In a dramatic shift following the implementation of India’s stringent Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act (PROGA), 2025, which effectively banned real-money gaming, fantasy sports behemoth Dream11 has announced a complete overhaul of its core business model. Stripped of the paid contests that generated an estimated 95% of its revenue and 100% of its profits, the $8 billion unicorn is now betting its future on a radical pivot: becoming a global, creator-led ‘second-screen’ sports entertainment platform.
This move is not a temporary fix but a permanent exit from the gaming segment, as confirmed by Co-founder and CEO Harsh Jain. The company’s new strategy focuses on transforming the lonely act of watching sports into a communal, interactive experience, aiming to be the “popcorn to your movie.”
The Creator Economy: Solving the Solitary Sports Experience
Dream11’s new identity centers on the watch-along feature, designed to run parallel to a live TV or streaming broadcast. The company is actively moving to empower a community of sports content creators—from micro-influencers to established commentators—to host live streams during matches.
- Real-Time Engagement: Users on the revamped Dream11 app can now join these creator-led rooms to share reactions, engage in real-time banter, and participate in polls, quizzes, and free-to-play fantasy formats.
- The Power of the Creator: The streams are designed to be raw, spontaneous, and unfiltered. The creators, not the platform, become the focus. Dream11’s pitch is to provide a platform dedicated purely to sports engagement, unlike general video platforms, offering integrated scorecards and live stats directly within the creator’s feed.
- Emulating Global Success: CEO Harsh Jain explicitly compared the model to the success of Twitch in the gaming sector, which generates billions in revenue from creator-driven live content. Dream11 hopes to replicate this formula for the massive sports audience in India and internationally.
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Monetization Without Money Games
The regulatory ban meant Dream11 had to find revenue sources outside of entry fees for paid contests. The new model relies on two primary streams:
- Advertising: Pre-roll and mid-roll advertisements across the high-engagement live streams will be a primary revenue pillar.
- Virtual Currency & Shout-Outs: The platform introduces ‘DreamBucks’, a virtual currency users can purchase to unlock features like Shout-outs (highlighted messages) or Collaborations (a chance to join the creator’s video call). Crucially, the company has committed to a revenue-sharing model where the creators take the lion’s share of these earnings initially.
This strategic shift leverages a key behavioral insight: internal data shows that 80% of sports viewers already use a second screen (like a mobile phone) while watching live matches. Dream11 aims to formalize and monetize this habit.
A No-Layoff Promise and Global Ambition
Despite the catastrophic financial impact—losing nearly all its revenue overnight—Dream11 has committed to no layoffs, instead reorganizing its 1,200-strong workforce across eight distinct business units, including its streaming platform FanCode, Dream Sports AI, and a fintech venture, DreamMoney.
The new sports entertainment platform is launching globally in 11 countries, marking Dream11’s most significant international push. This bold pivot demonstrates remarkable resilience and agility, transforming a regulatory crisis into a creative re-invention, betting on the communal nature of sports fandom to chart its new course. The question now is whether the emotional, shared experience can generate enough revenue to sustain a former gaming giant.
I am a passionate content writer from the Chandigarh–Panchkula region. I am curious and love exploring diverse topics. At DailyBarta.in, I primarily write about video games and sports, bringing readers fresh insights, engaging analysis, and easy-to-understand breakdowns of the latest trends.
