JIOBLAST, the joint venture between Jio, RISE Worldwide and BLAST, has announced the appointment of Manish Patankar as VP-commercial partnerships.
Patankar brings over 12 years of experience in sports business, commercial strategy and IP monetisation across leading sports and entertainment organisations. His career includes senior roles at Collective Artists Network, ITW Consulting and IOS Sports & Entertainment, along with entrepreneurial experience at SahiCoin.
Across his previous portfolios, he has driven commercial strategy for major sports properties, expanded partnership revenues and executed deals with leagues, broadcasters, athletes and brands.
In his new role at JioBLAST, Patankar will oversee commercial strategy across esports properties and large-scale IPs, while leading partnerships, monetisation initiatives and integrated commercial opportunities across the JioBLAST ecosystem.
JioBLAST CEO Charlie Cowdrey said, “Manish brings a rare blend of sports IP experience, brand solutions and dealmaking. His ability to build value with brands will be instrumental as we scale JioBLAST into India’s largest multi-game esports platform. We’re thrilled to have him onboard as we expand our ambitions across events, partnerships and the Jio ecosystem.”
Patankar added, “Esports in India is at an inflection point, and JioBLAST is uniquely positioned to lead its next phase of growth. The vision to build marquee IPs, unlock mass participation, and create a commercially robust ecosystem is incredibly exciting. I’m looking forward to building long-term partnerships, elevating fan experiences, and contributing to a future where esports becomes a mainstream cultural force in the country.”
