India’s Estimated Sports Audience Base Is 678 Million With Cricket, Football & Kabaddi Being The Top 3 Sports – Check the full details here

The latest research report, titled “The Ormax Sports Audience Report: 2024,” has been revealed by the media consulting firm Ormax Media. This comprehensive report is the culmination of India’s most extensive sports research, conducted from November 2023 to January 2024, encompassing 12,000 respondents from both urban and rural areas of India.

It delves into 21 sports, 53 sports tournaments, and 52 clubs and franchises, as well as various facets of sports viewing behavior among Indian audiences.

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Insights into India’s Sports Audience: Key Findings from Ormax Media’s Report

According to the findings, India’s sports audience is estimated to reach a remarkable 678 million (67.8 crore). The top three sports by audience base are Cricket, Football, and Kabaddi, boasting audience bases of 612 million, 305 million, and 208 million, respectively.

Shailesh Kapoor, Founder & CEO – Ormax Media, remarked that with the rise in digital consumption, TV viewership ceased to be an accurate method for estimating sports consumption in a vast and diverse country like India. He mentioned that the report was part of their initiative to compile industry data through primary audience research across different categories, following up on reports such as The Ormax OTT Audience Report and Sizing The Cinema.

“With an increase in digital consumption, TV viewership is no longer an accurate way of estimating sports consumption in a large and heterogenous country like India. This report is a part of our initiative to build industry data using primary audience research across various categories, and is a follow-up to reports like The Ormax OTT Audience Report, and Sizing The Cinema.”

Keerat Grewal, Head of Business Development (TV, Streaming & Brands) at Ormax Media, stated that the Ormax Sports Audience Report: 2024 provided a thorough examination of the Indian sports landscape from an audience-oriented viewpoint. She highlighted that it served as a comprehensive guide for individuals interested in devising strategies for sports monetization, content creation, or communication targeting the Indian market. This encompassed a wide spectrum of stakeholders including broadcasters, franchise owners, sports associations, sports management firms, and advertisers.

“The Ormax Sports Audience Report: 2024 looks at the Indian sports landscape from an audience-first perspective, and is a comprehensive reckoner for anyone looking at crafting a sports monetization, content or communication strategy for the Indian market, ranging from broadcasters, franchise owners, sports, associations, sports management firms, and advertisers”.

In-depth Analysis: Most-Recalled Franchises Across Cricket, Football, and Kabaddi in India

As per the report, Chennai Super Kings, Manchester United, and Patna Pirates emerge as the most-recalled franchises in each of the top three sports categories. Additionally, in the IPL context, Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore secure the second position following Chennai Super Kings.

According to the Ormax Sports Audience Report 2024, despite Kohli’s presence, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) trails behind other Indian Premier League (IPL) teams in terms of content consumption share. Chennai Super Kings (CSK), led by MS Dhoni, commands the highest market share at 18 percent, followed closely by Mumbai Indians with 16 percent.

The significant fan bases of CSK and Mumbai Indians stem from their success in winning the most IPL titles, five each. However, despite Kohli’s star power, RCB ranks third with a 13 percent unaided recall value, despite not having won an IPL title. Delhi Capitals and Sunrisers Hyderabad occupy the lower ranks with 7 percent each. Notably, the market share is determined solely by the recall value among consumers, without any marketing or promotional influence.

Among various sports disciplines, CSK emerges as the most popular cricket franchise, while Manchester United leads in football. In Kabaddi, Patna Pirates garners the most popularity among Indian fans.

These conclusions are drawn from extensive research conducted between November 2023 and January 2024, involving 12,000 sports audiences across urban and rural India. The study encompassed 21 sports disciplines, 53 sports events, and 52 clubs and franchisees, providing insights into the sports viewing behavior of Indian audiences across multiple dimensions.

It’s evident that cricket remains the dominant force, attracting 90 percent of consumers in India’s vast sports content market of 678 million, with football and kabaddi following behind.