh, as its new CEO. Singh will replace the incumbent founder & CEO Porush Jain, who has decided to exit the company.

    Back in 2019, Nazrana bought a 67 per cent stake in Sportskeeda for Rs 44 crore. Now it has paid Rs 20 crore to buy an additional 6.05 per cent stake in the company. Nazara picked up the stake from Jain through a secondary sale in order to consolidate its shareholding in profitable subsidiaries.

    On sharing about his exit from Sportskeeda on Linkedin, Jain relished the thought that he is financially free to do what he wants.

    His post reads, “My dreamy journey at Sportskeeda ends today as I successfully exit the company. From sweeping the office floor myself to sweeping the market share! From a mere sports blog to a company doing $15 million ARR.”

    “No doubt Sportskeeda will continue its growth journey. Super proud of the leadership team that I have built. Currently relishing the thought that I can do anything in this world now! Maybe a new start-up, an NGO, an angel investor and mentor, a traveller, or maybe a gardener,” it added.

    Jain further shared a timeline of his journey, he noted that it took five years to get the model right.

    “2009: Starting Up! from the College Dormitory; 2012: Sportskeeda gets $1MM in seed funding; 2014: SK gets the model right after burning almost 85% of the fund. The company turns profitable; 2017: 10x growth in 3 years; 2019: Nazara Tech acquires majority stake. VC gets 15x+ exit. Mentor gets 50x; 2021: SK grows 4x (users) in two years. Revenue 5x, Profit 30x!”

    “If you are passionate about Sports! You should join us. Life is great when your passion makes money for you!”, he stated.

    Commenting on this event, Nazara’s founder Nitish Mittersain said, “Sportskeeda continues to grow very rapidly across its core markets of the US and India, having doubled its revenue every year for the last three years. I am sure it will continue to make even greater strides under Singh’s able leadership. The market for sports content is deep and offers huge growth opportunities in the coming years.”

    Speaking about Jain’s exit and on joining his new role, Singh said, “It was a great learning experience working alongside Jain. Being the brand’s founder, he was instrumental in taking Sportskeeda to where it is today. With his continued guidance as a mentor to me and the team, we hope to take Sportskeeda to even greater heights.”

  • Nazara records Rs 4,466 million revenue for 9MFY22

    Nazara records Rs 4,466 million revenue for 9MFY22

    Mumbai: India-based diversified gaming and sports media platform Nazara Technologies has announced that its operating revenue grew by 35 per cent to Rs 4,466 million for the quarter and nine months ended 31 December 2021. In 9MFY21, it had reported Rs 3,308 million.

    According to the un-audited standalone and consolidated results shared by the company, it delivered a Profit After Tax (PAT) of Rs 428 million, recording a growth of 355 per cent y-o-y. The EBITDA stood at Rs 797 million, a growth of 141 per cent YoY, while the EBITDA margins were recorded at 17.8 per cent vs 10 per cent for 9MFY21. This value excludes other income, it said.

    The esports segment demonstrated 75 per cent growth in revenue as well as 71 per cent growth in EBITDA in the first 9MFY22. According to Nazara, the e-sports segment now contributes the highest revenue in Nazara portfolio with a 48 per cent contribution in 9MFY22 revenue vs 37 per cent in 9MFY21.

    Gamified Early Learning grew by 22 per cent in 9MFY22 over 9MFY21 and added a net positive paying subscriber base in Q3. While the skill-based real money gaming grew by 53 per cent in 9MFY22 over 9MFY21 and delivered break-even EBITDA in Q3 as against losses in previous quarters.

    “We have witnessed 75 per cent YoY growth in the esports segment for 9MFY22 led by strong growth in revenue across all sub-segments in Nodwin and SportsKeeda,” said Group CEO Manish Agarwal. “The addition of original IPs such as NH7 Weekender and expansion of our esports business into the Middle East via our acquisition of Publishme has further accelerated the growth momentum.”

    According to Agarwal, Nazara’s strategy of having a diversified portfolio across business segments in gaming continues to provide the company with a stable and strong platform on which we can continue to build future growth and success. “The company continues to remain committed to building multiple growth levers across gamified learning, freemium, esports, and skill-based real money gaming via growth in its current portfolio and the addition of more offerings in the ‘Friends of Nazara’ network through strategic M&A.”

  • Sportskeeda gears up for special coverage of 2020 Tokyo Olympics

    Sportskeeda gears up for special coverage of 2020 Tokyo Olympics

    New Delhi: The countdown for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics has begun, and fans couldn’t be more excited. The biggest sporting spectacle starts in less than 10 days while adhering to all the necessary Covid-19 protocols.

