In this episode of The Media Room, Vanita Kohli-Khandekar speaks with Vinit Karnik, Head of Entertainment & Sports at WPP Media, for a deep dive into the economics of India’s fast-growing sports ecosystem.

Vinit unpacks key insights from WPP’s Sporting Nation report, including India’s sports sponsorship economy crossing the ₹2 billion mark and the overwhelming dominance of cricket, which accounts for nearly 80% of the market. He explains how media rights, advertising, and athlete endorsements are driving growth, and why the IPL continues to be one of the most valuable sports properties in the country.

The conversation explores the challenges facing emerging sports like football, kabaddi, and badminton, from governance and infrastructure gaps to the difficulty of building consistent star power. Vinit also breaks down the evolving business of cricket - from rising franchise valuations and media rights economics to the long-term potential of new revenue streams such as non-live content and fan monetisation.

They also discuss the role of advertisers, the importance of grassroots investment, and why sports remains one of the few categories that can guarantee large-scale appointment viewing in an increasingly fragmented media landscape.

If you want to understand how India’s sports economy is evolving, where the money is coming from, and what the future of sports monetisation looks like - this episode is essential viewing.

Chapters

00:00 – Introduction & Sporting Nation Report

01:26 – Sports Sponsorship Crosses ₹2 Billion

04:41 – What Makes Up the ₹18,800 Crore Economy

06:13 – Why Emerging Sports Are Declining

10:03 – Infrastructure, Governance & Athlete Development

13:46 – Why Leagues Like PKL & Badminton Struggle

15:53 – The Role of Federations & Star Power

17:35 – India’s Football Potential vs Reality

19:11 – IPL Rights, Losses & Valuation Debate

22:33 – Franchise Valuations & Investment Logic

25:42 – Can IPL Reach Global Valuation Levels?

28:36 – New Revenue Streams in Sports

30:01 – Key Takeaways for Advertisers & Marketers

31:49 – Closing Thoughts

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