In a packed arena echoing with chants for their favorite teams, Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) has proven that competitive video gaming can draw crowds rivaling traditional sports. This mobile battle royale – a localized reincarnation of PUBG Mobile – has seen a spectacular resurrection in India. Unbanned in mid-2023 after a year in limbo, BGMI roared back with tournaments boasting lakhs of live viewers and multi-crore prize pools.
The 2023 BGMI Series (BGIS) – the first major event post-unban – offered a hefty ₹2 crore purse and attracted 233,000 peak concurrent viewers. Such numbers underscore a simple truth: esports, once niche, is now mainstream entertainment in India. It is against this backdrop that BGMI’s publisher, Krafton, has floated a bold proposition – an IPL-style franchised league for BGMI. Krafton touts it as “the foundation of a long-term sporting ecosystem with the potential to rival the world’s most iconic leagues”.
But as India’s informed esports enthusiasts, we must ask: will franchising be a winner winner chicken dinner for BGMI, or a recipe for heartburn?
BGMI’s Rise: From Ban to Boom
India’s gaming ecosystem is rapidly expanding, now boasting over 450 million gamers with a staggering 400% rise in esports viewership over the past three years. BGMI sits at the epicenter of this boom. Since its return, it consistently tops download and revenue charts, shoulder to shoulder with Garena’s Free Fire.
Live events have been met with rapturous crowds, as seen in 2023’s first-ever BGMI LAN tournament – a sign that virtual battles are evolving into real-world spectacles. Top Indian esports organizations like Team Soul and GodLike – names once known only in gaming circles – now command mass followings akin to IPL cricket franchises. They’ve become incubators of youth icons: consider star players like Jonathan or Scout, who boast social media fandoms in the millions.
Yet BGMI’s current competitive structure remains an open ecosystem – essentially a meritocracy of the digital battleground. Any ragtag squad from any corner of India can climb from online qualifiers to national glory. Indeed, fresh underdog teams have often dethroned seasoned veterans. In late 2023, the little-known Gladiators Esports stunned pundits by clinching the BGIS championship, outplaying established giants.
More recently, Team XSpark – led by veteran player “Scout” Tanmay Singh – stormed through 2024’s majors, winning back-to-back titles and earning nearly $480,000 in prize money. These storylines – underdogs rising, champions reborn – have been the lifeblood of BGMI’s grassroots scene. It’s an open format that keeps hope alive for thousands of aspiring players and keeps fans coming back for the next Cinderella story.
The Lure of the Franchise League
Why, then, toy with a franchise model? Stability and investment are the operative words. A franchised BGMI league – modeled on the Indian Premier League’s success – promises a structured season with permanent, city-based or brand-based teams. For team owners and investors, it offers certainty: a guaranteed slot each season, shielding them from the roulette of open qualifiers.
This certainty, in theory, unlocks purse strings. Corporations, celebrities, and traditional sports team owners are far more likely to invest big in an esports team if they know it won’t be knocked out of the league next month. It’s no surprise Krafton’s bid invitation actively courts corporate and celebrity franchise owners to “become permanent stakeholders in India’s esports future”. The hope is that an influx of money and professionalism will elevate BGMI from a string of tournaments into a full-fledged sporting league.
For players, a franchise league could mean better salaries, coaching, and career stability. Today, many pro-BGMI players rely on tournament winnings and streaming income. A top squad in India costs roughly $12,000 per month in salaries for its players and coach, according to star player Scout’s estimate. Only the very top teams can earn that back in prizes. A franchise system, however, often comes with revenue-sharing: teams receive stipends, media rights income, and a cut of merchandise or in-game item sales.
An example lies in Global Esports (GE) – an Indian org that joined Riot Games’ Valorant franchise-style league in 2022. GE credits Riot’s partnership model for a fourfold surge in revenue, finally making them India’s first profitable esports organization.
Through in-game branded items, league stipends and profit-sharing, GE found multiple new income streams. It’s easy to see the parallel for BGMI: a stable league could similarly open the floodgates of monetization (think team-branded weapon skins or league media deals), turning teams into sustainable businesses rather than prize-money chasers.
A franchise league could also inject professionalism and prestige. Regular seasons, consistent scheduling, and marquee rivalries could turn BGMI into a spectator sport with appointment viewing. We’ve had a glimpse of this with 2022’s BGMI Masters Series, which made waves airing live on primetime television.
A permanent league might even attract major broadcasters or streaming deals, bringing esports further into India’s mainstream. There’s also the aspirational factor: city-based teams – say, a Mumbai Mavericks or Delhi Dominators – could build local fanbases and civic pride, just as IPL teams have. All of this would contribute to making esports a more respectable, long-term career option for Indian youth, addressing the perennial parental question of “gaming se career kaise banega?” with a confident blueprint.
