Wake Up, Brands! Your Next Customer Is Cheering in a Jersey
Not long ago, sports marketing in India felt like an exclusive cricket club. If you weren’t buying ad slots during the IPL or didn’t have a celebrity cricketer on your billboard, you were apparently out of the game.
But here’s the plot twist: while many brands stuck to old playbooks, a silent revolution was brewing. Today, 655 million Indians are glued to screens, stadiums, and sports apps—not just for cricket, but for kabaddi, kho-kho, volleyball, esports, and women’s leagues (Deloitte & Google, 2024). They’re not just watching—they’re clicking, streaming, sharing, betting, sweating, buying.
Take boAt, for example. The D2C audio brand didn’t just advertise during the IPL—they sponsored teams, created limited-edition products, and let fans feel like they were part of the squad. Result? Spikes in engagement, recall, and sales. And this wasn’t a one-off; it was a proof point.
So, if you’re still on the fence thinking sports is for B2C giants or FMCG budgets, this article is your friendly nudge—and a firm push. Because while you’re reading this, your customer is probably scrolling through fantasy scores on Dream11, wearing a jersey they bought after a Reel, and rooting for a team on a streaming app you’re not even advertising on.
A Nation in Motion: The Rise of Sports in India
Ask anyone in 1995 what Indian sports looked like, and they’d likely say: “Cricket, maybe some hockey.” But fast forward to 2024, and India’s sports map looks like a fireworks display—exploding in every direction.
According to Deloitte and Google’s “Think Sports” report, the Indian sports industry is currently valued at $52 billion, expected to grow to $130 billion by 2030 (Deloitte & Google, 2024). And this isn’t just economic data—it’s proof that India is falling in love with sports, all over again, but differently.
Why the boom? Three reasons:
- Digital-first fandom: With 695 million smartphone users, matches now stream from gym treadmills, metro rides, and chai breaks.
- Infrastructure uplift: Tier 2 stadiums, school leagues, fitness hubs—it’s no longer just about metros.
- Cultural shift: Parents are no longer saying, “Kheloge kudoge toh banoge kharaab.” Now, they’re looking for the next Neeraj Chopra.
Cricket still rules, sure—with 492 million fans—but the supporting cast is growing powerful: kabaddi (120M), football (85M), hockey (70M), badminton (60M), kho-kho (64M). And brands are taking note.(Deloitte & Google, 2024)
When Amul backed Indian wrestlers, and JSW Sports built grassroots programs in football, it wasn’t CSR—it was long-game brand building.
This isn’t a wave. It’s a tide. And it’s high time brands started surfing.
Meet the Real MVPs: India’s Sports Audience
You know what marketers love? Segments. You know what India’s sports fandom has? Segments for days.
Gone are the days when fans were just ‘viewers.’ Today’s Indian sports audience is an electric mix of digital natives, lifestyle enthusiasts, regional loyalists, and multi-screening hustlers. And they don’t just follow teams—they build routines, identities, and purchase behaviors around sports.
🎧 Gen Z: The Scroll-and-Score Generation
This cohort makes up 43% of India’s sports audience—and they’re not sitting through 50 overs. Instead, they’re watching highlights on YouTube Shorts, checking fantasy team points, DM-ing memes, and playing mobile cricket—all at once.(Deloitte & Google, 2024)
Take Dream11 and MPL, for example. They didn’t just tap into this tribe; they gave them a platform to become part of the game. These aren’t passive apps—they’re interactive ecosystems where a 22-year-old from Pune becomes a team selector, commentator, and statistician rolled into one.
Pro tip for brands: Don’t just serve them ads. Give them a role.
💪 Women: From Viewers to Value Creators
Women now account for 36% of India’s sports fandom, and that number is only growing. It’s not a silent audience anymore—it’s an opinionated, content-hungry, merch-buying, athlete-following crowd.(Deloitte & Google, 2024)
The Women’s Premier League (WPL) opened the floodgates for brands to associate not just with sportswomen but with women who sport. Brands like Puma and MyGlamm stepped in—not just to advertise but to sponsor players, create capsule collections, and ride the female fandom wave.
If you think women in sports marketing means one token face in a cricket ad, you’re already outdated.
🏕️ Rural India: The 388 Million Fan Army
They may not be trending on Twitter, but they’re driving up viewership on regional TV, OTT, and mobile. Rural fans form 59% of India’s sports audience. They watch kabaddi, cricket, kho-kho, and now even stream live matches on JioCinema using 1.5GB-a-day plans like pros. (Deloitte & Google, 2024)
Brands like ShareChat, Moj, and BharatPe are showing up not with polished English jingles, but with vernacular campaigns, QR-code-based games, and scan-to-win contests tied to local matches.
