India's love for cricket has always been apparent, and the game is now larger than the entire sports industry was just a year ago. Despite real-money gaming companies pulling out of advertising, India’s sports economy crossed the $2 billion mark in 2025, growing at a healthy 13.4% year-on-year to ₹18,864 crore, according to a new report, Sporting Nation: Building a Legacy, released by global media investment company WPP Media.

The sports industry, led by cricket, has doubled over the past four years, rising from ₹9,530 crore in 2021. The maturity in the cricketing ecosystem has scaled to its commercial heights, said the report, as cricket continues to dominate the entire sporting arena, contributing ₹16,704 crore in 2025, or 89% of the total industry size. Cricket alone in 2025 is nearly equal to the entire sports industry in 2024, the report added. But that doesn't bode well for other sports, as cricket has engulfed them.

Emerging sports saw sponsorship revenues decline 12.2% in 2025, from ₹1,360 crore in 2024 to ₹1,193 crore, largely due to the absence of the Indian Super League (ISL), a key football property. Over a longer period, growth in these segments has remained modest compared to cricket. “If ISL had happened, the numbers would have been largely flat. The drop is predominantly because of its absence,” Vinit Karnik, managing director, content, sports and entertainment at WPP Media South Asia, added.

Despite this, there has been activity across newer and non-cricket properties. Events such as the Neeraj Chopra Classic (a World Athletics javelin competition held here), led by the Olympian, and exhibition-driven properties such as Lionel Messi’s India visit have also drawn attention. Newer leagues such as the World Pickleball League, along with volleyball, hockey and rugby competitions, have also contributed to the ecosystem.

Commercial backbone

However, most of these remained event-led rather than part of stable, long-term league structures. “There is activity happening in emerging sports, but they are still searching for structural continuity,” Karnik added.

Cricket’s growth, in contrast, has been on the back of strong viewership and consistent monetisation structures in the last decade or so since the IPL came, enabling it to attract sustained advertiser interest. For brands looking for a big bang for their buck, cricket still remains scalable and has predictable returns.

Media spends remained the largest component of the industry at ₹9,571 crore, accounting for over half of the total market and growing 20% year-on-year. Sponsorships contributed ₹7,943 crore, while celebrity endorsements stood at ₹1,350 crore.

Cricket media spends rose from about ₹6,800 crore in 2024 to over ₹9,000 crore in 2025, while cricket sponsorships were around ₹6,300 crore in 2024.

Within cricket, growth continued to be driven by strong advertiser demand and premium pricing across properties such as the Indian Premier League (IPL). Media and sponsorship revenues have both expanded, reflecting sustained brand interest in high-reach sporting assets.

“As long as there is audience aggregation, there will be advertiser interest. IPL is India’s Super Bowl, and there is still more headroom to grow,” said Karnik, adding that he does not see saturation in cricket at current price points.

IPL is the commercial backbone of the ecosystem, even more so than bilateral cricket, as team sponsorship revenues crossed ₹1,000 crore for the first time ever in 2025. Another ₹777 crore was for the remaining cricketing ecosystem. Karnik said this could rise further to around ₹1,400 crore for IPL teams in 2026.

Interestingly, 2025 was also the first time that real-money gaming (RMG) firms exited sports sponsorships, which had been among the largest advertisers in recent years, after the government introduced a sweeping regulatory crackdown that effectively banned such platforms and their advertising.

Return of traditional sector ads

The new law also restricted financial transactions and promotions linked to these games, making it legally risky for brands and sports properties to continue association with them. But Karnik said this did not materially impact the market.

"Traditional sectors such as FMCG, auto and banking stepped in to absorb the inventory, in some cases at higher rates. The belief that the exit would shrink the market has not played out," he said.

Digital platforms are also gaining ground within media spending. While television continues to account for a larger share, the gap between TV and digital has narrowed significantly, with industry executives expecting digital to overtake TV in the near term.

