Cricket is the most ubiquitous sport in India and serves as the country’s cultural backbone. With the introduction of multiple sports leagues in other sports such as kabaddi, badminton, football, and volleyball in recent years, there has been a shift in sporting culture. Technology advancements, as well as increased smartphone and internet penetration, have accelerated the growth of sports in India by sparking interest in sports other than cricket. A fervent fan base has emerged in kabaddi, volleyball, and hockey, with an increasing number of people participating in, discussing, and competing in these sports. Fantasy Sports (FS), a sports technology platform, has played a critical role in this shift and has changed the way fans engage in sports.
Gujarat, for example, has successfully established itself as a sporting front-runner. Its request for suggestions on sports policy reflects the government's interest in combining technology and sports. With around 10,000-12,000 job additions over the next three years, Sports Tech is expected to create opportunities for highly skilled software engineers, data scientists, cyber security professionals, and others. Furthermore, it is likely to increase sports viewership, participation, and sponsorships, which will have a direct impact on grassroots sports development. Sports fan engagement platforms, such as Esports and Fantasy Sports, are altering how fans interact with live sporting events. Several national and state regulators have recognised the potential growth of such sectors. With the Gujarat government's emphasis on Sports Technology, India can look forward to the next generation of "Vibrant" sportspeople and organisations who will revolutionise sports in the country and help India achieve a more robust sporting ecosystem.
Online Fantasy Sports are skill-based sports engagement platforms in which users use their sports knowledge to select athletes from both teams competing in a real-life sporting event to form their virtual team. A user earns points based on the performance of the players in their virtual team in accordance with the platform's contest rules. This allows users to demonstrate their sporting knowledge and experience sports as a team manager. In 2017, India had fewer than 30 OFS operators. Currently, the country has over 180 OFS operators and 130 million users, making India the world's largest OFS market, surpassing the United States.
Fantasy sports and real-life sports are mutually beneficial, with studies demonstrating that participating in fantasy sports increases sports consumption. Fantasy sports, according to a KPMG report on OFS, have converted even casual sports viewers into ardent fans by providing a unique point of entry into the sporting world. While it is true that in India, users begin their fantasy sports journey with cricket, this has resulted in a deeper engagement in lesser-known sports that are now closely followed and researched. OFS platforms must be commended for collaborating with sports leagues and associations such as the Pro Kabaddi League and the Indian Super League (ISL). These partnerships have helped spur fan engagement. Their presence in a wide-ranging sports platform has resulted in greater visibility which in turn has led to greater consumption of sports that were previously neglected. Moreover, with the onset of the pandemic, many popular sports leagues and events were canceled or postponed. This sparked interest in other active events such as the German Basketball League and the Champions women’s volleyball league bringing about an overall increase in engagement in these relatively unknown sports and tournaments in India.
Apart from popularizing sports such as kabaddi and football, women’s cricket has also come in the limelight with the advent of fantasy sports. According to the recently released FIFS-Deloitte Report ‘Fantasy Sports: Creating a Virtuous Cycle of Sports Development’, the first 12 matches of the 2020 ICC Women’s Twenty20 World Cup generated 4.1 crore viewing hours in India, a 213% increase from 2018.
Although the fantasy sports industry is touted as a sunrise sector by the Niti Aayog, it has blown up in the past few years. Out of 800 million sports viewers in India, over 100 million engage on fantasy sports platforms. OFS platforms bring a variety of sports on a single platform and foster passion among a plethora of sports fans. Fantasy sports provides a panoptic sports experience to its users and is fueling the growth of lesser-known sports in India. The industry has contributed Rs. 3,000 crores to the Indian Sports Economy in 2021 alone through avenues such as collaborations with leagues and sport development at the grassroots. The OFS industry is instrumental in creating a holistic sporting culture that is soon going to propel India into a global Sporting giant. In March 2022, the state of Gujarat came up with a Sports Policy, recognising the role of sports technology being crucial in building a holistic sporting culture. This aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for sharpening focus on gaming and technology made evident with the setting up of a taskforce for the Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming and Comics (AVGC) sector. The OFS industry is instrumental in creating a holistic sporting culture and realising PM Modi’s vision of turning India into a global Sporting giant.
Nilesh Kulkarni is a former Indian Cricketer and the Founder Director at International Institute of Sports Management