What Led To Ajay Pratap Singh’s Departure From Absolute Sports?
Ajay Pratap Singh has stepped down as the Chief Executive Officer of Absolute Sports, the Nazara Technologies owned company that operates sports media platform Sportskeeda, ending a leadership tenure of more than three and a half years.
Singh announced his departure through a LinkedIn post, describing his journey at the company as one of the most rewarding phases of his professional career. While reflecting on the company’s growth and culture, he also hinted at his next move, stating that he is “officially moving to the other side of the table,” indicating plans to pursue entrepreneurship.
His exit marks another major leadership change at Absolute Sports, which has undergone significant expansion over the past few years through acquisitions and international growth initiatives.
How Did Ajay Pratap Singh Build His Career At Sportskeeda?
Singh joined Sportskeeda in November 2019 as Head of Marketing after working with organizations such as Dainik Bhaskar Group and Tally Solutions.
His contribution to the business quickly elevated him to the role of Chief Operating Officer, where he spent two years helping scale operations and strengthen audience growth across digital platforms.
In November 2022, Singh was appointed CEO of Absolute Sports following the departure of founder Porush Jain. The appointment placed him at the helm of one of India’s fastest-growing digital sports media businesses.
During his tenure as CEO, he played a central role in expanding the company’s global footprint and diversifying its content portfolio beyond sports journalism.
What Did Singh Say About His Journey At The Company?
In his farewell message, Singh highlighted the culture and people at Absolute Sports as the most memorable aspect of his journey.
According to him, the company’s meetings and brainstorming sessions often felt more like conversations among friends than corporate discussions. He credited the team for creating an environment that remained energetic, collaborative, and enjoyable throughout his tenure.
Rather than focusing solely on business milestones, Singh emphasized that the workplace culture was one of the company’s greatest achievements during his leadership.
How Did Absolute Sports Expand Under Singh’s Leadership?
One of the most significant developments during Singh’s tenure was the transformation of Absolute Sports from a single-brand operation into a diversified digital media portfolio.
When he assumed leadership, Sportskeeda remained the company’s primary brand. Over the following years, Absolute Sports completed several strategic acquisitions across sports, gaming, wrestling, and entertainment categories.
The acquisitions included Pro Football Network, College Football Network, Deltia’s Gaming, Soap Central, TJRWrestling, ITRWrestling, and Primetimer.
These deals expanded the company’s reach across international markets and enabled it to build a portfolio of eight content brands catering to diverse audience segments.
The acquisition-led strategy helped Absolute Sports establish itself as a broader digital media company rather than solely a sports publishing platform.
How Has Nazara Technologies Strengthened Its Ownership Of Absolute Sports?
Nazara Technologies first invested in Absolute Sports in 2019, acquiring a majority stake for approximately ₹44 crore.
Over the years, the gaming and digital media company gradually increased its ownership through multiple transactions.
In March 2025, Nazara completed the acquisition of the remaining stake in Absolute Sports, making the company a wholly owned subsidiary.
The move reinforced Nazara’s ambitions in digital content and media while giving it full control over the future direction of Sportskeeda and the broader Absolute Sports portfolio.
What Challenges Did Absolute Sports Face In FY26?
Despite its expansion efforts, the company faced significant operational headwinds during FY26.
Absolute Sports reported a 38.6 per cent decline in revenue to ₹147 crore compared to ₹239.6 crore in FY25.
The company attributed the decline primarily to reduced web traffic following Google’s March 2025 core algorithm update, which affected visibility and audience acquisition across several digital publishing platforms globally.
The revenue decline highlighted the increasing dependence of digital media businesses on search engine traffic and the challenges associated with platform-driven audience discovery.
What Could Singh’s Exit Mean For Absolute Sports?
Singh’s departure comes at a critical time for Absolute Sports as it seeks to navigate changing digital media dynamics while rebuilding growth momentum.
The company’s next leadership team will likely focus on strengthening audience engagement, diversifying traffic sources, and improving monetization across its portfolio of brands.
For Singh, meanwhile, the exit signals the beginning of a new entrepreneurial chapter after helping transform Sportskeeda into a globally recognized digital media network.
