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Google update hits publishers; Nazara's Sportskeeda sees 1–2 quarter recovery
Anirudh Kumar, Chief Strategy Officer at Sportskeeda, explained that the platform’s traffic drop stemmed from a Google core update--an occasional but impactful event for digital publishers
Sportskeeda's June quarter revenue declined to Rs 48.1 crore in Q1 FY26 compared to Rs 60.9 crore in Q1 FY25
Gaming company Nazara Technologies, which reported a 21% year-on-year decline for its sports media platform Sportskeeda, following a Google search algorithm, expects recovery in the next 2-3 quarters.
During the company’s quarterly earnings call, a Nazara spokesperson acknowledged that the quarter had been “disappointing” for Sportskeeda after a strong multi-year run. However, management expressed confidence in a turnaround.
Anirudh Kumar, Chief Strategy Officer at Sportskeeda, explained that the platform’s traffic drop stemmed from a Google core update--an occasional but impactful event for digital publishers. “We’ve been hit by a Google code update… this does happen occasionally to sites,” he said, adding that Nazara had previously navigated a similar challenge with its Pro Football Network (PFN) property.
Kumar added that new content properties are performing well, and the company remains optimistic about regaining momentum. “Based on internal observations and external benchmarks, recovery should take anywhere between one to two quarters,” he said.
Sportskeeda's June quarter revenue declined to Rs 48.1 crore in Q1 FY26 compared to Rs 60.9 crore in Q1 FY25. The EBITDA dropped from Rs 19.8 crore in Q1 FY25 to Rs 5.4 crore in Q1 FY26. The platform's organic traffic in the US dipped following Google’s March Core update. The average monthly users reduced to 61.6 million in Q1 FY25 to 61.3 million in Q1 FY26.
To mitigate the impact of Google updates, the sports platform said it has implemented a company-wide cost optimization program, including renegotiating variable content costs and rightsizing the team to align with current business needs. This has resulted in an 18% cost reduction in Q1FY26, with a target of 45% in Q2 FY26 (compared with Q4 FY25), according to the Q1 earnings of FY26.
"Based on our experience with a similar Google algorithm impact on our PFN property (which recovered in 2 quarters), we expect a return to traffic stability for Sportskeeda in the coming quarters," the platform added.
Sportskeeda, which acquired Soap Central, ITR/TJR, Deltia’s Gaming, and PFN grew by 242% YoY in Q1 FY26. Whereas, the new acquisitions (PrimeTimer, ITR, TJR) added Rs 1.1 crore in revenue this quarter.
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