In India, sports entertainment is a booming industry, with an estimated revenue of INR 1,25,000 crore. A recent study conducted by Ormax Media, the first of its kind, sheds light on the immense popularity of sports among Indians.
According to the study, an astonishing 678 million people, or 67.8 crore, in India watch sports annually. To put this in perspective, India’s television audience is close to 900 million (90 crore), and the total online streaming audience ranges from 480 to 500 million (48-50 crore).
Unsurprisingly, cricket reigns supreme as the most-watched sport in India with 90% of the sports audience being addicted to the game, followed by football with 45% of the audience viewership and kabaddi with 41% of the audience watching the sport. What’s intriguing is the significant viewership for boxing and car racing, each attracting nearly 100 million viewers. This presents an opportunity for advertisers to tap into these audiences more effectively.
The study also reveals the top eight favorite sports stars in India, listed in descending order: Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni, Rohit Sharma, Cristiano Ronaldo, Sachin Tendulkar, Lionel Messi, Neeraj Chopra, and Sunil Chhetri. It’s worth noting that despite cricket’s dominance, other sports personalities also command significant fan followings.
It’s essential to understand that the term ‘sports audience’ refers to individuals who have watched sports content on television or on online platforms for at least 30 minutes in the past year. The study, based on a sample size of 12,000 people, encompasses 21 sports, 53 sports tournaments, and over 52 clubs and franchises.
Source: Ormax Media
The Sportz Planet Desk,
Atharva Shetye.
