In a sports economy defined by short attention spans and long commercial commitment cycles, the Knight Riders Group is attempting something unusual, turning a franchise built for a two-month IPL window into a 365-day global entertainment platform.
With teams in India, the Caribbean, the UAE and now a stadium-backed presence in the United States, the Knight Riders ecosystem is no longer just about cricketing cycles. It is increasingly about brand gravity across geographies, seasons and audiences.
At the centre of this shift is Binda Dey, Group CMO, Knight Riders Sports, who believes the real value of modern fandom lies not in reach or even conversion, but something deeper.
The ‘Fandom flywheel’: Why engagement matters most
For most sports brands, success is measured in impressions or revenue spikes. For Knight Riders, the lens is different.
“We track what I’d call a fandom flywheel, reach builds awareness, engagement builds affinity and conversion validates both,” Dey told Financialexpress.com in an exclusive interaction.
But if forced to choose one metric, she doesn’t hesitate.
“It would be engagement. We operate in an intensely emotional, tribal ecosystem. Fans don’t just follow the brand they live it.”
That, she says, is what separates passive audiences from active communities. A fan defending the team online or bringing their child to a match is, in her view, a far stronger signal than any top-line digital metric.
“Reach can be bought. Conversion is an outcome. Engagement is the leading indicator of cultural gravity.”
From franchise to platform: The LA stadium bet
One of the most aggressive bets in the Knight Riders expansion has been its investment in the Pomona Fairplex in Los Angeles, marking a shift from leasing venues to owning infrastructure.
For Dey, that decision fundamentally changes what the brand represents.
“Ownership moves us from being just a team to building a year-round sports and entertainment ecosystem,” she says.
For sponsors, she argues, infrastructure is not just physical, it is symbolic.
“It signals commitment. It shows skin in the game. And it allows for deeper integration, better data and year-round activation, not just tournament-based visibility.”
The long-term ambition is even clearer to position the venue as the “home of cricket in America”, especially as the sport prepares for its inclusion in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Winning LA: Not competing but converting attention
Breaking into Los Angeles, a market dominated by the Lakers, Dodgers and Rams, is not about imitation, Dey insists. “It’s not about competing head-on. It’s about differentiation.”
Instead of trying to mirror established American sports franchises, the Knight Riders’ approach rests on three clear pillars. The first is simplifying the game, using storytelling across in-stadium experiences and digital platforms to make cricket intuitive and accessible for first-time audiences.
The second is an experience-first entertainment model, where matchdays are designed as cultural events rather than standalone fixtures. Think music, food, fireworks and festival-style programming, with themed spectacles such as July 4 celebrations turning games into broader community experiences.
The third pillar is participation over spectatorship. Through initiatives like the Knight Riders Cricket Academy, the focus shifts from merely building viewers to creating players, embedding cricket into everyday community engagement.
“The idea is not to ask people to watch cricket,” Dey says. “It’s to invite them into it.”
LA28 and the long game: Building before the spotlight arrives
With cricket set to return at the 2028 Olympics, Knight Riders is playing a long visibility game in Los Angeles.
The strategy is simple: build credibility before mass attention arrives.
“This is a phased build. We are scaling capacity, expanding engagement, and letting the market grow with us,” Dey explains.
From 5,000-seat beginnings to a planned 15,000-capacity venue by 2028, the focus is on consistency rather than spikes.
“We want Knight Riders to be synonymous with cricket in the US, not just during a season, but year-round.”
Beyond IPL: How leagues fit into the global strategy
With franchises across four leagues, IPL, CPL, ILT20 and MLC, Knight Riders is no longer operating in a single-market logic.
Dey says league selection is not about comparison but alignment.
“It’s not about one market versus another. It’s about building long-term brand equity and global presence.”
The group uses both models, single-market partnerships and cross-franchise deals, depending on brand objectives.
“We don’t force a one-size-fits-all global deal. Some partners want depth in one market. Others want breadth across geographies.”
The US opportunity: Merchandise, identity and lifestyle
Brand extensions now contribute between 10-20% of Knight Riders’ commercial ecosystem, but the US represents a significantly larger opportunity.
“There is already strong demand for KKR and Trinbago merchandise in the US,” says Dey. “But with LA Knight Riders, we are still early in the journey.
The long-term goal is not just merchandise revenue, but cultural positioning.
“In the US, merchandise is not just fandom. It is identity. It is lifestyle.”
She adds that grassroots initiatives, including the Cricket Academy, will play a key role in building early loyalty.
The data layer: Building a digital home, not a marketplace
With the Knights App gaining traction, Knight Riders is shifting focus from scale to depth.
“For us, first-party data is not just about numbers. It’s about understanding fans better,” Dey says.
The aim is not to turn the app into a transactional marketplace.
Instead, it is being positioned as a digital home for Knight Riders fans globally, a space for content, experiences and personalised engagement.
Measuring loyalty beyond results
On-field performance, Dey argues, does not define fan loyalty.
“We look at consistency of engagement. Are fans still showing up when results are not in our favour?” Metrics such as app activity, social conversation and community participation are increasingly central.
“These are indicators of emotional loyalty, not just transactional interest.”
The SRK factor: Legacy but not dependency
Shah Rukh Khan remains inseparable from the Knight Riders identity but Dey is clear that the brand has evolved beyond individual dependency.
“SRK is deeply embedded in the DNA of the brand from ‘Korbo Lorbo Jeetbo’ to our identity itself,” she says. However, she adds that Knight Riders today stands on its own legacy.
“Three IPL titles, global franchises, and a pipeline of talent have created an independent identity.” Campaigns like “Ami KKR”, she says, reinforce that the brand belongs to its fans.
“The strength of Knight Riders lies in shared ownership, with players, fans, and its history.”
Knight Riders is no longer just a cricket franchise.
It is attempting to become a global sports platform anchored in fandom, infrastructure and identity with Los Angeles as its next big bet. Or as Dey puts it: “When engagement is strong, everything else follows.”