File photo of the IPL trophy. India’s sports economy crossed the $2 billion mark for the first time, growing 13.4% year-on-year to reach $2.13 billion (Rs 18,864 crore). The industry has doubled in four years and represents approximately 19% CAGR. Cricket accounts for 89% of the total revenue recorded, up from 85% in 2024. The share of emerging sports has decreased to 11%. Cricket alone (Rs 16,704 crore) is now bigger than the total Indian sports industry in 2024 (Rs 16,633 crore).
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Bombay Sports Exchange Ep. 2: GroupM’s Vinit Karnik on IPL growth and emerging sportsThe award, according to WPP Media’s ‘Sporting Nation: Building a Legacy’ report, takes into account three main sources of income: Sponsorship (including Ground, Team and Franchise fees), athlete endorsements and advertising spend.“Sports today is at the intersection of culture and commerce, and brands are increasingly becoming part of the story rather than just sponsors. The evolution of leagues like the Indian Premier League has shown how deeply integrated partnerships can drive fan engagement and commercial impact,” said Vinit Karnik, Managing Director – Content, Sports & Entertainment, WPP Media South Asia.“We’re seeing a shift from visibility-led associations to more immersive, story-driven collaborations. This is fundamentally changing the way brands unlock value in the sports ecosystem,” he continued.India’s overall sports economy is dominated by media spend – nearly 50% of the total industry – at Rs 9,571 crore, with cricket spending alone at a staggering Rs 9,026 crore. Sponsorship is second at Rs 7,943 crore, with IPL teams crossing Rs 1,000 crore in team sponsorship. Finally, celebrity endorsements account for Rs 1,350 crore, which is 7% of the entire economy.The biggest takeaway from the report is the growth of cricket and the lagging of other sports. In absolute terms, cricket grew by 17.9% year-on-year and accounts for 81% of sponsorship spend, 87% of endorsements and 95% of media spend.The IPL, India’s Champions Trophy title, India’s ODI Women’s World Cup win and the Women’s Premier League (WPL) have all kept the cricket juggernaut growing despite the impact of the Real Money Gambling (RMG) ban.ICC CEO Sanjog Gupta called India an “anchor market” while admitting that cricket has “undoubtedly” globalized.“India is indeed a major market for world cricket. Its huge fan base, financial strength and time-tested affinity for the sport provide a platform that benefits the entire ecosystem. But at ICC events, it is undeniably evident that the ship sails far beyond any one place,” he wrote in a column for the report.Gupta said that with India’s triumph in the Women’s ODI World Cup at home, the game can expect rapid growth as it has fully unlocked the influential market.“…India’s triumph at the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 in the 50-over format and secured on home soil carried immense value. When a market of India’s size and influence embraces women’s cricket with such passion, the ripple effects are felt far and wide,” he noted.No ISL harms other sports
Bengaluru FC player Sunil Chhetri in a file photo. (OR)
The main contributor to the 12.2% drop for ‘Emerging Sports’ came due to the postponement of India’s top football competition – the Indian Super League (ISL) – until February this year. The rest of the competitions and franchise competitions such as the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) remained on course.The report noted that while 2024 saw the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris fuel an increase in fan interest and brand presence across disciplines, this was not the case in 2025.Cricket continues to top the celebrity recognition charts, but athletes from emerging sports are slowly gaining publicitycredibility. When it comes to digital data and social media conversations, cricketers and cricket trump non-cricket aspects.If Virat Kohli (10,742,000) and Rohit Sharma (10,341,000) lead the charts among cricketers on social media, on the non-cricket side, Neeraj Chopra (445,000) and Sunil Chhetri (149,000) are the closest.