This isn’t a “bottom of the pyramid” audience. It’s the core of the stadium.
Beyond Cricket: The Rise of Multi-Sport India
Cricket may still be India’s national obsession, but here’s the twist: fans are not monogamous anymore.
In 2023, over 200 million viewers tuned into Pro Kabaddi League (GroupM ESP, 2024), a game once played barefoot on dusty school fields. Meanwhile, Ultimate Kho Kho clocked 64 million viewers in its very first season (GroupM ESP, 2024)—proof that nostalgia has found a high-definition makeover.
And then there’s the WPL, which broke gender stereotypes and viewership records in the same breath.
What’s fueling this diversification?
- New leagues with polished production
- OTT-first launches and mobile-native distribution
- Brand tie-ups that don’t feel like ads but cultural movements
Take FanCode—an OTT platform that lets fans pick their leagues, language, and match moments. It’s not trying to be Star Sports 2.0. It’s trying to be Spotify for sports. Niche, personal, binge-worthy.
If you’re only betting on cricket, you’re missing 50% of the action and 80% of the affordability.
Screen Time Is Fandom Time
Gone are the days when families would gather around a single TV and argue over the remote. Today, India’s sports audience lives on multi-screens, multi-tabs, and multi-moods.
Let’s break it down:
- 93% of Gen Z sports fans stream sports online. (Deloitte & Google, 2024)
- 90% follow more than one sport (Deloitte & Google, 2024).
- 3–4 apps or channels are used simultaneously—JioCinema for live action, YouTube Shorts for highlights, Dream11 for fantasy play, and Instagram Reels for post-match memes
Watching a game? They’re also ordering food, checking scores, and posting match-day selfies—all before the second innings.
This multitasking isn’t just a habit—it’s an opportunity. The more screens they touch, the more surfaces brands have to show up on.
Look at Swiggy Instamart’s match-time creatives or Tata Neu’s IPL overlays—they weren’t ads. They were part of the fan experience.
If your brand isn’t part of the scroll, you’re not part of the sport.
The New Icons: Endorsements Beyond Cricket
Once upon a time, there were only three names on every brand’s wish list: Tendulkar, Dhoni, and maybe Yuvraj. Today? Welcome to the influencer-athlete economy.
Athletes are now personalities, storytellers, influencers, and even YouTubers.
Meet the new endorsement squad:
- Neeraj Chopra: Not just a javelin champ, but a walking symbol of focus and finesse—backed by brands from Puma to Byju’s
- PV Sindhu: After her Olympic medal wins, she’s the face of everything from clean beauty to wearable tech
- Rishabh Pant & Lakshya Sen: Bridging the cool factor between Gen Z cricket and Olympic excellence
- Gukesh: A 17-year-old chess prodigy turning checkmates into checkouts
It’s not just about the kits anymore. These athletes are making their mark in docu-series, digital ads, AR filters, and fan communities.
And the brands? They’re not all legacy giants. You’ve got Goibibo, Wakefit, MPL, and Noise entering the chat with storytelling and personality-first campaigns.
The next star doesn’t play in whites. They play in reels.
7. Women, Wellness & Winning the Game
For decades, women in Indian sports were either in the background or in the stands. Today, they’re on the field, on screen, and on the frontline of fandom—and brands are finally catching up.
📈 Fact Check:
- Women now make up 36% of India’s total sports audience (Deloitte & Google, 2024)
- WPL drew 41.6% female viewership in 2023 (YouGov, 2025)
- Sports like badminton, kho-kho, and volleyball are witnessing higher female fan engagement
💄 Brand Moves That Nailed It:
- Puma’s WPL activation wasn’t just a sports sponsorship—it was a style statement. The brand partnered with players, created merch, and hosted sneaker drops tied to game nights.
- HerCircle by Reliance ran exclusive digital content on women athletes—highlighting their stories, struggles, and style—creating emotional and social capital.
Women aren’t a “nice-to-have” demographic anymore. They’re shaping trends, influencing households, and engaging with brands that show up beyond the pink filter.
Want to win the new wellness economy? Put women—and not just women athletes—at the center of your narrative.
Tier 2 & 3 India: The Fanbase You’re Sleeping On
Here’s the most underrated stat in Indian sports marketing: 59% of sports fans come from rural and semi-urban India (Deloitte & Google, 2024).
This isn’t the “budget-sensitive” consumer marketers still stereotype. This is aspirational India—hungry for good content, active on vernacular platforms, and fiercely loyal to regional teams and formats.
