As an attempt to bring esports to a mainstream audience in India, Bollywood actor and singer Tiger Shroff has been named the brand ambassador for India’s first franchise-based esports league, Esports Premier League.
The league has teamed up with Singaporean online game developer Garena to create an exclusive gaming platform for Free Fire, one of the popular Battle Royale games currently played in India.
With the majority of the 1,4 billion Indian population being youth, the Bollywood sensation also known for his passion for sports and Mixed Martial Arts will connect esports to the mainstream as the inaugural edition of the league promises to bring the excitement of esports through its nationwide tournament with lakhs of registrations that have commenced this week. The preliminary rounds will engage in a highly competitive contest as eight teams will be chosen in the third round who will go on to contest in the grand finale.
Following the signing Tiger Shroff said, “I am really excited to collaborate with Esports Premier League. This opens a tremendous opportunity to recognize the growing talent in esports in India. As the world’s first franchise-based model in esports, ESPL will surely help in putting India first on the global map. Esports fans and gamers are shaping the future of entertainment and sports. And I’m glad to represent this force of the future.”
ESPL, whose core structure is franchised city-based teams, has kicked off this week. Matches will be streamed on linear TV through the OTT platform Disney+ Hotstar, and on YouTube and Facebook channels of India Today and Aaj Tak and its websites.