    Multi-sports platform Sportskeeda, which recently claimed the number two spot on the Comscore sports website rankings in India is also set to bring all the major action from the Olympics. The platform has been previously recognised for its coverage of Olympic Games Rio 2016 by then sports minister Ajay Maken.

    This year, Sportskeeda aims to bridge the gap between the viewers and the on-field action with the latest updates through several avenues like Medal Tally tracker, Live Blogs, Exclusive Videos, Expert Analysis, Feature Articles, SKLive video series, and much more, it announced on Thursday.

    The experts’ panel at Sportskeeda will consist of former Olympics athletes and sporting legends like Anju Bobby George, Srikanth Kidambi, Abhinav Bindra, Vijender Singh, and Somdev Devvarman, along with several seasoned journalists.

    Sportskeeda’s Olympics content head, Suromitro Basu said, “Olympic Sports content has always been a core part of Sportskeeda’s editorial coverage, and we plan to engage our users with engaging content throughout the Games. A pool of top experts, journalists, and athletes will regularly bring out all the relevant narratives covering the whole gamut of India’s contingent and Sportskeeda also offers customized and innovative brand integration/advertising options on its platform, which would enable brands to reach out to a large audience during the event.”

    People all over the world have had to brave several tough setbacks during the pandemic, and that includes Olympics athletes who have spent their whole lives training for this moment. India’s formidable contingent of 119 athletes, with the likes of PV Sindhu, Saurabh Chaudhary, and Neeraj Chopra will be cheered by billions back home as they strive to attain glory at the Games. “Sportskeeda wishes them all the very best for Tokyo, and the Sportskeeda team will be at the forefront, cheering for and celebrating their incredible feats,” he said.

    Founded in 2009, Sportskeeda claims to serve 200Mn+ readers annually and clocks 50Mn+ monthly users with its vibrant coverage of sports like Cricket, Football, Olympic Sports, Wrestling, Esports, and Gaming.

  • Football transfer expert Fabrizio Romano joins hands with Sportskeeda

    New Delhi: Global sports and esports news website Sportskeeda has announced a collaboration with Italian football expert Fabrizio Romano, ahead of an action-packed season for football fans across the globe.

    Starting now, Sportskeeda’s readers will be treated to in-depth analysis and exclusive transfer news of some of the biggest names in the industry, said the website. Fans can also enjoy football breaking news, previews, features, and post-match analysis.

    Fabrizio Romano is currently one of the most trusted voices in the football community, with over six million followers across social media platforms. The Italian transfer pundit also had a special message for fans after confirming his collaboration with the news website.

    “So happy to announce that I will be collaborating with Sportskeeda to share some of my transfer news with you,” Fabrizio said. “Thank you for this opportunity!”

    This is Fabrizio’s first collaboration with an Indian sports platform, and Sportskeeda will now provide its readers with a steady stream of exclusive content in the 2021 transfer window, said the website in a statement.

    Sportskeeda Football, senior content manager, Ashwin Hanagudu said, “We are thrilled to work with Fabrizio. We wanted to give our readers, across the globe, a unique experience befitting a true fan.”

    Founded in 2009, Sportskeeda is the go-to platform for hardcore fans. It covers sports like Football, Wrestling, eSports and Gaming, MMA, NBA, NFL, Cricket, and more. The platform serves 200 million annual and 50 million monthly users, serving fans across India, US, Canada and the UK.

  • HDFC Life Partners with Sportskeeda for IPL 2021

    HDFC Life Partners with Sportskeeda for IPL 2021

    National, 19th April 2021 – After a successful partnership during IPL 2020, HDFC Life Insurance Company Limited, a leading long-term life insurance solutions provider in India, signs official sponsorship with Sportskeeda yet again for IPL 2021. 

    Despite matches being played behind closed doors amid a surge in pandemic related cases in India, a week and 8 matches into IPL 2021, we have already witnessed one of the most unique seasons in IPL history with some high octane clashes, giving a glimpse of the zealous competition that’s about to unfold in the upcoming days.

    Sportskeeda, who recently became the 2nd largest sports website in India (Source: As per Comscore’s Mobile Metrix Media Trend Report, India Data, Sports Category, July 2020 to Jan 2021, Mobile Web & App, Unique Visitors) is among the top media platforms that bring comprehensive IPL news to people every season, and this year’s association between the two involves a 360-degree approach in creating awareness about the HDFC Life products via properties like display banner promotion, social media posts, content integration along with high impact ad which provides a much more interactive ad experience to the users. This lies in line with HDFC Life who has proven to be an award-winning one-stop-shop for all things insurance, including a range of individual and group insurance solutions that meet various life stage needs of customers like Protection, Pension, Savings & Investments, Health, etc.

