{"id":121496,"date":"2025-03-09T05:38:08","date_gmt":"2025-03-09T05:38:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peraltafinancing.com\/business\/marketing\/womens-sports-smashing-scoreboards-and-stereotypes-et-brandequity\/"},"modified":"2025-03-09T05:38:08","modified_gmt":"2025-03-09T05:38:08","slug":"womens-sports-smashing-scoreboards-and-stereotypes-et-brandequity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=121496","title":{"rendered":"Women\u2019s sports \u2013 smashing scoreboards and stereotypes, ET BrandEquity"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Last week\u2019s match in the ongoing Women\u2019s Premier League (WPL), where defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru faced off against the Delhi Capitals, drew thousands of cheering fans to the stadium \u2014 a stark contrast to the league\u2019s inaugural edition in 2023, which offered free entry to women.<\/p>\n

India\u2019s interest in women\u2019s team sports has grown faster than ever in the past two years. The rise of social media fandoms for sports stars, increased investments in leagues and lucrative sponsorship opportunities are driving this momentum, say experts.<\/p>\n

India\u2019s \u2018Olympic girls\u2019 have inspired many. Weightlifter Karnam Malleswari\u2019s 2000 Sydney win, followed by boxer Mary Kom<\/a> and shuttlers Saina Nehwal<\/a> in 2012, PV Sindhu<\/a> and wrestler Sakshi Malik<\/a> in 2016 and weightlifter Mirabai Chanu, Sindhu and boxer Lovlina Borgohain in 2020, have further fuelled this trend. This was amplified by women athletes at the recent Paris Olympics and Paralympics.<\/p>\n

With higher visibility, increased viewership, packed stadiums and more engaged fans, women\u2019s sports in India has truly started to level the playing field.<\/p>\n

The cricket catalyst<\/b><\/p>\n

Last week, an image of Australian star Ellyse Perry meeting a young Indian fan during a WPL match became a feel-good moment for Indian women\u2019s cricket. <\/p>\n

Beyond the sentiment, there are numbers worthy of note. According to the ICC, online searches for women\u2019s cricket in India skyrocketed by 103% from November 2023 to October 2024; the 2023 Women\u2019s T20 World Cup drew 254 million viewers \u2014 a 57% jump from previous years \u2014 while the 2024 edition amassed 103 million viewers in its first 15 games.<\/p>\n

The WPL ecosystem\u2019s business enterprise value climbed 7% to $160 million in 2024, up from $150 million in its inaugural season, according to D and P Advisory. Meanwhile, JioStar (formerly Viacom18) secured WPL media rights for five years (until 2027) for Rs 951 crore.<\/p>\n

\u201cDeeper media coverage, banking on successful league formats and the popularity of women sports stars have powered this shift in audience engagement, with brands slowly latching on,\u201d says Vinit Karnik<\/a>, MD for content, entertainment and sports at GroupM India.<\/p>\n

There is a discernible shift from moment marketing around sporting highs to more sustained, long-term sponsorships, with brands from newer categories like beauty and fintech joining in, since its lower advertising rates are very attractive.<\/p>\n

According to an ET<\/i> report last year, WPL 2024 was predicted to generate up to Rs 125 crore in sponsorship revenues for the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and its five teams. Central sponsorships were expected to generate Rs 50 crore, while team sponsorships would have earned up to Rs 50-65 crore.<\/p>\n

JioStar, the official broadcaster for the WPL, has secured sponsorship deals with 10 plus diverse brands including Tata Motors, Amul and State Bank of India for the 2025 season. Udit Sharma, EVP and business head, premium sports and agency relationships, JioStar, says that the growing interest from brands is thrilling. \u201cWith a diverse category of brands partnering with the league this year, women\u2019s sports is increasingly recognised as a high-impact, scalable platform for advertisers. More sectors are eager to align here. We expect this trend to continue as the market evolves,\u201d he shares.<\/p>\n

Ready to play<\/b><\/p>\n

For Puma\u2019s head of marketing Shreya Sachdev, the time is ripe to dive into women\u2019s sports. \u201cWith the success of the T20 format, and with people now increasingly taking up sports or watching it as a social activity, the signs of this picking up were there,\u201d she explains, adding that brands that did not natively exist in sports, are now veering towards women\u2019s events because the returns are increasingly higher when you invest in sport versus in other categories.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn today\u2019s nine-second attention spans, you have an avenue with a captive audience for three hours of a match,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Take, Mia by Tanishq for example. For them, partnering with women\u2019s sports teams was a natural fit, says head of marketing Sampurna Rakshit. \u201cMost of my consumers are women \u2014 many working women. All sports women are working women. A few years ago, when we saw sports women wearing our jewellery, we realised that we had not celebrated them on screen,\u201d says Rakshit.<\/p>\n

