Fantasy Akhada: Going Full Steam

Fantasy Akhada: Going Full Steam Ahead

WORDS BY MRINAL GUJARE

The world of fantasy sports is bursting with action and a lot of energy. More so now that things have become better compared to early days of the pandemic. Thanks to its physical counterpart coming back, the online fantasy sports industry has been making headlines for the sheer number of people signing-up on various platforms. India is a country where the game of cricket is a religion and the cricketers are worshipped like demigods. Fans are making sure to break records and create newer ones even with their fantasy gaming scores. Other games like fantasy football, basketball, and golf are also picking up pace. It is crucial to know what keeps this industry going and what a fantasy sports operator does to keep players hooked. We at Gutshot Magazine spoke to the co-founder of Fantasy Akhada, Sumit Jha,

to find out what’s in store for this buzzing industry.

What is Fantasy Akhada aiming to achieve in the Indian Fantasy Sports market?

As a brand, our vision is to drive sports engagement in the country forward. Research also suggests that fantasy sports is a key lever for increased interest in sports and we want to leverage this by giving sports fans in India some innovative gameplay options.

What were the challenges faced by the brand in the initial phase?

To begin with, there are a lot of players that are entering the market and hence the challenges we face are two-fold. Firstly, there are credibility issues in the minds of the consumers pertaining to new apps and secondly, the challenge to retain consumers in a competitive market is bigger than before.

What was the idea behind bringing Harsha Bhogle on board?

The vision of our organization is to drive sports engagement in the country. It will not be an understatement to say that he is the epitome of driving sports engagement in India with his legendary career as a broadcaster. I believe we are blessed to have him by our side.

How will the presence of Harsha Bhogle as an investor cum brand ambassador empower the brand?

Harsha Bhogle’s presence lends our brand enormous credibility and a solid push amongst the cricket fans in the country. Additionally, his understanding of the sports fans in India and his desire to learn about the fantasy sports business is a blessing for us since he came on board.

How do you think Fantasy Akhada is different from other fantasy sports platforms in India?

Customer centricity and focus on sports fans while designing our gameplay options differentiates us from the competition in a big way.

How was the business impacted due to COVID-19?

The nature of our business is such that when sporting action came to a complete standstill, there was no business for us for about 45 odd days. However, once the sporting world opened up, we have seen a surge in participation by users. In fact, the variety of sports and tournaments preferred by users has also increased significantly.

How do you foresee the growth and expansion of the brand pre and post IPL 2021?

Indian Premier League (IPL), in any given year, sees a massive surge in the activity among fantasy sports users in India. The period of 2020-21 is a unique case where 2 IPLs will happen within a space of 4-5 months. Hence, we expect the industry to be slightly slow before IPL and then take off with a T20 heavy calendar in 2021 including the ICC WT20. However, the PSL 2021 Season is also about to kick-start from 20 February and we expect excitement among users for this tournament too.

What are the future plans of Fantasy Akhada with respect to its expansion in the country?

We are already present across India. We will be looking to raise our Series A round of funding postIPL 2021 and focus on being aggressive with our technology and user acquisition plans.