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Women’s cricket deserves visibility, prime-time, and the right storytelling: Ishan Chatterjee, CEO-Sports, JioStar
Backing his optimism with data, Chatterjee cited a recent Deloitte study that projects India’s sports economy to grow from $30 billion in 2023 to $70 billion by 2030.
Chatterjee painted a picture of an industry on the cusp of explosive growth — one that’s no longer just about cricket, but about the broader sporting movement taking shape across India.
India’s sports and media landscape is entering a transformative phase driven by fandom, technology, and inclusivity, said Ishan Chatterjee, CEO – Sports, JioStar, during a fireside chat at FICCI FRAMES 2025.
Chatterjee painted a picture of an industry on the cusp of explosive growth — one that’s no longer just about cricket, but about the broader sporting movement taking shape across India.
“The big trend that we are betting on is the rise of other sports in India,” Chatterjee said. “Whether those are established sports like tennis, football, and kabaddi, or even newer ones like e-sports, that’s where we expect exponential growth. And it’s not just because we want it to happen— as soon as Indian athletes start delivering world-class results, we see fandom accelerate. Just look at what Neeraj Chopra did for the javelin.”
Backing his optimism with data, Chatterjee cited a recent Deloitte study that projects India’s sports economy to grow from $30 billion in 2023 to $70 billion by 2030.
“To put that in perspective,” he noted, “Brazil stands at around $6–8 billion, and the UK, one of the most advanced markets, is at about $40 billion. We are truly at an inflection point.”
The numbers underline India’s emergence as a global sports powerhouse — not just in participation or viewership, but in commercial opportunities spanning media rights, sponsorship, merchandising, and grassroots programs.
A significant part of this growth, Chatterjee said, must be rooted in inclusivity — especially in women’s sports.
“Our role as broadcasters is to give women’s cricket visibility, prime-time slots, and the right storytelling so it inspires the next generation,” he emphasized. “WPL is one of the biggest priorities for us to ensure growth in women’s cricket.”
Chatterjee stressed that the development of women’s cricket isn’t just a social imperative but also a business opportunity. “From a consumption standpoint, there’s a lot of headroom,” he said. “More importantly, it’s vital for our sporting culture as a nation to become more representative and inclusive.”
Reflecting on the Indian Premier League’s (IPL) role in shaping modern fandom, Chatterjee called it a “phenomenon of scale.”
“During the last season, we lit up over 1.1 billion screens across TV and digital,” he shared. “To grow consumption — whether it’s more viewers, more matches, or more watch time — we have to appeal to different interests. For the core fan it’s about depth and stats, but for the casual viewer it may be entertainment, creators, or even an IP like Motu Patlu engaging with kids. That mix is what keeps the IPL ecosystem growing.”
Chatterjee suggested that blending data, storytelling, and entertainment will be key to expanding the IPL’s reach and maintaining its status as one of the world’s largest sporting events.
Technology, Chatterjee said, lies at the heart of JioStar’s sports vision. As India remains one of the fastest adopters of new tech, he outlined a roadmap where the sports viewing experience becomes hyper-personalized.
“At JioStar, we are led by consumer behaviour and our vision for sports viewing is a completely personalized one-to-one feed,” he said. “Two people can watch the same match, but the experience — camera angles, commentary, interactive features — will be entirely different for each.”
He noted that India’s rapid digital evolution is already transforming how fans engage with live sports. Features like multi-camera viewing, vertical video formats, and AI-driven smart highlights are redefining the modern viewing experience.
“This is only the beginning,” Chatterjee added. “We are witnessing the evolution of fandom itself — from being passive spectators to becoming active participants in the game.”
As the session concluded, Chatterjee’s message was clear: India’s sports ecosystem is not just scaling — it’s diversifying, digitizing, and democratizing. From e-sports arenas to women’s leagues, from AI-powered streaming to hyper-local storytelling, the next decade of Indian sports promises to be as dynamic as its billion-strong audience.
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