Commercial Sports in India Building New Avenues
Commercial Sports in India has reached new heights over the last couple of years. The rapid rise of private leagues like the Indian Premier League, the Indian Super League and Pro-Kabbadi League are setting up high benchmarks for this industry. Sports is no longer just about a play anymore, it is a serious and booming business with our youth now opting for a career path in diverse disciplines and areas. Success of these leagues have opened up innumerable opportunities ranging from grassroots to broadcasting.
The media rights for private sports league have soared to a massive Rs. 16,347.50 crores. The IPL has been the most successful of all the leagues having seen a 22% surge in viewership. It has opened up a number of career prospects from sports analysis, coaching, sports medicine & physiotherapy and marketing & broadcast. Same is the case with the Indian Super League and the Pro-Kabbadi League. While the ISL Season 4 recorded a cumulative reach of 81 million viewers in the first three weeks, the Pro-Kabbadi League garnered a net reach of 313 million viewers. These staggering stats are not just promising for sports fan but also individuals who dream about making a career in sports.
Gone are the days when sports professionals had to worry about a constant source of income to sustain their lives. The success of these leagues, improved grassroots planning and wage structures from the government are reassuring for athletes and professionals involved.
Here are a few disciplines which have opened up for professionals in Sports:
- Sports Sponsorships
- Sports finance & business
- Sports marketing& PR
- Sports management
- Sports Events
- Sports Law
- Sports medicine, sports journalism, sports entrepreneurship, grassroots sports development, leaguemanagement, etc
All said & done, the sports management industry is still at a nascent stage in the country and expected to rise leap and bounds in the years to come. With more professionals flocking towards the industry, it’s only time until we witness INDIA pinned on the global map as a multi-sporting nation.
