Sports
India’s sports economy crosses $2bn, cricket leads the charge
WPP Media report shows media, IPL and brands powering growth story
MUMBAI: India’s sports economy has finally stepped into the billion-dollar big league, crossing the $2 billion mark for the first time in 2025, according to WPP Media’s Sporting Nation: Building a Legacy report.
The 13th edition of its Sporting Nation: Building a Legacy report pegs the industry at Rs 18,864 crore ($2,134 million), up 13.4 per cent from Rs 16,633 crore in 2024. More telling than the headline number is the momentum beneath it. In just four years, the market has nearly doubled from Rs 9,530 crore in 2021, clocking an estimated Cagr of 18.6 per cent.
At the heart of it all sits cricket, still very much the sun around which the rest of the ecosystem orbits. The sport accounted for a towering 89 per cent of total industry revenues in 2025, up from 85 per cent a year ago, contributing Rs 16,704 crore with a robust 17.9 per cent growth.
The ever-expanding Indian Premier League continues to be the engine room of this surge, supported by a packed international calendar, including India’s Champions Trophy triumph and the women’s team’s ODI World Cup win. Add to that the rising pull of the Women’s Premier League, and cricket’s commercial grip only tightens.
Follow the money, and media spends tell the clearest story. They made up 51 per cent of the total industry value, with advertising investments jumping 19.8 per cent year-on-year to Rs 9,571 crore. Television still holds strong at Rs 5,117 crore, growing 16.4 per cent, but digital is sprinting ahead with a 24 per cent rise to Rs 4,449 crore.
Sponsorships, meanwhile, grew at a steadier 7 per cent to Rs 7,943 crore, contributing 42 per cent of the market. Growth here is less about more inventory and more about better value, with premiumisation and sharper monetisation doing the heavy lifting.
Even with regulatory headwinds, including the exit of real money gaming players, the ecosystem has shown resilience. Traditional sectors have stepped in, ensuring that premium inventory did not sit idle for long.
Endorsements are also getting a makeover. Sports celebrity deals touched Rs 1,350 crore in 2025, up 10.3 per cent, with cricket once again dominating 87 per cent of the pie. But the real shift is in how these deals are structured. Athletes are moving beyond simple brand endorsements to equity-linked partnerships and deeper collaborations with teams and leagues.
As WPP Media chief operating officer South Asia Ashwin Padmanabhan, puts it, the milestone signals a more mature and structurally sound ecosystem, with the next phase hinging on building a broader multi-sport culture.
WPP Media managing director, content, sports and entertainment, South Asia Vinit Karnik, adds that sport today sits at the intersection of culture and commerce, with brands no longer content to just badge themselves on the sidelines but keen to become part of the story.
The takeaway is clear. India’s sports economy is no longer just playing the game, it is learning how to monetise it smarter, deeper and across more touchpoints. The next leap will depend on how well it can widen the playing field beyond cricket while keeping fans, brands and media in sync.