And there is a growing fandom to boot. \u201cThe knowledge people have about the players is eye opening \u2014 their statistics, bowling and batting styles, how they have been playing in the past couple of years. In this edition, I\u2019m not surprised with the craze,\u201d adds Rakshit. Sachdev too speaks of the high levels of followership and engagement among fans, with the added sentiment of \u201cif my favourite team or athlete is wearing something, I will go and buy the same\u201d.<\/p>\n

Beyond WPL partnerships, both brands have been supporting women athletes. And the metrics have been encouraging. Simply put, Sachdev feels that one has an opportunity to market to 50% of the population. \u201cAs a brand that makes menswear and womenswear, I need to sell my products to both,\u201d she explains.<\/p>\n

Rakshit reveals that every time they sign an RCB sponsorship, typically around March, online searches for the brand surge, and there is high reach too. \u201cTen crore cumulative views in a single match is a significant number for a marketer and this is \u2018relevant reach\u2019. There were towns and cities in India where Mia was unknown. Today because of the WPL sponsorship, we\u2019re known there now. It\u2019s taken us to places our regular marketing channels couldn\u2019t reach,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Beyond boundaries<\/b><\/p>\n

It\u2019s important for brands to treat women\u2019s sports as a separate emerging entity, says Tuhin Mishra<\/a>, co-founder of Baseline Ventures, a sports marketing and licensing company that has partnered with Smriti Mandhana. There has been almost 30% to 40% growth, \u201cnot just in the number of brands, but also the amount of money they\u2019re paying for her to come on board\u201d, he shares.<\/p>\n

\u201cMen\u2019s cricket has been in the television mainstream since the opening up of the Indian broadcasting market 30 years ago. This is nascent. Smriti is already endorsing around 20-odd brands, which is one of the highest for any woman athlete in the country. Gulf Oil, for instance, which is predominantly perceived as a men\u2019s brand, has appointed her as a brand ambassador, the other athlete being MS Dhoni,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n

Not constantly comparing women to men\u2019s sports \u2014 which have had decades of investment \u2014 seems fair and a progressive approach for long-term growth, says Karnik.<\/p>\n

He also highlights the unique fan engagement, noting that data shows the audience for women\u2019s sports is often different. \u201cWomen\u2019s cricket has attracted newer demographics, including more female and younger viewers, rather than just converting existing men\u2019s cricket fans. Therefore, marketing and storytelling need to cater to this fanbase,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n

But comparisons can be useful in benchmarking success. \u201cComparing viewership numbers, sponsorship deals and revenue models help in understanding areas of improvement. Also, since men\u2019s sporting events have set an example of commercialisation, using them as a reference point can guide sharper investment strategies,\u201d Karnik explains, adding that the balance lies in recognising the independent value of women\u2019s sports while using comparisons where they make strategic sense.<\/p>\n

Sideline to prime time <\/b><\/p>\n

There is a world beyond cricket. Take football for instance. ET<\/i> had reported a few months ago about Capri Global\u2019s sports investment arm Capri Sports\u2019s interest in women\u2019s football. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe are looking at our involvement in football from not necessarily a commercial lens but more from the India story on how to help women\u2019s football qualify for the FIFA World Cup,\u201d Jinisha Sharma, a director at its parent firm Capri Global, had said.<\/p>\n

Other sports like hockey are also seeing significant growth. Divyanshu Singh, COO of JSW Sports, which runs several grassroots programs for women\u2019s sports, says the inaugural edition of the women\u2019s Hockey India League this year has seen great traction in terms of viewership. \u201cIt was watched by an estimated 15 million people and attracted brands such as Hero and Bisleri,\u201d notes Singh.<\/p>\n

Visibility is crucial. \u201cYou need to \u2018see\u2019 the sport,\u201d says Mishra. \u201cIn cricket, besides the increase in women\u2019s matches, being televised is critical. There has been more share of voice (SOV) in the past three-four years. This has helped with familiarity with the players, many of whom are now managed by professional agencies that push them in front of brands.\u201d<\/p>\n

Keep the ball rolling<\/b><\/p>\n

Sharma believes that the Women\u2019s World Cup in India in 2026 will generate substantial sponsor interest. Factors like matches getting more exciting (close finishes, etc), higher recall of players as well as the visibility gained from networks have helped, he notes. <\/p>\n

\u201cWhile brands are realising that their support is cherished and is crucial in the early stages of an athlete\u2019s career, their investment in not just in leagues and franchise teams, but also grassroots development programmes is encouraging,\u201d adds Singh.<\/p>\n

Highlighting the positive response to Puma\u2019s campaign with PV Sindhu, Singh believes the notion that \u201conly male personalities can drive a brand\u2019s objectives\u201d needs to change. Despite the cyclical nature of sporting seasons and slower investment turnarounds, experts remain optimistic.<\/p>\n

Most agree that, despite the hurdles, there is significant value and immense potential for growth.<\/p>\n

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