Sports marketing in India has always been synonymous with cricket. If a brand wanted national visibility, there was little debate about where the money should go. The Indian Premier League, ICC tournaments and marquee bilateral series delivered unmatched reach, making cricket the default choice for marketers.
While the equation of sponsorships with cricket has only gotten stronger given the recent wins, the official recognition of esports as a sport under the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025, which came into force on 1 May 2026, has added credibility to an industry that was once viewed as experimental. At the same time, kabaddi, football, badminton, women's sport and creator-led sporting properties are giving advertisers fresh ways to connect with audiences that consume sport very differently from previous generations. The result is not a battle between cricket and esports. Instead, brands are beginning to think of sports marketing as a diversified portfolio, balancing mass reach with highly engaged communities.
From curiosity to serious business
One of the clearest signs of esports' growing acceptance is the changing nature of conversations between brands and rights holders. According to Jogesh Lulla, Senior Vice President, Sports, JetSynthesys, advertisers have become far more sophisticated in what they expect from esports partnerships. "Official recognition has changed the substance of conversations more than the volume. Earlier, discussions centred on visibility, logo placements and straightforward sponsorships. Today, brands want to understand audience composition, engagement quality, brand safety and measurable business outcomes," he says.
That growing confidence is backed by scale. Lulla points to the Global e-Cricket Premier League (GEPL), whose second season generated over 174 million impressions while player registrations climbed to 910,000, representing a fivefold increase over the inaugural season. The league's expanding roster of franchise owners, spanning business leaders, investors and entertainment personalities, has also helped position esports as a long-term commercial opportunity rather than a one-off marketing experiment.
Nimish Raut, Global Head, Esports Partnerships & Special Projects, NODWIN Gaming, says official recognition has fundamentally altered how marketers approach the category. He says, "Brand managers have moved beyond asking, 'Why esports?' Today the discussion is about where their brand fits into the ecosystem and how they can create meaningful value." The industry's growing credibility is reflected in the calibre of activations taking place. Brands such as Hyundai and TVS have used the BGMI Masters Series to unveil new vehicles, demonstrating that esports is increasingly becoming the stage for major brand moments rather than experimental campaigns.
The audience advertisers have been chasing
Much of esports' appeal lies in the audiences it attracts. Unlike traditional broadcast sports, esports audiences are digital natives who interact, create content and actively participate in communities rather than simply watching from the sidelines. That difference is changing how marketers define success. Lulla argues that advertisers are paying greater attention to watch-through rates, time spent, creator amplification, live chat participation and community conversations alongside conventional reach metrics. "A viewer sharing clips, participating in chat or engaging with creator content offers a very different signal from simply seeing a logo on screen," he explains.
Raut agrees that impressions remain important, but believes they tell only part of the story. "The bigger question is whether the partnership strengthens a brand's positioning and builds genuine relevance within gaming communities. Engagement, audience sentiment and conversations around a partnership are often stronger indicators of long-term value," he says. As measurement tools mature, marketers are increasingly assessing how audiences respond to brand integrations rather than focusing solely on exposure.
New advertisers enter the game
The changing profile of advertisers entering esports may be an even stronger indicator of the industry's maturity. Gaming and technology companies were early adopters, but today the category is attracting interest from sectors that traditionally had little association with competitive gaming.
Raut says finance, microfinance, automotive and fashion brands are actively exploring esports because they see it as a credible way to engage audiences that are otherwise difficult to reach.
Lulla believes this follows the same pattern witnessed in traditional sports years ago. "As categories become structured and credible, advertiser confidence naturally grows because the perceived risk falls and the audience data becomes increasingly compelling," he shares.