    Apart from this, Sportskeeda also introduced an exclusive video IP called Sar Utha Ke Jiyo Moments Powered by HDFC Life. A weekly video series, Sar Utha Ke Jiyo Moments is a show where a host and a guest speaker break down top moments of the week such as a last-ball thriller or a great knock in tough conditions, etc. Promoting the video IP through articles, announcement posts, swipe up stories and social media contests are elements geared towards adopting a well rounded approach in campaign amplification.

    Vishal Subharwal, Executive Vice President & Head of E-commerce & Digital Marketing from HDFC Life said,”One can draw numerous parallels between the age old game of cricket and securing your future with the right life insurance.Everything from planning and making the right choices with a long term view, starting early and adapting as per the needs of the stages you’re in, to being prepared for uncertainties and having contingency plans, the two mirror a lot of these principles and HDFC Life’s alliance with Sportskeeda intends to convey this message to the audience”.

    Speaking on this, Sportskeeda’s Business Head, India, Kanav Sud said, “We had previously worked with HDFC Life during both the 2019 and 2020 IPL seasons and it is an absolute pleasure to serve them again. We are excited to see how our new offerings help HDFC Life in reaching out and engaging their target audience and hoping to make this endeavor a grand success once more”.

  • Sportskeeda becomes the 2nd Largest Sports Website in India – Source: Comscore

    Sportskeeda becomes the 2nd Largest Sports Website in India – Source: Comscore

    Sportskeeda, one of India’s top online sports platforms, recently announced that it has claimed the No. 2 spot on the Comscore sports website rankings in India. The milestone is particularly significant given its timing, coming as it does amid the plethora of problems being faced by the media industry.

    Digital sports media saw a sharp decrease in consumption early last year, due to the cancellation of several major sports events across the globe. But Sportskeeda still managed to multiply its audience and establish new records and is now second only to Cricbuzz in India.

    Sportskeeda registered its largest-ever readership numbers during IPL 2020. The website saw 102 million unique users and 1.8 billion ad impressions between 19 September 2020 and 10 November 2020.

    During 2020 Sportskeeda also became the No. 1 esports news publisher in the country, having expanded its coverage into several different segments. In addition, the company has seen considerable success with its new video formats; series like SK Live, SK Tales, Freehit, and Rubaru as well as other snackable, short-form sports videos have garnered plenty of positive response from users.

    Speaking about the landmark moment, Porush Jain, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Sportskeeda said:

    “Sportskeeda has had humble beginnings, and it is overwhelming to see that today we stand second in the Comscore rankings for sports websites in India. It's a tough business and a tough market, but sports fans have given their verdict. Credit goes to the strong team of content creators and managers that have been with us for over a decade now! The team is more driven than ever, and this new milestone will only serve as another source of motivation. We will continue to focus all our energies on serving the most entertaining content possible for hardcore sports fans."

    Sportskeeda’s commitment to generating quality content and prioritizing its users at every step has been pivotal in its phenomenal growth over the last few years. The company looks poised to keep the momentum going and eventually become the ultimate platform for sports fans.

  • DHL Partners with Sportskeeda for ISL 2020-21

    DHL Partners with Sportskeeda for ISL 2020-21

    NEW DELHI – DHL Express has signed the official sponsorship with Sportskeeda for Indian Super League 2020-21. The big-ticket football event in India, the Indian Super League got underway on 20 November 2020.

    Sportkeeda’s impactful and design-led ad properties customized for DHL Express, for instance, are tailored to be an interactive and aesthetically pleasing experience for the users, while effectively delivering the brand’s communication. This lies in line with DHL Express, whose wide range of express services, along with shipping and tracking solutions makes shipping online a seamless and delightful experience.

    Apart from this, Sportskeeda and DHL Express intend to run a series of contests across various social media platforms throughout the duration of ISL 2020-21, aimed at engaging the audience while simultaneously keeping them informed and entertained, with the victors being announced every week and receiving accolades from DHL Express.

    “We are delighted to announce our 6th consecutive association with the ISL this season. To DHL, the ISL represents our core brand values of passion, speed, teamwork, and a can-do spirit. And we are pleased to be working with the team at Sportskeeda to curate engaging content in innovative formats. I am certain, through this engagement, we will be able to build resonance with millions of viewers across the nation.” said DHL Express India VP – sales and marketing Sandeep Juneja. 

    Sportskeeda COO Ajay Pratap Singh said, "DHL has been one of our premium partners when it comes to advertising during the ISL. Our team has worked very closely with the DHL India team to chalk out an effective plan focused on maximizing user engagement. We look forward to delivering an engaging campaign!"