India's love for cricket has always been apparent, and the game is now larger than the entire sports industry was just a year ago. Despite real-money gaming companies pulling out of advertising, India’s sports economy crossed the $2 billion mark in 2025, growing at a healthy 13.4% year-on-year to ₹18,864 crore, according to a new report, Sporting Nation: Building a Legacy, released by global media investment company WPP Media.

The sports industry, led by cricket, has doubled over the past four years, rising from ₹9,530 crore in 2021. The maturity in the cricketing ecosystem has scaled to its commercial heights, said the report, as cricket continues to dominate the entire sporting arena, contributing ₹16,704 crore in 2025, or 89% of the total industry size. Cricket alone in 2025 is nearly equal to the entire sports industry in 2024, the report added. But that doesn't bode well for other sports, as cricket has engulfed them.

Emerging sports saw sponsorship revenues decline 12.2% in 2025, from ₹1,360 crore in 2024 to ₹1,193 crore, largely due to the absence of the Indian Super League (ISL), a key football property. Over a longer period, growth in these segments has remained modest compared to cricket. “If ISL had happened, the numbers would have been largely flat. The drop is predominantly because of its absence,” Vinit Karnik, managing director, content, sports and entertainment at WPP Media South Asia, added.

Despite this, there has been activity across newer and non-cricket properties. Events such as the Neeraj Chopra Classic (a World Athletics javelin competition held here), led by the Olympian, and exhibition-driven properties such as Lionel Messi’s India visit have also drawn attention. Newer leagues such as the World Pickleball League, along with volleyball, hockey and rugby competitions, have also contributed to the ecosystem.

Commercial backbone

However, most of these remained event-led rather than part of stable, long-term league structures. “There is activity happening in emerging sports, but they are still searching for structural continuity,” Karnik added.

Cricket’s growth, in contrast, has been on the back of strong viewership and consistent monetisation structures in the last decade or so since the IPL came, enabling it to attract sustained advertiser interest. For brands looking for a big bang for their buck, cricket still remains scalable and has predictable returns.

Media spends remained the largest component of the industry at ₹9,571 crore, accounting for over half of the total market and growing 20% year-on-year. Sponsorships contributed ₹7,943 crore, while celebrity endorsements stood at ₹1,350 crore.

Cricket media spends rose from about ₹6,800 crore in 2024 to over ₹9,000 crore in 2025, while cricket sponsorships were around ₹6,300 crore in 2024.

Within cricket, growth continued to be driven by strong advertiser demand and premium pricing across properties such as the Indian Premier League (IPL). Media and sponsorship revenues have both expanded, reflecting sustained brand interest in high-reach sporting assets.

“As long as there is audience aggregation, there will be advertiser interest. IPL is India’s Super Bowl, and there is still more headroom to grow,” said Karnik, adding that he does not see saturation in cricket at current price points.

IPL is the commercial backbone of the ecosystem, even more so than bilateral cricket, as team sponsorship revenues crossed ₹1,000 crore for the first time ever in 2025. Another ₹777 crore was for the remaining cricketing ecosystem. Karnik said this could rise further to around ₹1,400 crore for IPL teams in 2026.

Interestingly, 2025 was also the first time that real-money gaming (RMG) firms exited sports sponsorships, which had been among the largest advertisers in recent years, after the government introduced a sweeping regulatory crackdown that effectively banned such platforms and their advertising.

Return of traditional sector ads

The new law also restricted financial transactions and promotions linked to these games, making it legally risky for brands and sports properties to continue association with them. But Karnik said this did not materially impact the market.

"Traditional sectors such as FMCG, auto and banking stepped in to absorb the inventory, in some cases at higher rates. The belief that the exit would shrink the market has not played out," he said.

Digital platforms are also gaining ground within media spending. While television continues to account for a larger share, the gap between TV and digital has narrowed significantly, with industry executives expecting digital to overtake TV in the near term.