'What KBC did for entertainment, sports will do for the digital ecosystem'

Sports commands appointment viewing at scale, making it a critical pillar for capturing a captive audience, especially in the realm of AVoD

VINIT KARNIK, head of sports, eSports, and entertainment at GroupM, South Asia, delves into the evolving landscape of sports in India and its impact on the digital ecosystem with Vanita Kohli-Khandekar on Microsoft Teams ahead of Tuesday’s release of Sporting Nation — Building a Legacy, GroupM’s annual study of the sports business. Karnik shares insights on the rise of non-cricket sports, and the critical role of sports in the media and entertainment industry, and offers valuable advice for advertisers navigating this market. Edited excerpts:

How can we call India a sporting nation when cricket is the only sport that interests