Sports sector grows 10% in 2014

The sports sector in India grew by 10 per cent in 2014 to Rs 4,806.9 crore, according to the GroupM SportzPower Report, 2015.

In 2013, the sector was pegged at Rs 4,372.5 crore.

This growth has been led by new sporting leagues like The Indian Super League (ISL) and the Pro Kabaddi League. New leagues contributed in driving the growth for on-ground sponsorship. ISL had 10 sponsors at the central level with almost Rs 500 million sponsorship amount with. Coca-Cola International Premier Tennis League was the landmark deal in the sector.

The report also revealed that cricket saw a dip in on-ground sponsorship (from Rs 508.3 crore to Rs 464.7 crore) and cricket team sponsorship (from Rs 389.2 crore to Rs 347.8 crore). The Indian cricket ream sponsorship price was reduced to Rs 2 crore per match from Rs 3.33 crore per match (paid by Airtel) with the new sponsorship of Star India.

Also Indian Premier League 2014 team sponsorship money saw a dip from to Rs 253.7 crore, because of the tournament being shifted partly to the UAE. In 2013, the team sponsorship amount was Rs 275 crore.

The dip in cricket on-ground numbers are mainly due to lesser matches being held in India in 2014 - only eight. In 2013, the number of cricket matches hosted by India was 2013.

IPL also had no new central sponsor, resulting in a flat year for its ground sponsorship.

Other sports saw a growth of team sponsorship and franchise fee due to the new sports leagues, albeit at a very small base. While football registered a 227 per cent increase from Rs 26.6 crore to Rs 60.3 crore, mainly on the back of the ISL, it was the emergence of other leagues - International Premier Tennis League, The Champions Tennis League, Pro-Kabaddi League and the World Kabaddi League - that saw a spectacular 1,064 per cent jump from Rs 7 crore to Rs 74.5 crore.