Cricket's popularity dips as basketball, MMA, F1 ignite youth sports fandom

Basketball and motorsport have recorded the sharpest climbs, each adding four percentage points since 2019, according to Nielsen Fan Insights 2025 study

Cricket still dominates Indian sport, but the ground beneath its feet is shifting. According to the Nielsen Fan Insights 2025 study, Indian youth are steadily branching out, with basketball, mixed martial arts (MMA), motorsport and golf showing significant spikes in popularity.

 

While cricket and football remain at the top, both have slipped slightly since 2019. Cricket’s following among youth aged 18–30 dropped from 75 per cent in 2019 to 70 per cent in 2025. Football fell marginally, from 59 per cent to 57 per cent. But the story is not about decline—it is about what is rising in their place.

 

 

Why the story matters

 

The report signals a generational transition in India’s sports culture. Global sports and niche disciplines are becoming mainstream, fuelled by streaming platforms, social media communities, and the growing visibility of international leagues. For a country that has long viewed cricket as a near-religion, the emergence of new favourites suggests both an expanded entertainment palette and new commercial opportunities.

 

Basketball and motorsport have recorded the sharpest climbs, each adding four percentage points since 2019. MMA and golf have also gained steady traction, rising by four points each. Even badminton, often seen as a steady performer, has held its ground at 56 per cent. In contrast, kabaddi—a sport that had surged in recent years—has suffered a decline, slipping from 55 per cent to 49 per cent.

 

The numbers involved

• Cricket: Down from 75% (2019) to 70% (2025)
• Football: Down from 59% to 57%
• Kabaddi: Down from 55% to 49%
• Badminton: Steady at 56%
• Basketball: Up from 39% to 43%
• Motorsport (including F1): Up from 38% to 43%
• MMA: Up from 32% to 36%
• Golf: Up from 23% to 27%

The study is based on a sample size of 6,000 respondents aged 16–30, collected across 10 major Indian cities over two periods—August 2019 to January 2020 and December 2024 to May 2025.

 

Nielsen Fan Insights 2025 study on sports popularity in India

Globalisation of Indian fandom

 

The Nielsen study points to the role of digital access as a key driver. With global leagues such as the NBA and Formula 1 streaming live into Indian homes, younger audiences are finding new heroes and sporting narratives beyond cricketing icons. The UFC’s growing popularity on digital platforms has introduced MMA into mainstream youth conversations, while golf, long seen as elite, is being democratised through social media exposure and celebrity endorsements.

 

Interestingly, badminton continues to hold its ground largely due to India’s international success stories, including Olympic medallists and world champions who have kept the sport relevant. Kabaddi’s fall, however, raises questions about whether its earlier boom, propelled by the Pro Kabaddi League, is losing momentum.

 

Opportunities for brands and leagues

 

For sponsors, leagues, and broadcasters, the shift is both a challenge and an opening. Cricket’s decline is modest but notable, suggesting that while it will remain the cornerstone of Indian sports, it no longer commands the monopoly it once did. Emerging sports, meanwhile, provide fresh avenues to engage youth audiences that are hungry for diversity and global connection.

 

Brands that once funnelled most of their budgets exclusively into cricket are now experimenting with partnerships in basketball, MMA, and motorsport. The growing fanbase for these sports also points to potential investments in grassroots infrastructure and local leagues, which could further fuel their expansion.

 

The big picture

 

The evolution of Indian youth fandom reflects a broader cultural transformation. From courts and cages to racing tracks and golf greens, sports that were once on the margins of Indian consciousness are now competing for attention with established giants.

 

Cricket and football remain central, but the cracks in their dominance tell a deeper story: today’s young fans are global citizens with eclectic tastes. As digital platforms bring the world closer, India’s next sporting icons may not just emerge from cricket stadiums but also from octagons, basketball courts, or Formula 1 circuits.

 

For a nation that has long rallied around a single sport, the diversification of fandom marks a thrilling new era—one where Indian youth are rewriting what it means to be a sports fan.