How Esports Influencers Are Driving Sponsorship Success

Megh Gupte
Mar 3, 2025
3 min read

🎮 The Rise of Esports Influencers in India

Esports is no longer a niche segment in India—it's a $6.7 million sponsorship market that is attracting top brands, gaming companies, and digital advertisers. Unlike traditional sports sponsorships, esports sponsorships offer brands direct engagement with fans through streaming platforms, live interactions, and influencer-led marketing campaigns.

With influencers like Mortal, Dynamo Gaming, and ScoutOP leading the charge, Indian esports sponsorships are now:

✅ Driving higher engagement than traditional sports sponsorships. ✅ Providing brands with direct access to Gen Z and millennial audiences. ✅ Offering real-time marketing opportunities through Twitch, YouTube, and gaming tournaments.

Let’s explore how esports influencers are reshaping the sponsorship landscape in India.

📢 Why Esports Sponsorships Are Outperforming Traditional Sports Sponsorships

🔥 Hyper-Engaged Audiences

Esports fans don’t just watch—they actively participate in gaming communities, making sponsorships more interactive.
Example: BGMI esports tournaments drive millions of live-stream views, keeping audiences engaged for hours.

📱 Always-On Digital Marketing

Unlike traditional sports, esports is streamed 24/7 on YouTube, Twitch, and Instagram, making sponsorships always active.
Example: AMD’s gaming influencer partnerships resulted in higher product visibility across gaming communities.

💰 Cost-Effective, High-ROI Marketing

Esports sponsorships cost significantly less than IPL or football sponsorships but deliver higher engagement rates.
Example: Monster Energy’s esports sponsorship strategy helped it dominate India’s gaming beverage market without major TV ad spends.

📊 Case Study 1: How Red Bull Used Esports Influencers to Dominate Gaming in India

📌 Brand: Red Bull

📌 Strategy:

✅ Sponsored top Indian gaming influencers, including Mortal and ScoutOP.

✅ Created Red Bull M.E.O (Mobile Esports Open), a competitive gaming event.

✅ Used YouTube & Twitch collaborations to expand digital reach.

📌 Results:

✔️ 30% increase in brand recall among gamers.

✔️ Higher engagement than traditional sports sponsorships.

✔️ Positioned Red Bull as the go-to energy drink for gamers in India.

📊 Case Study 2: How AMD Used Gaming Influencers to Increase Product Sales

📌 Brand: AMD India

📌 Strategy:

✅ Partnered with top gaming influencers like CarryMinati & Mortal to promote gaming laptops and processors.

✅ Sponsored esports tournaments to showcase product performance in real-time.

✅ Used streaming integrations where influencers tested AMD-powered PCs live.

📌 Results:

✔️ 20% increase in gaming laptop sales.

✔️ Improved brand positioning as India’s preferred gaming hardware brand.

✔️ Higher digital ad engagement vs. traditional tech ads.

📢 How Indian Brands Can Use Esports Influencers for Sponsorship Success

🔹 Partner with India’s Top Gaming Influencers

Identify YouTube, Twitch, and Instagram creators who align with your brand’s target audience.
Example: Intel partnered with Mortal to promote its gaming processors through live streams.

🔹 Sponsor Tournaments & Esports Teams

Associating with popular gaming teams and esports events increases brand credibility.
Example: Paytm First Games sponsors BGMI & Valorant tournaments to promote its gaming platform.

🔹 Use In-Game Branding & Exclusive Offers

Brands can integrate sponsorships within games, streams, and influencer-led content.
Example: Monster Energy offered gaming-exclusive discounts through influencer campaigns.

🚀 How UNPAUZED Can Help

Esports influencer sponsorships are highly effective for digital-first brands. At UNPAUZED, we help brands:

✔️ Identify top-performing gaming influencers for impactful sponsorship deals.

✔️ Develop esports sponsorship campaigns that maximize brand visibility.

✔️ Leverage in-game advertising & digital activations for measurable ROI.

Want to dominate the esports sponsorship space? Let’s build your winning strategy—talk to us today.