🎯 Where They Play:
- Pro Kabaddi League dominates here—with local players, home-ground matches, and community screenings
- Platforms like JioCinema, ShareChat, and Moj are their digital stadiums
- Scan-and-win contests, QR code redemptions, and regional influencer tie-ins outperform flashy national campaigns
🌾 Brand Stories:
- Amul advertised with local kabaddi teams and Olympic athletes, turning grocery staples into fandom symbols
- BharatPe and PhonePe have experimented with gamified offers tied to regional matches—combining utility with fandom
And here’s the kicker—this audience doesn’t skip ads if they like the team. They’re not ad-blind, they’re story-sensitive.
If your next customer is watching PKL under a banyan tree in Nashik with a ₹399 Jio recharge—don’t you want to be in that frame?
Participation Is the New Viewership
Once upon a time, a “sports fan” meant someone glued to the TV. Today? They’re in your building’s Sunday football league, logging 10,000 steps at a marathon, or perfecting their smash at the local badminton court.
Welcome to the rise of participative sports.
🚀 The Numbers:
- 23.5% of all non-cricket sponsorship now goes to mass participative sports like marathons and cyclothons (GroupM ESP, 2024)
- Pickleball, the fastest-growing sport among urban Indians, is expected to hit 1 million registered players by 2028 (GroupM ESP, 2024)
- Fantasy gaming is set to reach 430 million users by 2030, turning fans into daily strategists and micro-influencers (Deloitte & Google, 2024)
When Tata Mumbai Marathon started getting sponsors like IDFC FIRST Bank, and brands like Asics and Fast&Up began investing in city-based runners and wellness influencers, it proved one thing: brand-building isn’t limited to stadiums. It thrives on sweat, steps, and local communities.
Pickleball? It’s not a gimmick. Corporates are sponsoring leagues, housing societies are painting courts, and Instagram is full of paddle selfies. It’s fun, inclusive, and sponsor-friendly.
If you’re selling athleisure, wellness, hydration, or even smartwatches, this is your untapped KBC moment. Lock it in.
Media + Merch + Multiverse = India’s Sports Economy
Let’s talk about rupees and results. The Indian sports economy isn’t just expanding—it’s diversifying into a revenue-rich multiverse.
🧮 Breakdown of the Boom:
- Sporting goods & apparel: expected to double to $58B by 2030 (Deloitte & Google, 2024)
- Broadcasting & promotions: headed toward a $6.7B industry (Deloitte & Google, 2024)
- Esports: clocking a 25% CAGR with gamer-athletes emerging from every college hostel (GroupM ESP, 2024)
- AI-enhanced content: customized feeds, AR overlays, and regional commentary boosting engagement across OTT platforms
Let’s not forget the fan-commerce flywheel. Limited-edition jerseys, athlete-designed sneakers, influencer-fueled snack launches—it’s all part of the new funnel.
Platforms like FanCode are now retailing team merch, bundling match passes with discounts, and letting users pick commentary languages. Think Amazon meets Star Sports, with a bit of Spotify sauce.
You’re not just advertising anymore. You’re participating in a parallel universe where fandom equals sales, loyalty equals LTV, and cricket jerseys are the new brand billboards.
Don’t Just Watch—Play the Right Game
Here’s a secret most marketers don’t admit: you don’t need a cricket celebrity or a ₹10 crore sponsorship to crack sports marketing in India.
What you do need is:
- A clear idea of who your audience is
- A crisp strategy of where they play, scroll, shop, and share
- The confidence to create relevant, not just grand activations
💡 Real-World Moves That Worked:
- Swiggy Instamart’s IPL meme drops were so relatable they trended without even shouting “Buy Now!”
- Dream11’s fantasy cricket activations gave users a role, not just a screen
- ShareChat’s vernacular fan pages lit up with local language commentary, polls, and region-based challenges—generating real fandom at regional scale
You don’t need to be everywhere. You need to be in the right jersey, on the right turf.
The Climax: Meet India’s Sports Audience—Cohort by Cohort
Let’s pull back the curtain and meet the seven lead characters of India’s sporting blockbuster.
