afaqs! news bureau
Media

ABP Network forays into Metaverse

The move comes as ABP Nadu, the network’s Tamil Nadu news platform, celebrates its second anniversary.

In a historical first, ABP Network, India's leading media conglomerate, has broken new ground in the virtual world by stepping into the metaverse. With the launch of ABP Metaverse, in partnership with Delhi-based metaverse development platform Graphity, ABP Network has become the first Indian publisher to enter this space. The move comes as ABP Nadu, the network’s Tamil Nadu news platform, celebrates its second anniversary. To mark the occasion, the ABP Nadu Metaverse will be officially introduced to users, with the goal to offer them a breakthrough immersive and interactive experience and enabling them to connect with news and events in an entirely new way.

With ABP Metaverse, ABP Network has cemented its position as a pioneer in the media industry. Metaverse is an innovative online space that offers endless possibilities for users to engage with news content and also with each other. In 2022, the global metaverse market was valued at $51.69 billion and is expected to surpass $1.3 trillion by 2030, with a registered CAGR of 44.5 per cent.

The launch of ABP Nadu Metaverse, and the ABP Metaverse as a whole, marks a significant milestone in the evolution of the digital media landscape in India.

Commenting on the launch, Avinash Pandey, CEO, ABP Network, said, "We are thrilled to announce the launch of ABP Nadu Metaverse. The metaverse is the future of digital media, and we are proud to be the first in the Indian news industry to explore this exciting new space. We believe that the ABP Metaverse will revolutionise the way news is consumed and experienced, and we look forward to welcoming our viewers to this exciting new world."

ABP Nadu is the first-ever digital-only news platform in Tamil founded by ABP Network, bringing you timely breaking news, entertainment updates, and uncovering political and social issues from across the state, nation, and the world. The mainstream Tamil digital news platform works 24x7 to deliver hard news, explainers, interviews and debates at a swift phase for its steadfast viewers. Launched during Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections 2021, ABP Nadu has an adept team working as gatekeepers to cater to various sections of society with sensitivity and sensibility.

K. ShanmugaSundaram, editor, ABP Nadu, said, “ABP Nadu Metaverse will give an exciting new experience for Thamizhargal globally. Let’s get started with this exciting new avatar in Tamil journalism, marked by the bold storytelling of ABP Nadu. As always, the real, bold journalism of ABP Network will be the backbone of this journey and give our viewers an elevated sense of news consumption.”

Piyush Aggarwal, co-founder, Graphity, said, “We’re thrilled to be a part of ABP Network’s breakthrough metaverse endeavour. We hope that visitors enjoy the fresh take on digital news interaction. We’re also working on a bigger, scaled-up version of the ABP Nadu Metaverse to incorporate all of ABP’s news platforms. We are sure this will redefine the way users interact with news in the near future.”

ABP Metaverse is designed to be an engaging and interactive platform that brings news to life. It features a range of virtual spaces, including newsrooms, interactive games, and virtual worlds like a sports stadium, a metaverse interview room, and more.

The ABP Nadu Metaverse is a gateway experience to the bigger ABP Metaverse, and will offer visitors a glimpse into exciting new possibilities that the virtual world promises.

Users will be able to enter the ABP Nadu Metaverse in the form of digital avatars, read the latest and trending news articles, watch ABP Nadu videos, interact with other users via fun actions, play games, and also take selfies of their avatars to be shared on social media.

The launch of ABP Nadu Metaverse is just the beginning of ABP Network's foray into the metaverse. The company plans to roll out additional features and content over the coming months, which will further enhance the user experience and cement ABP Network's position as a leader in the digital media space.

The ABP Nadu Metaverse is now live and can be accessed via ABP Nadu and other ABP Network websites and mobile apps (available for free on Google Play and App Store).

Have news to share? Write to us atnewsteam@afaqs.com