Bat and Brew is revolutionizing cricket entertainment, offering an innovative platform that speaks directly to India’s passionate cricket fans. With a clear mission to reshape how the younger generation experiences the game, Bat and Brew is more than just a platform—it’s a movement. Cricket, in India, transcends sport; it’s a national obsession. Recognizing this, Bat and Brew delivers content that resonates deeply with this fervent fanbase, engaging millions with its fresh approach.
At the core of Bat and Brew’s vision is the desire to redefine cricket consumption. The platform combines fresh perspectives with immersive digital experiences to engage today’s tech-savvy audience. Its focus is on building an interactive community where fans don’t just watch the game—they live it. This groundbreaking approach also goes beyond traditional coverage, offering content that enhances viewer interaction and sets a new standard in cricket entertainment.
Leveraging the power of digital storytelling, Bat and Brew invites fans to embark on an exhilarating journey that celebrates cricket’s rich culture. With an emphasis on community-building and interactivity, the platform fosters a vibrant space where every cricket lover feels connected. It’s a vision that promises to transform the cricket landscape and ensure the sport’s magic continues to captivate future generations.
In an exclusive conversation with The Interview World, Ayush Singh, Co-founder and COO of Bat and Brew, delves into the platform’s development. He shares valuable insights into his business model, the technology driving the platform, and his long-term vision for the company. Here are the key takeaways from his interview.
Q: Can you elaborate on the gaming technology you are developing and highlight how it differs from existing products?
A: The growing interest in the Indian ecosystem has led many to seek financial gain, with a disturbing trend emerging: gambling. As foreign players flood the market with gambling products, India’s middle class is increasingly caught in an endless cycle. Despite gambling being illegal in India, these companies are pouring significant resources into influencer marketing, sports partnerships, and endorsements on sports platforms to gain traction.
One such example is the game Aviator, where people are losing money. This situation highlights a broader issue. Many individuals, particularly students, and the middle class, are eager to earn money but lack legal, skill-based avenues. Recognizing this need, we identified an opportunity to offer an alternative. Instead of gambling, why not create a platform where people can earn money through their skills? With this in mind, we are launching a cricket-based game that allows players to bat, climb the leaderboard, and earn money based on their performance.
Q: Can you describe your business model and how it drives growth and sustainability for your company?
A: Let me explain our business model and how we plan to generate revenue. We will host paid tournaments, offering players the chance to compete for rewards. This concept is reminiscent of the cricket games we played in our early days, where each participant contributed a small fee—say, 10 rupees—and the winner took home the prize. Our game, however, is entirely skill-based.
Here’s how it works: we will organize tournaments with a fixed entry fee, such as 10 rupees. Thousands of participants can join, and the top performers—typically the top 10—will earn rewards. Importantly, we’re not directly involving cash transactions in this process.
Instead, we are introducing an in-game currency. Players can buy this currency, which is equivalent to 1 INR. For example, in our game, Ballebazzi, the in-game currency is BC. Players can purchase 10 BCs for 10 rupees and use this currency to enter tournaments. After competing, winners will receive in-game currency as their reward, which they can later redeem for real money, minus any applicable government taxes and fees.
Q: You are also leading a media tech startup with a focus on gaming. Could you share more about the vision and goals behind this venture?
A: We operate a media tech startup with a growing community of over 50,000 cricket enthusiasts on Instagram and YouTube. Moreover, we plan to leverage this community to introduce our game and future products. Our ultimate goal is to create a truly immersive multiplayer cricket game, one that allows players to bat, bowl, and field—offering a complete cricket experience.
Currently, most cricket games on the market, globally, limit players to either batting or bowling, failing to capture the full essence of the sport. There’s no real sense of playing together with friends in a team. We aim to change that by creating a game where, for the first time, up to 20 friends can come together, chat via voice, connect, and enjoy a full cricket experience—digitally, right on their phones.
Q: What challenges did you encounter along the way, and how did you adapt and evolve to overcome them?
A: Given the limited time people have to play cricket physically, we saw an opportunity to create a digital alternative. However, this project required substantial funding. Since I don’t have a background in gaming, I reached out to investors for support. Building an AAA title would also require anywhere from Rs. 50 crores to Rs. 100 crores.
When we approached investors, their response was sceptical. They pointed out my lack of experience, questioned how we would monetize our community, and felt the funding request was too ambitious. In response, we decided to scale back. We chose to build a smaller product first—one that would allow us to monetize our community and create a proof of concept. Furthermore, this demonstrates our potential to investors, paving the way for future funding.
Q: What is the core technology powering this gaming platform, and how does it enhance the user experience?
A: The game is being developed on Unity due to its superior mobile compatibility. This will be a mobile-only game, and Unity is currently the most suitable technology.
Q: When are you formally launching this platform?
A: We have developed the MVP and are currently in the beta stage. We plan to launch in January 2025, though the timeline remains tentative. For now, we are focusing on refining the beta version.
Q: What is your vision for the company over the next 5 to 10 years, and what key milestones do you aim to achieve?
A: Our ambitious plan is to scale Ballebazzi to the level of industry giants like Dream11. At the same time, we aim to establish the largest cricket media house or content agency, both in India and globally. With India being the world’s largest cricket market, the growth potential is immense.
We are committed to making Ballebazzi a success, starting with our initial vision, “Dawn of Cricket.” If the concept remains relevant in 2-3 years, we will focus on building a leading gaming studio in India. What I’ve observed is that there’s a lack of enthusiasm for creating high-quality games here. Recently, a Chinese game, inspired by Wukong or Monkey King, generated nearly $500 million in just one month.
India is currently not prioritizing the creation of AAA-title games. The only publicly listed gaming company, Nazara Technologies, is investing heavily in developing high-caliber games similar to GTA. We see this as an opportunity to fill the gap in the market and aim to build India’s first true AAA game.
