Cricket still a religion as fan engagement revenues set to jump in 5 yrs

With increasing digital penetration and smartphone usage in the country, Indian live sports consumers have flocked to digital means like smartphones and laptops to watch live sports

For the umpteenth time, Virat Kohli propelled India to victory in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, guiding the team in a tense run chase against Australia in the tournament’s first semi-final. The match between the two cricketing giants broke all viewership records, with peak concurrent viewership reaching 669 million on JioHotstar, a newly launched streaming platform from a joint venture between JioCinema and Disney+ Hotstar.

 

With rising digital penetration and smartphone usage in India, live sports consumers are increasingly turning to digital platforms like smartphones and laptops, while television viewership has seen a relative decline. This shift to digital sports consumption has been driven by enhanced fan engagement features introduced by streaming platforms.

 

These features include quick access to match statistics, interactive quizzes with prizes, multiple camera angles, and match commentary in various Indian languages, providing a more localised and personalised experience for viewers. The availability of low-cost or free streaming for major sporting events, such as the Indian Premier League (IPL), has further accelerated this transition to digital media.

 

A recent report by Deloitte and the Federation of Indian Fantasy Sports (FIFS) estimates that fan engagement in India stood at Rs 21,400 crore in FY24 and is projected to grow to Rs 38,400 crore in FY29 at a compounded annual growth rate of 12 per cent. Revenue from content streaming and advertisements, currently estimated at Rs 4,200 crore in FY24, is expected to more than double to Rs 10,000 crore in FY29. The report states that 89 per cent of Indian sports fans believe emerging technologies have enhanced their overall viewing experience.

 

A report on Indian sports industry spending by GroupM highlights the growing dominance of digital media over traditional television. Sports media spending on TV declined from $697 million in 2022 to $557 million in 2023, while spending on digital media surged from $259 million in 2022 to $346 million in 2023. Cricket continues to command the bulk of this spending, maintaining its status as India's most popular sport.    Streaming and ad revenue poised to reach Rs. 10000 crore by 2029