In recent days fantasy cricket games are on a rise in India, among them, BalleBaazi.com is a unique Fantasy Gaming platform from the house of Baazi Games.
Unlike other fantasy apps like Dream11, BalleBaazi.com has introduced the industry-first Player Intelligence feature that allows users to have access to a plethora of in-depth information such as venue-specific performance history, fantasy point break-up, players’ form and batting position, alongside a specialization feature that detects the strength of an all-rounder.
BalleBaazi.com has created waves around the fantasy gaming industry by providing the best possible experience and a level playing field for enthusiasts alike. So, we got to interview the CEO, and Co-founder, BalleBaazi.com – Mr. Saurabh Chopra, and here’s the complete interview:
1. How BalleBaazi is different when compared to the competitors?
Ans. Unlike many other brands where the focus is primarily around rewarding users with a big prize pool, BalleBaazi follows a player-centric philosophy with a core objective centred around providing a wholesome gaming experience to the users. We believe that our product goes much ahead in terms of user enrichment features, which makes us one of the best fantasy sports gaming brands.
To enable our users with the best gaming experience, we have a robust reward tools and innovative features. One such innovative and industry first tool is our latest Player Intelligence feature that allows users to have access to a plethora of in-depth insights on the players, enabling the BalleBaazi community to take informed and strategic decisions while building their fantasy cricket team.
2. Please talk about the performance of BalleBaazi in India.
Ans. When we launched in January 2018, our product was a web-only amateur version with a lot of scope for improvement. We always tried to incorporate our consumers feedback to make the platform better. In these four years, we have become an omnipresent platform with a complete stack of Android, iOS and a state-of-the-art web client, wherein we are also powering gaming solutions, for many of the other gaming companies and some giants such as Flipkart.
Thanks to our technological driven prowess, today our product can provide scalable solutions, with a capacity of more than two lakhs concurrent users to play. We are setting new benchmarks and are now 7 million users strong, expecting to cross 9 million soon.
3. Please explain the speciality that the feature Player Intelligence brings to BalleBaazi.
Ans. We did thorough research to comprehend the expectation of a fantasy user as well as their approach towards engaging with the platform and making a team, whether for fun or for the cash prize. The insights made us realise that most people are relying on different platforms such as CricBuzz or Cric Info for players’ insights.
With an aim to make our platform a one-stop solution, we wanted to develop a tool providing crisp analysis of each player, embedded in the BalleBaazi app itself. A feature that eases the decision making and empowers the players with information and data under one ivory.
This resulted in a path-breaking feature – Player Intelligence. We are receiving positive responses from our users, and it is extremely encouraging to know that they are enjoying the feature.
4. Talk about the technological advancement in the Fantasy Sports Experience for Cricket.
Ans. Fantasy sports has become an integral part of almost all sports enthusiasts in India as participating in fantasy sports make them more engaged with the game. At BalleBaazi.com, our aim is to provide the best sporting experience to all the users and first-timers so that they keep coming back to our app to enjoy fantasy sports. Over the years, we have realized that data & stats play a very important part when it comes to sharing useful insights, and that’s how the Player Intelligence feature turned out to be our brainchild. For us, innovation is the only constant and therefore we will continue to innovate and improve the users experience from time to time.
5. Upcoming plans to improve BalleBaazi and how do you plan the second leg of IPL and World Cup?
Ans. With IPL and ICC T20 World Cup around the corner, we are all set to enjoy a stimulating time ahead. To add to the excitement, we have various initiatives in the pipeline. With BalleBaazi been recognized as one of the most rewarding platforms in the fantasy gaming space, we will up our game in this space and introduce a completely revamped reward structure for our loyal users. We will also be surprising our users with one of the biggest tournaments, giving them a chance to showcase their skills and win. All in all, I would request our users to stay tuned with us for some thrilling announcements.
6. Will Fantasy Sports apps and sites thrive in India? Many states are banning them, what’s your take on this?
Ans. Fantasy sports have come a long way as far as legal battles are concerned. There is a large user base for fantasy sports who play for fun. However, there’s also a significant number of players who also like to play and use their skills with real money. To address the same, the honourable Supreme court and High court have time and again cited the legality of the game. We are optimistic that with time all the states will come on board and will let fantasy and sports enthusiastic enjoy the game. We recently saw the Tamil Nadu government welcoming the decision to revoke the ban and allow the players to participate in fantasy sports as a game of skill. The Telangana government is also working towards the same, which will further improve the situation of fantasy sports in the country.
7. The future growth of BalleBaazi and the Business strategy you have for the Indian market.
Ans. BalleBaazi has performed well in the past three years, witnessing strong revenue growth year on year. This is our fourth year, and we are poised for strong growth this year as well. We are optimistic that BalleBaazi will be able to cross 10 Mn userbase while we are 7Mn strong already, therefore becoming one of the prominent players in the industry.
