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Nazara Technologies Ltd. – Business Update for the year ended on March 31, 2021

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In accordance with SEBI (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulation, 2015 and Code of Practices and Procedures for Fair Disclosure of Unpublished Price Sensitive Information in terms of Regulation 8 of SEBI (Prohibition of Insider Trading) Regulations, 2015, the Company would like to update on the following key business parameters on consolidated basis for the Year ended March 31, 2021

Business Overview:

Nazara is an India based, diversified gaming and sports media platform with presence in India and across emerging and developed global markets such as Africa and North America.

As of March 31, 2021, Nazara has diverse business segments with revenue generation happening across gamified learning, Esports, freemium and telco subscription.

S. No. Business Segment Business Model Content IP Ownership IP Name % Revenue Contribution FY21
1 Early learning Gamified App for 2–6 year old kids with subscription paid by parents Yes Kiddopia 39%
2 Esports Premium exclusive content / (Media rights licensing) & brand sponsorships (ads shown on the platform) Yes Nodwin, Sportskeeda 37%
3 Freemium Ads & virtual items purchased within the games Yes WCC 4%
4 Telco Subscription Business Players subscribing to curated game packs and payment collected through telecom operator channel No 16%
5 Skill Based Real Money Gaming Platform fee collected from the skill games played on the platform Yes Halaplay, Qunami 4%

 

Income Statement Performance: Snapshot of FY21 over FY20

Key Highlight of FY21: Delivered 84% YoY revenue growth and 470% YoY EBITDA growth

Revenue Performance: Snapshot – FY21 when compared to FY20

Nazara Technologies delivered consolidated revenue of 4,542 Mn INR (unaudited) in FY21 which is 84% growth over FY20 (2,475 Mn INR). Gamified learning and Esports segments have not only demonstrated strong growth momentum in FY21 but have also laid foundation for predictable growth on account of proven user engagement and retention KPIs in gamified learning and multiyear media licensing and game publisher agreements in case of Esports.

Segment wise revenue breakup is as follows:

Revenue INR Mn FY21

(unaudited)

FY20

(audited)

% Growth
Gamified Learning 1,758 191* 820%
Esports 1,701 842* 102%
Freemium 195 198 (2%)
Telco Subscription 749 818 (8%)
Real Money Gaming 139 426 (67%)
Total Revenue 4,542 2,475 84%

*included from date of acquisition in the consolidated financial statement for FY20.

Consolidated EBITDA Performance: Snapshot – FY21 when compared to FY20

EBITDA including share of non-controlling interest for FY21 has witnessed 470% growth over FY20.

Particulars FY21

(unaudited)

FY20

(audited)

EBITDA margin 12% 4%

 

As Nazara is operating in high growth business segments such as gaming, gamified learning and Esports, we will continue to drive profitable growth while prioritizing growth over profit maximization at this stage so that we can achieve and maintain market leadership in the segments we operate in.

Segment wise commentary on business performance:

  1. Gamified Learning: Kiddopia had 340,282 paying subscribers as of March 2021 which is a 172% increase in number of paying subscribers as compared to March 2020 (197,522).

LTV (Lifetime Value) – CAC (Consumer Acquisition Cost) Parameters: Cost per trial has stayed range bound between 22 USD to 26 USD in last 12 months and activation ratio from free trial to subscription has also remained around 70%.  Monthly ARPU of the user has been around 6.3 – 6.4 USD and monthly churn is range bound between 4% – 6% across the months in FY21.

