620 mn viewers, 92,000 ads, $76 mn revenue: Inside India’s sports marketing boom
The 60% jump in franchise fees in 2023 emphasizes how lucrative sports advertising has become, as per a report jointly published by Deloitte and Google.
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In the last decade, sports sponsorships in India has grown at three times the pace of global deals. The 60% jump in franchise fees in 2023 emphasizes how lucrative this space has become for advertisers eager to cash in on the country’s insatiable appetite for sports, as per Think Sports: Unlocking India's $130B Sports Potential, a report jointly published by Deloitte and Google.
The digital playfield
90% of Indian consumers engage with sports digitally, with cricket-related videos amassing over 50 billion views on YouTube in a single year, the report highlights.
Swiggy's IPL 2024 campaign, the "Foodie Scorecard," combined cricket with food through six witty commercials leading to an increase in new user orders by 23%, and active users surging by 59%.
The AI edge
Mondelez’s Cadbury Fuse campaign used AI to analyze match schedules, player performances, and audience demographics, and generated 92,000 creative variations of hyper-targeted ads. Whether it was a nail-biting match between India and Pakistan or a subdued weekday match, Mondelez ensured the ads felt personal throughout.
The impact? A 2x increase in ad recall and a 3x favorability lift for Cadbury Fuse.
The IPL effect
Any conversation about sports advertising in India is incomplete without mentioning the branding behemoth that is IPL which is valued at $16.4 billion. For brands like TATA Group, title sponsorship of both the IPL and the Women’s Premier League was a calculated move to attract younger, digitally savvy audiences, strengthening TATA’s e-commerce ventures in the process.
Puma tapped into a market where fandom exceeds urban boundaries through its collaboration with Virat Kohli for the One8 collection, which pushed the brand’s total sales up by 10%, especially in tier-2 and tier-3 cities.
Beyond cricket
A new wave of sports is slowly finding their footing in India’s advertising ecosystem. Fantasy sports platforms, are projected to double their market size by 2030, driven by brands eager to tap into everybody's favorite demographic right now - the Gen Zs. Meanwhile, leagues like the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) and Indian Super League (ISL) are also witnessing steady sponsorship interest, offering brands access to previously overlooked demographics.
The Women’s Premier League, a prime example of growing focus on women’s sports. The WPL generated $76 million in revenue in its inaugural season, thus validating how gender-inclusive campaigns can open new markets. With 36% of sports fans being women, brands are finally realizing the potential of this segment, the report indicates.
Red Bull’s playbook
There is one brand taking the unconventional route in sports advertising - Red Bull. While remaining true to its brand ethos of adrenaline and audacity, Red Bull in India has tapped into the country’s burgeoning youth sports culture.
By initiating events such as the Red Bull M.E.O. (Mobile Esports Open) and Red Bull Shuttle Up, India’s first women’s doubles badminton tournament, the brand has displayed inclusivity while also proving that adventure knows no bounds.
Through Red Bull Media House, which produces sports content that resonates with young audiences, the brand ensures its storytelling remains authentic and aspirational.
The art of being subtle
Some brands, however, prefer a subtler approach, using sports as an undertone.
In Cadbury Dairy Milk’s cricket-themed ads or Nestle KitKat’s limited-edition World Cup packaging, it is evident that the brands are tapping into fan nostalgia and excitement, creating a deeper emotional connection without deviating from their primary product message.
The future
As India’s sports ecosystem grows, we see that sponsorships and partnerships are no longer about slapping logos on jerseys or buying airtime during matches. Today’s brands are building immersive, multi-channel campaigns that blur the line between fandom and commerce. From fantasy sports to AI-driven ad personalization, the business of sports in India is getting unpredictable as the games.
