Deepak Jacob quits Dream Sports, returns to private legal practice

Deepak Jacob, President and Group General Counsel at Dream Sports, the parent company of Dream11, FanCode and DreamSetGo, has stepped down from his role and returned to private legal practice, according to people familiar with the matter.

Jacob's departure marks the end of nearly five years at one of India's largest sports technology companies, where he led the group's legal, regulatory and public policy functions during a period of rapid expansion as well as increasing regulatory scrutiny of the online gaming sector.

Dream Sports did not immediately respond to e4m's request for comment. Jacob also did not respond to requests for comment.

A veteran legal and public policy executive with nearly three decades of experience, Jacob has built a career spanning independent litigation, law firm practice and leadership roles across some of India's largest technology, media and consumer internet companies. His return to private practice is expected to see him advise promoters, boards and companies on complex regulatory, corporate governance, litigation and public policy matters.

Over the course of his career, Jacob has established himself as a strategic adviser to founders, chief executives and corporate boards, combining legal expertise with business strategy across sectors including information technology, telecommunications, media and entertainment, OTT streaming, fantasy sports, gaming, fintech, ecommerce and AI-led digital businesses.

At Dream Sports, Jacob served as President and Group General Counsel, overseeing legal, regulatory affairs, public policy, government relations, trust and safety, law enforcement engagement and content governance. He was responsible for helping the company navigate an evolving legal and regulatory environment as India's online gaming industry underwent significant policy, taxation and compliance changes.

His remit extended beyond legal advisory to building institutional engagement with policymakers and regulators while strengthening governance frameworks across the company's portfolio of businesses, which collectively serve more than 220 million users through brands including Dream11, FanCode, DreamSetGo and other adjacent digital platforms.

Before joining Dream Sports in 2022, Jacob spent over 13 years at The Walt Disney Company, where he served as President and Chief Regional Counsel for Direct-to-Consumer & International across India, the Middle East and Southeast Asia.

During his tenure at Disney Star, he played a pivotal role in crafting legal and regulatory strategies that enabled the broadcaster to navigate multiple policy interventions while supporting the expansion of its television and digital businesses. He was closely involved in India's cable television digitisation programme, which helped unlock subscriber transparency and subscription revenues for broadcasters.

Jacob was also among the architects of the Broadcasting Content Complaints Council (BCCC), the television industry's self-regulatory body established to address consumer grievances while preserving editorial independence through industry-led oversight.

Prior to Disney, Jacob held senior legal leadership positions at Reliance Infocomm, eBay, Star India and 21st Century Fox, building extensive experience across corporate transactions, regulatory affairs, litigation, mergers and acquisitions, and public policy.

Having begun his professional journey as an independent litigation lawyer appearing before the Delhi High Court, Jacob has over the years developed expertise at the intersection of regulatory policy, high-stakes litigation, corporate transactions and business strategy. Industry executives describe him as one of the few legal leaders who have consistently helped businesses convert regulatory complexity into strategic advantage while building governance frameworks for rapidly scaling digital enterprises.

Throughout his in-house career, Jacob has built and led multidisciplinary teams spanning legal, compliance, regulatory affairs, government relations and public policy, particularly for consumer-facing technology businesses operating in highly regulated sectors. He is also recognised for helping organisations strengthen trust and safety functions, law enforcement engagement and enterprise governance as digital platforms have scaled.

His exit comes at a time when legal and policy expertise has become increasingly critical for technology companies navigating evolving digital regulations, artificial intelligence governance, online gaming rules, competition law and data protection requirements.

For Dream Sports, the leadership transition comes as the company continues to diversify beyond fantasy sports into broader sports technology, content and commerce businesses while operating in an increasingly complex regulatory landscape.