India’s Sports Economy Crosses USD 2 Billion In 2025; Cricket Leads With 89% Share - Check Full Report

India’s sports economy has surpassed the $2 billion mark for the first time in 2025, reflecting a phase of structural consolidation and deeper commercial maturity, according to the latest WPP Media Report “Sporting Nation: Building a Legacy” report.

The industry reached INR 18,864 crore ($2,134 million) in 2025, registering a 13.4 percent year-on-year growth from INR 16,633 crore in 2024. The report indicates that this latest growth is not only driven by scale, but also by a broader mix of revenue streams and sustained brand investments across the ecosystem.

Over the past four years, India’s sports economy has nearly doubled from INR 9,530 crore in 2021, posting a compound annual growth rate of 18.6 percent. This consistent upward trajectory underscores the strengthening of the country’s sports business landscape in recent years.

Cricket continues to dominate the industry by a wide margin. In 2025, it accounted for 89 percent of total revenues, up from 85 percent the previous year, generating INR 16,704 crore and recording a 17.9 percent year-on-year increase. The sport also led across key verticals, contributing 81 percent of sponsorship spending, 87 percent of endorsements, and 95 percent of media investments.

The dominance of cricket is anchored by major properties such as the Indian Premier League, along with a strong international calendar featuring India’s success at the ICC Champions Trophy and the Indian women’s team’s victory at the ICC Women's ODI World Cup.

The Women's Premier League has also contributed to expanding the commercial footprint of the sport.

Media spending remained the largest contributor to the overall sports economy, accounting for 51 percent of total value. Advertising investments grew 19.8 percent year-on-year to INR 9,571 crore in 2025, highlighting the continued importance of content distribution in driving audience engagement.

Television advertising generated INR 5,117 crore, rising 16.4 percent, while digital advertising grew faster at 24 percent to INR 4,449 crore, reflecting the ongoing shift toward online platforms and streaming consumption.

Sponsorship spending increased by 7 percent to INR 7,943 crore, making up 42 percent of the total market. Growth in this segment was driven largely by premiumisation and improved monetisation of existing assets rather than expansion in inventory.

The ecosystem showed resilience despite challenges such as the withdrawal of real money gaming advertisers, with traditional sectors stepping in to absorb premium sponsorship inventory and maintain overall momentum.

Sports celebrity endorsements reached INR 1,350 crore ($153 million) in 2025, growing 10.3 percent year-on-year. Cricket continued to dominate this segment, contributing 87 percent of total endorsement value, or INR 1,178 crore.

The endorsement landscape is also evolving, with increasing adoption of equity-linked partnerships and deeper integration between athletes, teams, and tournaments. Athletes are gradually shifting from being mere brand ambassadors to long-term strategic partners, indicating a more structured and data-driven approach to collaborations.

Ashwin Padmanabhan, Chief Operating Officer, WPP Media South Asia, said, "The Indian sports economy crossing the $2 billion milestone marks a significant moment in its evolution, reflecting sustained growth and increasing structural maturity, led by the success of the Indian Premier League. While cricket continues to anchor the ecosystem, we are also seeing encouraging momentum across other segments of the sports landscape."

He added, "The opportunity ahead lies in building on this foundation to create a more diverse and scalable multi-sport ecosystem. This will be driven by stronger grassroots participation and continued investment across infrastructure, innovation and fan engagement."

With media innovation, fan engagement, and sustained brand investment converging, India’s sports economy is poised to enter its next phase of growth, reinforcing its position as a more structured and increasingly diversified commercial sector.