  1. Esports: Esports revenues comprise of media rights licensing of own content, brands sponsorships for offline and online events, licensing fee received from game publishers for community activation and programmatic inventory selling on Sportskeeda. Esports is disrupting traditional sports worldwide and is an outcome of sports and gaming intersecting to create fast paced spectator entertainment content.
  • Sportskeeda witnessed 487% growth in MAU in FY21. During peak cricket season (October 2020), Sportskeeda recorded 68.44 Mn MAU up from 10.53 Mn MAU in April 2020.Sportskeeda has emerged as a leading Esports news and content destination in India.
  • Nodwin continued revenue growth momentum with 75% growth in FY21 over FY20. Media rights contributed to majority of the revenues in FY21 and game publishers formed second largest source of revenue wherein Nodwin partnered with them for grass route community tournaments across India. Nodwin also expanded into South Asia in FY21. Nodwin continues to be the dominant player in Esports in India with its marquee IPs like ESL India premiership, Dew Arena etc.
  1. Free to Download (Freemium): WCC (World Cricket Championship) is the world’s largest cricket simulation game franchise on mobile and is played for ~46 minutes / day by over 15 Mn monthly active users. The Game has a very strong franchise among the midcore gamers who love virtual sports simulation genre and gets over 100,000 downloads every day organically and without any marketing spends. WCC revenues were flat in FY21 on account of drop in advertising rates in India due to COVID. We expect growth in WCC to come from in app purchases of virtual goods and WCC3 – the latest version of the game launched in July has been designed for enhancing in-app purchase conversion rates.
  • Scale of Daily Active Users (DAUs) of world cricket championship (WCC) is stable with few spikes seen during first phase of lockdown in April 20 and during IPL 20.
  • Tangible progress has been made on % conversion ratio (daily paying to daily active users (DPU/ DAU)) in FY21 via launch of WCC3. The % conversion in WCC3 has increased multi-fold to 0.08% – 0.10% as compared to 0.01% in WCC2. % Conversion in WCC3 is expected to increase further in FY22 through new product updates.

 

Once positive LTV/CAC equation is achieved, the company will invest aggressively in user acquisition to scale up its user base on WCC and drive profitable growth.

  1. Telecom operator driven Subscription business declined by 8% in FY21 over FY20 primarily due to decline in India revenues in H2FY21. Nazara has acquired rights to distribute a library of premium Disney and Star Wars games based on iconic stories and characters including Star Wars, Frozen, Big Hero 6, Cars, Duck Tales, Finding Dory, Toy Story and many others in 100 countries for three years. These premium games will be distributed through Nazara’s network of telecom operators to their customer base. Under this agreement with Disney, Nazara is the only third party distributor that Disney has granted the right to create and operate Disney themed storefronts for premium Disney and Star Wars games on these telco channels.
  1. Sports Fantasy (Real Money Skill Gaming): Sports fantasy witnessed disruption in FY21 on account of lack of live matches in first half of FY21 and regulatory turbulence triggered by legislative ordinances passed in few of the large states banning real money gaming operations. The lack of stability in the regulatory framework lead to Nazara taking strategically cautious approach in this vertical till further clarity emerges. We have therefore pivoted to a product driven growth strategy versus an aggressive customer acquisition spends led strategy and the team is focused on enhancing existing as well as bringing new product features to differentiate ourselves in this segment.

 

About Non-Financial GAAP measurement

We use EBITDA as supplemental financial measures. EBITDA is defined by us as net income before interest expense, income tax expense and depreciation and amortization, including share of non-controlling interest. EBITDA as used and defined by us, may not be comparable to similarly-titled measures employed by other companies and is not a measure of performance calculated in accordance with GAAP. EBITDA should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for operating income, net income, cash flows from operating, investing and financing activities, or other income or cash flow statement data prepared in accordance with GAAP. EBITDA provide no information regarding a Company’s capital structure, borrowings, interest costs, capital expenditures and working capital movement or tax position.

These numbers have not been subjected to audit or limited review.

 

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Hero Esports Announces Venues for ACL Grand Finals 2025

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Hero Esports, an industry leader and the largest esports company in Asia, has announced its championship venues for the Asian Champions League (ACL) Grand Finals 2025 taking place May 16-18 in Shanghai. The landmark event will transform three of the city’s most iconic venues into battlegrounds for nine premier esports titles, cementing Shanghai’s status as the global esports capital.

The tournament is expected to attract 80,000+ live attendees across three venues, with global broadcasts reaching millions via Twitch, YouTube and TikTok. Participating teams will be competing for a total prize pool of $2 million. Selected ACL winners will earn direct entry to the Esports World Cup in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia—the largest esports event in history due to take place from July to August.

“Shanghai’s selection as our host city reflects its unmatched esports infrastructure and passionate community. By combining elite competition with DreamHack’s festival energy, we’re creating a new blueprint for global esports events,” said Jonny Wang, CEO of ACL.

“This is Hero Esports’ most ambitious project to date. The ACL bridges Asian talents with the world stage while delivering unforgettable fan experiences through cutting-edge production,” said Danny Tang, Co-Founder & CEO of Hero Esports.