Promises and Pitfalls: The Double-Edged Sword
However appealing the promise, franchising is a double-edged sword, and its sharp side can cut deep. The most immediate concern is the loss of an open ecosystem. By definition, a franchise league must narrow the field to perhaps a dozen or two teams. “When you create a franchising league, you naturally have to narrow down the teams to around fifteen to twenty,” explains Sean Sohn, CEO of Krafton India.
This means many existing teams and aspiring contenders would be locked out of the top competition by design. Today’s system where any upstart can make a mark would give way to a closed club. The grassroots talent pipeline could wither if not carefully managed – a worrying prospect for a scene that only recently bloomed. Krafton’s chief himself acknowledges that making such a league sustainable long-term is “tricky” and requires the “right timing, proper structure, and partners”. In other words, a misstep in design could stifle the very ecosystem it aims to nurture.
Then there’s the franchise fee – the price of entry. If modeled on other franchised esports, securing a BGMI team slot could cost crores of rupees. High entry fees are a double-edged sword: they raise the league’s prestige (and provide the publisher a windfall), but they also set a high bar that only big-money players can clear. Indian esports has more than a few passionate mid-tier orgs run on shoestring budgets; many of those would be unable to buy their way in. For a scene still finding its financial footing, this could mean fewer total teams and fewer opportunities for players. It’s worth noting that at least 18 Indian esports organizations shut down in 2024 alone amid an uncertain climate. An expensive league could exacerbate this consolidation, leaving us with a handful of well-capitalized teams and little else.
The cautionary tales from abroad are hard to ignore. Activision Blizzard’s Overwatch League (OWL) launched in 2018 with enormous fanfare – city-based teams, steep buy-ins, and hopes of a global esports breakthrough. Yet by 2023, reality had set in: those initial franchise fees of $20 million (and up to $35 million for later entrants) proved unsustainable, and the publisher moved to waive all remaining fees to prevent an exodus. Despite millions spent, OWL’s viewership fell short and several teams struggled to stay afloat, prompting concerns that the league might collapse entirely.
Its sister venture, the Call of Duty League, faced similar headwinds and calls for restructuring. These examples highlight a simple lesson: franchising is no silver bullet. Overestimating a game’s spectator appeal or the depth of fan wallets can leave owners and players in dire straits. Esports history is littered with leagues that launched with cricket-like ambitions only to scale down or shut shop when the business didn’t pan out.
Even when franchise leagues do survive, they can introduce a certain rigidity into the esport. Some critics argue that closed leagues can grow stale – teams are assured of their spot, so the hunger of open qualifiers diminishes. If a franchised BGMI league lacks mechanisms for fresh blood to enter (such as promotion from a lower division), it may see less of the thrilling churn that currently defines BGMI esports.
Fans could lose the romance of seeing an underdog story unfold. Over-commercialization is another pitfall: an excessive focus on franchise branding and revenue could make the scene feel manufactured, distancing it from the grassroots community that fueled BGMI’s initial success.
Lessons from the Global Arena
Looking beyond our shores, there are models to emulate – and avoid. Riot Games’ Valorant Champions Tour (VCT) offers a more tempered approach to franchising. Instead of charging eight-figure fees, Riot selected partner teams based on merit and region, creating leagues that mix stability with competitive integrity.
In VCT’s inaugural year, viewership soared (Valorant’s world championship drew over a million viewers globally), and crucially, Riot built a path for new teams via an “Ascension” tournament. In effect, this hybrid model safeguards against stagnation by giving top outsiders a chance to join the elite league each year. Valorant’s approach – also seen in League of Legends’ regional leagues – suggests that franchising need not slam the door on newcomers completely.
BGMI could take a page from this playbook, perhaps by maintaining an open qualifier route into the league or hosting parallel open tournaments like an Indian Esports Cup feeding talent to franchise teams.
On the flip side, the experiences of Overwatch and Call of Duty remind us that market reality must guide ambition. India’s esports viewership, while impressive and growing, is still a fraction of what cricket or Bollywood command. Any franchise framework must be right-sized to the Indian context. Perhaps the buy-ins need to be modest, or spread out via revenue share, to avoid burdening team owners.
Perhaps teams could be anchored to India’s diverse cities or colleges to tap into existing loyalties, rather than the purely brand-based city names of foreign leagues that failed to connect with local fans. Notably, other game titles in India are experimenting on a smaller scale: Pokémon Unite recently launched a franchise-based league in India, albeit quietly, to build its presence. Its progress (or struggles) might yield valuable insights into what works or doesn’t in our market.
