India’s sports industry has moved past a significant commercial milestone, crossing the $2 billion mark in 2025 as increased media investments and cricket-led revenues continue to reshape the country’s sports business landscape. The sector reached a total value of ₹18,864 crore (approximately $2.13 billion), reflecting a 13.4% year-on-year increase and signalling sustained momentum in the monetisation of live sports properties.
The latest edition of WPP Media’s Sporting Nation report highlights how the Indian sports economy is evolving into a more structured and commercially mature ecosystem, supported by stronger advertiser confidence, deeper brand integration and expanding consumption across broadcast and digital platforms. Sponsorship, media rights, and athlete endorsements remain the three primary revenue pillars underpinning industry growth.
At the centre of this expansion is media spending, which continues to drive the economics of sport in India. Advertising investments accounted for 51% of the overall industry value, growing 19.8% year-on-year to ₹9,571 crore. Television remained a key contributor with ₹5,117 crore in advertising revenue, reflecting a 16.4% increase, while digital platforms recorded faster growth of 24%, reaching ₹4,449 crore as streaming consumption and mobile-first viewing habits continue to scale across the country.
Sponsorship spending also recorded steady progress, rising 7% year-on-year to ₹7,943 crore and contributing 42% of the overall market value. Despite reduced participation from certain high-spending categories such as real-money gaming, demand for sports marketing assets remained stable as brands across consumer goods, technology, and financial services continued to view sport as an effective platform for scale, visibility and audience engagement.
The athlete endorsement market further reinforced the commercial strength of the ecosystem, growing 10.3% to reach ₹1,350 crore in 2025. Cricket remained the dominant driver of endorsement value, contributing 87% of the segment, equivalent to ₹1,178 crore, highlighting the continued brand equity of leading cricketers in India’s advertising landscape.
Cricket’s influence across the broader sports economy remains significant, accounting for 89% of total industry revenues in 2025, up from 85% in 2024. In absolute terms, the sport generated ₹16,704 crore, registering annual growth of 17.9%. Its dominance extended across all commercial verticals, contributing 81% of sponsorship investments, 87% of endorsement revenues and 95% of media spending.
The Indian Premier League continues to act as the central commercial property within this ecosystem, supported by consistent viewership demand, premium advertising inventory and integrated brand partnerships. The broader international cricket calendar, combined with the continued expansion of the Women’s Premier League, has strengthened year-round commercial opportunities and reinforced cricket’s position as the most scalable sports property in the Indian market.
Commenting on the findings, Ashwin Padmanabhan, Chief Operating Officer, WPP Media South Asia, said, “The Indian sports economy crossing the $2 billion milestone marks a significant moment in its evolution, reflecting sustained growth and increasing structural maturity, led by the success of the Indian Premier League. While cricket continues to anchor the ecosystem, we are also seeing encouraging momentum across other segments of the sports landscape. The opportunity ahead lies in building on this foundation to create a more diverse and scalable multi-sport ecosystem. This will be driven by stronger grassroots participation and continued investment across infrastructure, innovation, and fan engagement.”
Vinit Karnik, Managing Director – Content, Sports & Entertainment, WPP Media South Asia, added, “Sport today sits at the intersection of culture and commerce, and brands are increasingly becoming part of the narrative rather than just sponsors. The evolution of leagues like the Indian Premier League has shown how deeply integrated partnerships can drive both fan engagement and commercial impact. We are seeing a shift from visibility-led associations to more immersive, story-driven collaborations. This is fundamentally changing how brands unlock value in the sports ecosystem.”
The endorsement ecosystem is also evolving, with brands increasingly exploring equity-based associations and long-term collaborations that embed athletes more deeply within team and league structures. This shift reflects a broader move towards more strategic and data-led partnerships, enabling brands to unlock sustained value beyond short-term visibility.
While cricket continues to command the largest share of commercial investments, the next phase of growth in India’s sports economy is expected to depend on the ability of other sports to strengthen broadcast value, build consistent fan communities and attract sustained sponsorship interest. Emerging leagues and Olympic disciplines are gradually expanding their commercial footprint, although still at a smaller scale relative to cricket.
With continued investment in media rights, digital distribution and premium sponsorship assets, India’s sports economy is positioned to maintain its growth trajectory, supported by the increasing importance of live sport as a high-impact platform for large-scale audience engagement and brand storytelling.