Marketing agencies are witnessing the same trend from the client side. Keith Braganza, Sports Lead at TheSmallBigIdea, says brands are beginning to treat esports and emerging sports as planned investments rather than experimental spends. "We're increasingly seeing dedicated budgets being allocated, particularly because younger audiences consume sport differently. Esports offers immersive experiences, creator collaborations and highly engaged communities that many brands struggle to find elsewhere," he says. He believes interest now extends across fintech, BFSI, FMCG, consumer electronics, quick commerce, automotive and lifestyle brands, all looking to build cultural relevance through sport.
Raghav Upadhyay, Head of Performance Marketing at Team Pumpkin, observes, "Conversations have moved from asking whether brands should experiment to discussing how much budget should be allocated. Many clients are planning dedicated investments with clear engagement and performance objectives from the beginning," he says. He adds that FMCG, fintech, food delivery, personal care and fashion brands are increasingly attracted by audiences that actively participate instead of passively consuming content, leading to stronger engagement and better brand recall.
Rupali Chavan, SVP & Head of Business, Mudra, says the change is visible in budget conversations too. “We're seeing a gradual shift from exploratory spends to dedicated allocations, particularly among brands targeting Gen Z and digital-first consumers,” she says. She explains that esports and emerging sports are no longer viewed as niche properties but as strategic platforms for building deeper engagement and measurable outcomes.
Cricket remains king, but the calendar is getting busier
Despite the growing excitement around esports, nobody expects cricket to surrender its dominance. Every industry expert agrees that the IPL and ICC tournaments will continue to attract the largest share of sponsorship spending because no other property delivers comparable national reach.
What is changing is everything around it. Lulla expects brands to build sports marketing portfolios where cricket remains the anchor while esports gradually earns a permanent place in annual plans. He points to GEPL's franchise owners committing to a three-year association as evidence that investors are thinking beyond individual seasons.
Raut echoes that view. "I don't see this as cricket versus esports," he says. He predicts that brands will use cricket for unmatched scale while turning to esports and emerging sports when the objective is stronger engagement and deeper relationships with younger audiences.
Braganza believes marketers are increasingly interested in maintaining visibility throughout the year rather than concentrating spending around a handful of tentpole tournaments. Instead of disappearing after the IPL, brands are extending their presence across football, kabaddi, athletics, women's sport and esports, creating continuous opportunities for storytelling.
Chavan describes this approach as a “Cricket Plus” strategy. “Cricket will continue to remain the cornerstone of sports advertising in India because of its unmatched scale and cultural relevance. However, brands are increasingly adopting a ‘Cricket Plus’ strategy, using emerging sports, women's leagues and esports to build year-round engagement and connect with audiences beyond marquee tournament windows,” she explains.
Upadhyay also sees marketers embracing a year-round approach. He explains, "Cricket will remain India's biggest sporting stage. But brands are increasingly staying connected through football, badminton, kabaddi, esports and creator-led sporting events instead of appearing only during cricket season."
More than sponsorships
The evolution of sports marketing also reflects wider changes in media consumption. Fans increasingly move seamlessly between live broadcasts, creators, social media and streaming platforms. Sporting communities often continue conversations long after the final whistle through clips, memes, livestreams and creator content.
For advertisers, this means sponsorship is becoming less about branding opportunities during a match and more about participating in communities that remain active every day. Esports is particularly well suited to this environment because its audiences already exist within digital ecosystems where engagement can be measured in real time. At the same time, traditional sports are adopting many of these community-led strategies, blurring the distinction between conventional sponsorships and digital engagement.
The next phase of sports marketing
Cricket's position at the top of India's sporting hierarchy remains secure. However, advertisers are increasingly recognising that scale alone cannot meet every marketing objective. Esports and emerging sports offer something different: deeply engaged communities, measurable interactions and opportunities to connect with audiences throughout the year.
Rather than replacing cricket, they are expanding the playbook. For brands, success will increasingly depend on choosing the right mix. The biggest tournaments will continue delivering national visibility, while emerging sporting ecosystems provide the depth, authenticity and cultural relevance needed to build lasting relationships with younger consumers.
The scoreboard may still belong to cricket, but the marketing game has become much bigger.