🎮 The Urban Gen Z Male (~85M)
- Age: 18–27
- Lives for: IPL, Esports, FIFA nights with friends
- Devices: Gaming laptop, budget Android, Instagram+JioCinema
- Info source: YouTube Shorts, Reddit threads, streamers
- Shopping triggers: Flash deals, collab drops, creator codes
- Brand match: Dream11, boAt, Noise
- In a day: Commutes with fantasy lineup updates, watches live IPL while WhatsApping squad memes
💁♀️ The Urban Gen Z Female (~30M)
- Age: 18–27
- Lives for: WPL, Badminton, fitness reels
- Devices: iPhone Lite, Instagram, Pinterest
- Info source: Reels, lifestyle influencers, fan pages
- Shopping triggers: Self-care packs, activewear sets
- Brand match: MyGlamm, Puma, Nykaa
- In a day: Gym with Sindhu’s playlist, shares WPL highlights, shops during half-time breaks
📺 The Millennial Male Sports Buff (~95M)
- Age: 28–44
- Lives for: Test cricket, ISL, nostalgia hits
- Devices: Smart TV, JioCinema, Star Sports
- Info source: Fantasy cricket apps, OTT wrap-ups
- Shopping triggers: Premium memberships, jersey launches
- Brand match: Tata Neu, Hotstar Premium, Adidas
- In a day: Office banter around match stats, OTT binge with game-night beer
🏕️ The Rural Middle-Aged Male (~105M)
- Age: 30–50
- Lives for: Kabaddi, Cricket, kho-kho reruns
- Devices: JioPhone, feature phone with YouTube
- Info source: Regional commentary, chai adda gossip
- Shopping triggers: Scan-to-win, low-data OTT offers
- Brand match: Amul, BharatPe, ShareChat
- In a day: Group viewing at local tea stall, replays on YouTube, redemptions via QR scans
🧘♀️ The Urban Millennial Female (~25M)
- Age: 25–35
- Lives for: WPL, Marathon training, wellness influencers
- Devices: Wearables, OTT, Instagram
- Info source: Health blogs, athlete Reels
- Shopping triggers: Protein packs, sustainable merch
- Brand match: Fast&Up, Zivame Active, Lululemon India
- In a day: Logs 10K steps, joins Insta Live with athletes, journals over match recaps
🧢 The Tier 2/3 Mixed Middle Class (~70M)
- Age: 22–35
- Lives for: Kabaddi, IPL, anything regional and local
- Devices: Android mid-range, Moj, OTT
- Info source: Vernacular creators, short-form news
- Shopping triggers: Pay-on-delivery deals, local giveaways
- Brand match: Moj, ShareChat, Dabur Active
- In a day: Skips long ads, scrolls kabaddi reels, follows local fan club pages
🕹️ The Gen Z Esports & Fantasy Prodigy (~40M)
- Age: 15–22
- Lives for: PUBG, Valorant, Dream11 lineups
- Devices: Mid-range phone, Discord, Twitch
- Info source: Livestreams, esports commentators
- Shopping triggers: Skins, badges, limited loot
- Brand match: MPL, FanCode, Spotify India
- In a day: Binge-sessions on Discord, plays fantasy during matches, argues stats with friends on Telegram
Final Whistle: Sports Isn’t Just Entertainment—It’s a Movement
This isn’t just about eyeballs. It’s about identity.
In India today, fandom = following = feedback = funding.
Every scroll, tap, cheer, post, and payment is part of the sports economy. And it’s powered by fans who aren’t waiting for brands to show up—they’re moving forward with those who already did.
Dream11. FanCode. Puma. JSW. These brands didn’t wait for the perfect pitch—they ran with the fans.
So here’s your CTA, dear brand custodian:
💥 Stop advertising to eyeballs. Start talking to passion.
💥 Don’t just run ads. Run with fans.
💥 Don’t just sell. Show up where your audience already lives.
Because India’s 655 million sports fans aren’t coming.
They’re already here.
And they’re waiting for you to join the game.
The Media Ant: Your One-Stop Sports Advertising Partner
Whether you’re looking to tap into cricket-crazed metros, kabaddi-loving heartlands, or esports-savvy Gen Z users, The Media Ant is your gateway to India’s sports universe.
From IPL and WPL to regional leagues and OTT sports platforms, we offer:
- 🎯 Data-backed audience targeting
- 📺 Multi-platform ad solutions
- 💡 Expert strategy consultation
Ready to advertise where India’s attention truly lives?
Explore sports advertising options at The Media Ant and turn passion into ROI.
References:
- Deloitte & Google (2024). Think Sports: Unlocking India’s $130B Sports Potential. Retrieved from https://www2.deloitte.com
- GroupM ESP (2024). Sporting Nation: Building a Legacy XII. Retrieved from https://www.groupm.com
- YouGov India (2025). Indian Cricket Fandom Report. Retrieved from https://business.yougov.com
- Afaqs (2023). Puma’s WPL Campaign Reaches Over 300 Million Users. Retrieved from https://www.afaqs.com
- Financial Express (2023). Tata Tea Premium Pays Homage to Handloom Legacy through ‘Desh Ke Dhaage’. Retrieved from https://www.financialexpress.com
- Exchange4media (2023). How Dream11, FanCode, and ShareChat Are Building Sports-First Ecosystems. Retrieved from https://www.exchange4media.com
- The Media Ant Blog (2024). Franchise Sports Marketing in India: IPL and Rise of New Leagues. Retrieved from https://www.themediaant.com/blog
