Sports market in India - statistics & facts
The diversity of India’s population and cultures is reflected in the variety of sports played in the country due to the influence of the region’s history - from the Vedic to the Mughal period and later British colonization. Post-independence, a more structured approach to organizing sports came from the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.
Khelo India, a government program to promote sports development, organizes youth, university, and winter games. In terms of major sporting competitions, a wide range of sports, from auto racing and basketball to martial arts and volleyball, conduct their own leagues and championships planned and managed by the corresponding association or federation.
Media spend made up the largest chunk of the sports market in India. Other income came from advertising, sponsorships, player endorsements, and broadcast rights, and unsurprisingly, cricket dominated these revenue streams. In recent years, however, there has been a surge of other sports in the media mix, thanks to increasing representation of Indians at the Olympics, Paralympics, and Asian Games among other global events.
Mastering traditional and modern spheres of participation
India was a regular participant and achieved success in field hockey, badminton, football, wrestling, and others across sporting events, held domestically and internationally. Some of India’s indigenous sports include Kho-Kho – a traditional tag game, kite-fighting, Lagori – played with seven stones, and Kabaddi. The latter is a contact team sport, represented across many countries. The Pro Kabaddi League was established in 2014, modeled after the Indian Premier League for T20 cricket. The Indian Super League (ISL) commenced a year before the PKL, making up the professional top tier for men’s football. The winner of the ISL typically participates in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League.Khelo India, a government program to promote sports development, organizes youth, university, and winter games. In terms of major sporting competitions, a wide range of sports, from auto racing and basketball to martial arts and volleyball, conduct their own leagues and championships planned and managed by the corresponding association or federation.
Cricket continues to bowl over the market
Despite the range of sports available, cricket is the most popular in terms of sponsorship and viewership. India is one of the leading competitors in all formats of the team sport. Indian cricket had a coveted spot in the sports market – domestically and internationally. The men and women in blue are some of the most popular sportspeople within the country and worldwide. Proportionately, the Board of Control for Cricket in India or BCCI is the world's richest body for sports governance.Media spend made up the largest chunk of the sports market in India. Other income came from advertising, sponsorships, player endorsements, and broadcast rights, and unsurprisingly, cricket dominated these revenue streams. In recent years, however, there has been a surge of other sports in the media mix, thanks to increasing representation of Indians at the Olympics, Paralympics, and Asian Games among other global events.
