INOX Leisure, the Indian multiplex chain, has announced a tie-up with the Esports Federation of India (ESFI) to host and promote esports tournaments across the country, according to media reports.

INOX has been named the official cinema partner for the ESFI. The multiplex operator will host viewing parties and esports events of EFSI at multiplexes in India. In October last year, INOX’s rival PVR had entered into a similar pact with NODWIN Gaming to stream e-sports in cinemas.

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Alok Tandon, Chief Executive Officer, INOX Leisure said, “We are thrilled to bring the action of esports to the cinemas of INOX in collaboration with Esports Federation of India who has been working relentlessly to grow Indian esports and together, make esports, a mainstream sporting activity in India. Our cinemas are present at highly urbane and youth-centric locations servicing the entertainment needs of a predominantly young population in an unmatched ambience equipped with advanced cinema technology.“

Lokesh Suji, director of EFSI and the vice-president of the Asian Esports Federation, said many top esports talents come from tier-II and III cities and this will help hone their talent and bring it to the fore.

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According to INOX, this deal will help take esports to a wider audience by letting people not only play tournaments through the year at select cinema venues but also for fans to come and watch the tournaments at their venues. This is INOX’s first venture into esports. The company earlier partnered with a number of Indian sports teams and organisations. This deal will enable cinemas as venues to host esports tournaments, stream live tournaments, provide training opportunities, and offer a talent scouting platform for future global events.

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INOX is also a long-term partner of the Indian Olympic Association and operates more than 150 multiplexes in 71 cities across the country. INOX said it had been supporting Indian sports through collaborations in the past. It has also screened and marketed other sporting tournaments like the ICC World Cup and Olympics 2020. In October 2021, INOX streamed the ICC T20 world cup live in select cinemas in 12 Indian cities.

Popular battle royale game PUBG is one of the games listed in the medal category of Asian Games scheduled from September 10th to September 25th, 2022. The Games will be hosted in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China. The list of titles announced in September includes the names of FIFA, Dota 2, and League of Legends.