Over 90% of Indian fans will pay to watch live sports: Study

India's sports rights market is experiencing rapid growth, driven by the rising popularity of sports streaming and the high value placed on cricket rights, according to a recent study by Ampere Analysis on the Indian sports rights market.

Key takeaways:

Market Growth: The Indian sports rights market has more than doubled between 2022 and 2024, fueled by lucrative deals for cricket broadcasting rights and the growing importance of digital rights.

Cricket Dominance: Cricket is the undisputed king of Indian sports, accounting for over 94% of the total media rights spend in 2023.

Mobile Viewership: Due to low fixed-line broadband penetration, mobile devices are the primary platform for sports consumption in India. Over

70% of sports fans watch sports on their phones weekly.

Streaming Boom: With a high preference for streaming live sports (over 50%), India is a significant market for sports streaming services.

Separate Packaging: To cater to both linear TV broadcasters and digital platforms, sports bodies are now selling separate rights packages for each. This strategy has led to significant revenue growth.

Revenues: At the same time, pay TV and TV advertising revenues have remained robust in India, meaning linear TV broadcasters are still increasing their investment in competitions such as the IPL and ICC cricket events. This is particularly important for broadcasters to reach the less-connected, vast rural population who will want to watch the competitions.

Subscription OTTs Gaining Traction: Subscription-based OTT services are challenging the dominance of traditional premium channel groups, grabbing a growing share of the sports rights market.

Other Sports Lag Behind: Cricket's immense popularity overshadows other sports. Football, Kabaddi, and the Olympics are among the few exceptions.

High Fan Engagement: A high percentage (over 90%) of Indian sports fans are willing to pay to watch live sports, indicating a strong potential for monetization.

Overall, the report by Ampere Analysis paints a picture of a thriving Indian sports rights market, driven by a passionate fan base, the growing adoption of streaming services, and the strategic approach of sports bodies in rights sales.