The post Hero Esports Announces Venues for ACL Grand Finals 2025 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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LEADING SCORES APP LIVESCORE EYES ASIA GROWTH WITH EXPANDED BRAND PRESENCE IN THAILAND

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LiveScore, home to the world’s leading app for sports scores, announces it is expanding its brand activation and presence in Thailand. This development marks a significant milestone in its ongoing commitment to localising its services and engaging with football fans across Asia.

This strategic move highlights LiveScore’s commitment to expanding its presence in the region, beginning with Thailand and Indonesia. LiveScore has experienced substantial growth in Asia Pacific, with Thailand and Indonesia specifically representing a significant portion of LiveScore’s 7.6m users in Asia in 2024.

In line with this expansion, LiveScore has partnered with local agency, Holarchy, to enhance brand awareness and activation in the region. This step is crucial to the overall strategy aimed at engaging fans and brand partners throughout Asia. With the World Cup nearing, this expansion allows LiveScore to connect with dedicated football fans as it seeks to establish itself as the leading platform for football fans, and paves the way for exciting collaborations with regional brands.

This expansion showcases LiveScore’s ongoing commitment to Fuelling Fans’ Passion for Sport, providing localised content, live scores, and news that resonates with fans on a personal level.

To further cement its commitment to local audiences, LiveScore has launched its official Thai social media account, @livescore.th. LiveScore’s Thai-specific account will feature localised content from the global LiveScore account, complimented with content specifically crafted for Thai fans, making it easier than ever for fans to stay engaged with their favourite sports.

Beyond social, fans can look forward to a series of LiveScore events such as watch parties, with all activations designed to bring more fans closer to the games they love.

Dominic Vye, Marketing Director, LiveScore, said: “Sports, especially football, hold immense popularity across Asia. We’ve chosen Thailand as the first country for our Asia expansion because of the undeniable passion of Thai fans. From their vibrant love for food to their pride in national teams and unwavering enthusiasm for the Premier League, Thai fans stand out. With LiveScore already enjoying a strong following and a loyal user base, this expansion marks an incredibly exciting step forward for both us and the fans.”

“LiveScore has always been driven by our mission to Fuel Fans’ Passion for Sport, and the incredible passion of Asian football fans only motivates our commitment to building a personal connection with fans in every market. We’re witnessing a phenomenal growth as fans from all over the world engage with us more than ever, especially as excitement builds towards the World Cup in 2026, and we’re proud to provide them with real-time updates and content that is tailored to their interests and needs.

“This is just the beginning, and we’re looking forward to working with more like-minded brands committed to building meaningful connections with football fans across Asia.”

The post LEADING SCORES APP LIVESCORE EYES ASIA GROWTH WITH EXPANDED BRAND PRESENCE IN THAILAND appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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NOVOMATIC Announces New Strategic Distribution Partnership with Harvest Gaming

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NOVOMATIC has announced a new strategic distribution partnership with Harvest Gaming, a renowned company based in Singapore. This new venture marks an important step in NOVOMATIC’s strategy of expanding its presence across Asia and reinforces the Group’s long-term commitment to international growth through strong regional collaborations.

Under the new agreement, Harvest Gaming will represent NOVOMATIC’s leading portfolio of land-based gaming solutions in Singapore, Malaysia and Vietnam. With its in-depth market knowledge, excellent industry relations, and a customer-focused approach, Harvest Gaming is ideally positioned to support NOVOMATIC’s growth and deliver tailored solutions to local operators.

“We are delighted to partner with Harvest Gaming in order to strengthen our footprint in Southeast Asia. Their deep understanding of the regional markets and dedication to supporting our customers make them excellent representatives of the NOVOMATIC brand. This partnership will allow us to serve operators in Singapore, Malaysia, and Vietnam better with our tailored, high-performance gaming solutions,” Michael Barsin of NOVOMATIC Sales said.

“We are proud to be appointed as NOVOMATIC’s distributor for this important region. NOVOMATIC is globally recognized for its innovation, quality, and reliability – values that perfectly reflect our own business philosophy. We look forward to working closely with the NOVOMATIC team to support our customers and drive mutual growth in Southeast Asia,” Alfred Hwee, General Manager at Harvest Gaming, said.

This new partnership further expands NOVOMATIC’s global distribution network and enhances the Group’s ability to meet the specific needs of customers in one of the most dynamic regions of the international gaming industry.

The post NOVOMATIC Announces New Strategic Distribution Partnership with Harvest Gaming appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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