Esports orgs now the new-age marketing agencies | Brands tapping on the power of CTV | Delhi HC slams Baba Ramdev's 'indefensible' Rooh Afza remarks

Storyboard18 brings you top five news updates from the world of advertising, marketing and business of brands.

By  Storyboard18Apr 22, 2025 9:25 PM
Esports orgs now the new-age marketing agencies | Brands tapping on the power of CTV | Delhi HC slams Baba Ramdev's 'indefensible' Rooh Afza remarks
As esports organizations continue to mature into hybrid creators-marketers-broadcasters, the line between “agency” and “org” blurs.

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We bring you top five news updates from the world of advertising, marketing and business of brands.

Eliminating the middlemen: Esports orgs are now the new-age marketing agencies

In India’s fast-evolving digital ecosystem, a quiet revolution is underway—and it's not happening in traditional ad boardrooms. It's unfolding on live streams, Discord servers, and inside the war rooms of India’s top esports organizations, which are no longer just about gaming.

With competitive esports revenue streams proving unstable and unsustainable, many of these organizations are ditching their old playbooks and reinventing themselves as full-blown marketing agencies. And in doing so, they’re not just surviving—they’re cannibalizing the turf of legacy media agencies.

Inside CTV's explosion: How brands are leveraging immersive storytelling and data

Marketers often face a critical trade-off: TV's mass reach at efficient costs versus CTV's targeted reach at higher costs, some settle for one of the two while others attempt to strike a balance.

This balancing act has become more important as digital behaviors evolve and streaming becomes widespread in Indian households, Connected TV (CTV) is becoming a non-negotiable in media strategies, especially for brands eyeing premium audiences.

With 40 million CTV households in India and a 21% year-on-year growth, marketers are increasingly leaning into the format for its ability to blend immersive storytelling with data-driven precision.

'If you play Rummy, I’ll become Mummy': Tamil Nadu’s RMG case reaches final stage

In a courtroom exchange that blended wit with warning, the Tamil Nadu Advocate General quipped, “If you play Rummy, I will become Mummy,” capturing the state’s stern stance on real money gaming (RMG) during an ongoing legal battle in the Madras High Court. The remark, though light-hearted, underscores the deeper paternalistic approach the state has taken toward online gaming regulation.

On Monday, the Madras High Court Bench comprising Justices S.M. Subramaniam and K. Rajasekhar concluded oral hearings in a significant case involving online rummy and other real money games. The matter concerns the constitutionality of Tamil Nadu’s recent gaming law, which the petitioners argue places arbitrary and excessive restrictions on their operations.

NCLT dismisses insolvency petition filed against Dentsu Communication India

The Mumbai bench of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) has reportedly dismissed an insolvency petition filed against Dentsu Communication India by Rohit Plastopack Pvt Ltd, citing insufficient evidence to substantiate the alleged operational debt of Rs 5.42 crore.

The tribunal, in its order of April 4, 2025, noted the absence of crucial documentation, such as delivery receipts or weighbridge slips, to confirm the actual delivery of goods to Dentsu Communication.

'Shocks conscience of court': Delhi HC slams Baba Ramdev's 'indefensible' Rooh Afza remarks; asks to take down ad

The Delhi High Court has criticized yoga guru Ramdev for his "sharbat jihad" remark, calling it shocking and offensive. The court has directed Baba Ramdev’s Patanjali to immediately remove advertisements that labeled Hamdard’s popular drink Rooh Afza.

The court emphasized that such statements have the potential to harm communal harmony and violate public order.

Stay tuned to Storyboard18's FAST FIVE from the world of advertising, marketing and business of brands.

First Published on Apr 22, 2025 9:25 PM

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