Emerging Sports capture growing interest among Indian youth

New Delhi: Indian youth are increasingly exploring sports beyond cricket and football, with newer categories gaining popularity, according to the Nielsen Fan Insights 2025 report. The study highlights a shift over the past six years: while cricket and soccer remain dominant, sports such as motorsports, basketball, mixed martial arts (MMA), and golf are steadily attracting young audiences.

The data signals an evolution in India’s sporting landscape, where global sports are beginning to rival homegrown ones, aided by increased streaming access, social media coverage, and the rise of star athletes in these categories. The shift suggests growing opportunities for brands and leagues to tap into new communities of fans seeking fresh and diverse sporting experiences.

Cricket, historically the most-followed sport in India, declined from 75% in 2019 to 70% in 2025, while soccer dropped slightly from 59% to 57%. By contrast, motorsport (including Formula 1) rose from 38% to 43%, and basketball from 39% to 43%, marking the sharpest upward trend among emerging sports. Golf and MMA also saw gains of 4% each, indicating a widening range of sports interests among younger fans. Badminton remains steady at 56%, while kabaddi fell from 55% to 49%.

The study analysed data from two periods, August 2019 to January 2020 and December 2024 to May 2025, covering 6,000 respondents aged 16–30 across 10 major Indian cities. The findings continue trends from Nielsen Fan Insights 2024, which noted that other emerging sports, such as Pickleball, have also risen sharply in popularity, with 23% of Indians following the paddle sport, largely influenced by social media.