Regional Kabaddi Championships clock 9.18 million views in debut season

MUMBAI: Kabaddi’s regional heartbeat just got a lot louder. In a sports landscape often dominated by national leagues and cricketing giants, Elev8 India Sportz has turned local rivalries into a travelling commercial spectacle and the numbers suggest fans are buying in.

Elev8 India Sportz has concluded the inaugural season of its Regional Kabaddi Championships (RKC), with the multi-state caravan generating 9.18 million views across digital platforms during an 18-day run.

Season 1 featured 100 matches across five states through five regional properties, Aapli Mumbai Kabaddi Championship, Maru Kabaddi Championship in Rajasthan, Dilli Queens Kabaddi Championship, Ganga Damodar Kabaddi Championship covering Bihar and Jharkhand, and Karnataka’s Gandaberunda Trophy.

The tournament brought together 46 teams and 653 athletes, positioning itself as a year-round regional sports property rather than a one-off national event.

Unlike traditional league formats that concentrate fan engagement into a single season, the RKC model is designed around recurring regional tournaments, creating multiple touchpoints for broadcasters, sponsors and fans throughout the year. The strategy appears to be paying off, particularly in markets where kabaddi enjoys deep-rooted local support.

Among the standout performers was the Dilli Queens Kabaddi Championship, which highlighted growing interest in women’s regional sports. The tournament generated more than 2.05 lakh fan votes through Awaaz, Elev8’s proprietary fan-engagement platform, underlining increasing audience participation beyond match viewing.

Season 1 also introduced several broadcast-focused innovations. Tactical “Power Plays” allowed bonus points during designated three-minute windows, while Karnataka’s Gandaberunda Trophy adopted a Best-of-3 Sets format designed to maintain competitive intensity throughout the contest.

The commercial proposition extended beyond traditional sponsorship visibility. In Bihar, for instance, a health camp organised alongside matches in partnership with Saksham Hospital showcased how regional tournaments can create on-ground consumer engagement opportunities for brands.

The debut season was staged during the IPL, traditionally India’s most competitive period for sports viewership. Despite the cricket-heavy environment, the championship recorded 664,800-plus interactions across platforms, indicating strong regional engagement.

Backed by broadcaster ABP Network and supported by 16 brand partners spanning national and regional categories, the championship provided advertisers with access to audiences often underserved by larger national sports properties.

Elev8 India Sportz CEO of YKS and RKC Vikas Gautam said the model is built around sustaining fan interest through recurring competitions rather than annual events.

The company believes regional leagues play a crucial role in building deeper fan affinity by creating local heroes and community-driven narratives that complement the reach of national competitions.

Founded in 2022 by Suhail Chandhok and Arvind Sivdas, Elev8 India Sportz operates both proprietary leagues and turnkey sports management projects. With Season 2 already on the horizon, the company plans to expand sponsor integrations, enhance fan experiences and further strengthen kabaddi’s presence in regional markets.

If Season 1 proved anything, it is that when it comes to kabaddi, local stories can still deliver national-scale attention.