Crucially, any franchise league must retain the spirit of competition. This means ensuring teams don’t grow complacent and that players below the top tier still have incentives and avenues to prove themselves. Perhaps non-franchise tournaments (third-party or semi-pro circuits) could run alongside the league, with standout performers earning draft opportunities or promotion spots.
The Indian esports audience, savvy and deeply invested, will not support a league that feels like a closed club of the same faces year after year with no change. They crave narrative – rivalries, yes, but also the emergence of new stars from the grassroots. A balance can be struck, but it will require keen design and willingness from Krafton to innovate beyond a copy-paste of Western franchise models.
The Road Ahead: Revolution or Evolution?
As things stand, India’s esports industry is at an inflection point. Analysts project the sector’s revenue to nearly quadruple from $40 million in 2022 to $140 million by 2027 (32% CAGR). The pool of esports players is swelling – from about 150,000 in 2021 to 600,000 in 2022, with an estimated 1.5 million by 2027. These numbers reflect a vast reservoir of talent and viewers, a foundation upon which a robust professional league could be built. There is also a cultural shift afoot: where esports once lurked in internet cafés and college hostels, it now finds mention in national news and prime-time TV.
A well-executed BGMI franchise league could further legitimize esports in India, winning over skeptics and even drawing government support for treating esports as a “real sport”. Consider that the Indian government recently recognized esports as part of multi-sport events – the momentum towards mainstream acceptance is undeniable.
Yet, one cannot ignore the unique challenges of the Indian context. Regulation and political sensitivities have already intervened in BGMI’s journey – the game’s ban in 2020 (as PUBG Mobile) and again briefly in 2022 over data sovereignty concerns show that external risks remain. Franchise investors would be entering a field where the game itself could be jeopardized by factors beyond the publisher’s control.
How might a franchise league insulate itself against such shocks? These are questions future owners and league administrators must weigh, perhaps by diversifying game titles or securing policy assurances.
Moreover, the audience’s paying power is a consideration. Esports fans in India are numerous, but monetization per user (through tickets, subscriptions, or merchandise) is generally lower than in Western or East Asian markets. An IPL-style league with city teams, celebrity owners, and glitzy production will undoubtedly raise costs – will the Indian fan base respond with equivalent financial support? Overhyping and overspending could lead to a bubble that, if burst, sets the scene back years.
A prudent approach might be to start smaller: maybe 8-10 teams, reasonable fees, and a mix of online and LAN events, gradually scaling up as the market matures.
Striking a Balance for the Winner’s Circle
So, should BGMI adopt a franchise model? The answer, perhaps infuriatingly, is yes – but carefully. The potential rewards are enticing: a stable league could attract the kind of investment and infrastructure that catapult Indian esports onto the world stage. It could turn passionate gamers into household-name athletes and give India a shot at being not just a participant but a leader in global esports.
The franchise route may well be the catalyst that professionalizes the scene, providing year-round content for fans and careers for players, coaches, and even college prospects dreaming of the big leagues. In short, it could be the game-changer that cements esports as a permanent pillar of India’s sporting culture.
However, this should not be a blind leap. The architects of a BGMI league must ensure that in gaining a shiny new league, we don’t lose the soul of what made BGMI esports special. Grassroots accessibility, competitive integrity, and financial realism must be the pillars of any franchising plan. Hybrid models that allow open qualification, controlled franchise costs, and revenue-sharing that truly trickles down to players will be key to success. In the end, India’s esports future shouldn’t have to choose between grassroots and glory – it can have both.
Our informed guess is that Krafton and the ecosystem will attempt to strike this balance. After all, the company’s own leadership voices caution even as they express ambition. The coming months (and the bids that flow in) will reveal how the community of orgs and investors values BGMI’s future.
And for the millions of fans, one hopes the end result is a thriving scene where talent from every corner of India can dream big, whether inside the franchise structure or climbing up to it. Should BGMI adopt a franchise model? Only if it serves the players and fans as much as the proprietors. If done right, it could herald a golden era for Indian esports. But if done wrong – chasing quick profits or vanity projects – it risks killing the golden goose mid-flight.
The stakes, like a BGMI final circle, are high. India’s esports aficionados are watching keenly. A franchise league for BGMI could indeed be the last piece that completes the puzzle of making competitive gaming a mainstay in India. But it must be pursued with wisdom gleaned from past follies and a commitment to nurturing the scene’s raw talent. In this high-stakes play, pragmatism is the real power-up.
If the decision-makers get it right, they won’t just secure chicken dinners for themselves – they’ll ensure the whole ecosystem emerges victorious. And that, in the end, is a victory worth fighting for.
