While men’s cricket and tentpole properties like the Indian Premier League (IPL) will continue to anchor India’s sports economy, Ishan Chatterjee, CEO, sports, at JioStar emphasised that sports such as kabaddi and football will play a major role in driving the next wave of growth for the industry. In conversation with former Indian cricketer and commentator Dinesh Karthik on the second day of the FICCI Frames summit, Chatterjee also added that the next 5-10 years will drive transformative growth for the sports ecosystem bolstered by technology, fandom and inclusivity.
As per a GroupM report, the sports industry produced a total business of Rs 16,733 crore, having grown sevenfold since 2008. Around Rs 2,500 crore came from non-cricket sports, contributing 15% to the sports economy, registering an annual growth of 24%.
New pillars of growth
Chatterjee also highlighted the role that broadcaster JioStar has in driving growth and interest not just in men’s cricket but also the women’s cricket. “The Women’s Premier League (WPL) is one of the biggest priorities for us to drive growth in women’s cricket. The league is already transforming the landscape for 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 added.
The tech evolution
The rapid adoption of new technology such as AI-driven smart highlights and multi-cam viewing is also reshaping the way sports is consumed in the country, said Chatterjee. JioStar, which holds the broadcast rights for the IPL, WPL, Pro Kabaddi League and the Indian Super League (football), has been using technology to personalise viewing experiences. “Two people can watch the same match, but the experience, camera angles, commentary and interactive features will be entirely different for each. Our vision is a completely personalised one-on-one feed,” explains Chatterjee.
The momentum that properties like the IPL enjoy can be leveraged to nurture other sports.
According to Chatterjee, one of the ways that the IPL has built its audience is by catering to all kinds of viewers, whether they are casual consumers of the league or serious fans. Other sports will need to woo both sets of viewers to grow.