
Funds spent on cricket eclipse other sports as the Indian sports ecosystem swells to $2 billion
India's love for cricket has always been apparent, and the game is now larger than the entire sports industry was just a year ago. Despite real-money gaming companies pulling out of advertising, India’s sports economy crossed the $2 billion mark in 2025, growing at a healthy 13.4% year-on-year to ₹18,864 crore, according to a new report, Sporting Nation: Building a Legacy, released by global media investment company WPP Media.The sports industry, led by cricket, has doubled over the past four years, rising from ₹9,530 crore in 2021.
The maturity in the cricketing ecosystem has scaled to its commercial heights, said the report, as cricket continues to dominate the entire sporting arena, contributing ₹16,704 crore in 2025, or 89% of the total industry size. Cricket alone in 2025 is nearly equal to the entire sports industry in 2024, the report added.
But that doesn't bode well for other sports, as cricket has engulfed them.Emerging sports saw sponsorship revenues decline 12.2% in 2025, from ₹1,360 crore in 2024 to ₹1,193 crore, largely due to the absence of the Indian Super League (ISL), a key football property. Over a longer period, growth in these segments has remained modest compared to cricket.
“If ISL had happened, the numbers would have been largely flat. The drop is predominantly because of its absence,” Vinit Karnik, managing director, content, sports and entertainment at WPP Media South Asia, added.Despite this, there has been activity across newer and non-cricket properties.
Events such as the Neeraj Chopra Classic (a World Athletics javelin competition held here), led by the Olympian, and exhibition-driven properties such as Lionel Messi’s India visit have also drawn attention. Newer leagues such as the World
. Read on livemint.com