MUMBAI: Sports isn’t just a pastime anymore - it’s a roaring phenomenon that fuels India’s collective heartbeat, more electrifying than a stadium under floodlights during a last-ball thriller. From the thunderous cheers of cricket fans to the passionate chants of football aficionados, the adrenaline rush sports delivers has become the ultimate high - stronger, they say, than the purest Colombian cut.
And why not?
The glitzy ads, the digital frenzy, and the unstoppable growth of India’s sports industry have turned it into a $52 billion juggernaut, overtaking several traditional sectors like telecom. Now, poised to shatter records with a jaw-dropping trajectory to $130 billion, according to the Deloitte-Google report, sports in India isn’t just entertainment; it’s an economic revolution with a pace that could leave even the fastest sprinters in awe. With a projected compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14 per cent, the sector is rapidly outpacing established industries, including automotive and tourism, and redefining its role in the Indian economy.
This remarkable growth reflects India’s rising stature in global sports, bolstered by robust government initiatives such as the ministry of youth Affairs & sports’ (MYAS) record 2024 budget allocation. Programs like Khelo India and Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) are driving systemic changes, ensuring long-term development of sports infrastructure and talent in the country.
The report underscores the paradigm shift in advertising, with brands prioritising digital platforms over traditional TV broadcasting. Over the past two years, digital sports advertising surged by 63 per cent, while TV sports advertising declined by 10 per cent. Platforms like JioCinema and Disney+ Hotstar are now rivaling linear broadcasting, capitalising on subscription-based revenue models.
An overwhelming 90 per cent of Indian sports fans engage digitally, with cricket-related videos amassing 50 billion views on YouTube in one year alone. Personalised ad campaigns, such as Mondelez’s AI-powered cricket ads, showcased the immense potential of targeting sports enthusiasts digitally, delivering 92,000 creative variations and doubling ad recall.
Sponsorship deals in India’s sports sector are expanding at thrice the pace of global benchmarks. Franchise fees grew by 60 per cent in 2023, and campaigns integrated with live sports events, like Swiggy’s IPL drive, saw active user engagement spike by 59 per cent.
The shift to regional strategies has been pivotal, with 77 per cent of fans preferring sports commentary and content in local languages. Regionalised advertising has tapped into previously untapped rural and semi-urban markets, further solidifying sports’ mass appeal.
For the first time in Indian sports broadcasting history, the valuation of digital media rights for IPL 2022 equaled that of TV rights. This milestone reflects the industry’s digital-first pivot, as brands and advertisers increasingly gravitate toward the flexibility and reach of OTT platforms.
As the industry continues to expand, the report highlights that India’s sports sector contributes approximately one per cent to the national GDP, on par with major sporting nations. With significant headroom for growth and increasing digital penetration, India is poised to emerge as a global sports powerhouse.
