Study outlines how women’s sports are shifting India’s cultural and marketing outlook

New Delhi: LS Digital has released its year-end study, The Rise of Women’s Sports Marketing in India, outlining how India’s Women’s Cricket World Cup victory has accelerated the growth of women’s sports as a commercial and cultural category. 

The report points to movement away from CSR-led visibility towards a broader, digitally driven ecosystem shaped by viewership trends, sponsorship confidence and recent institutional changes.

According to LS Digital, the analysis is built on its Quilt-based methodology, combining curated search and social data with machine-assisted discourse analysis to track emerging themes and commercial patterns.

One of the report’s key observations is the expansion of what it terms ‘patriotic marketing’. It notes that around 50% of labelled conversations now position women athletes as national figures, reflecting their increasing cultural presence. Of this, 78% of patriotic content focuses on national achievement narratives, while consumer engagement and the ‘local hero’ effect account for 11% each.

The report also points to rising commercial interest. It references global estimates placing the women’s elite sports category at $2.35 billion by 2025, supported by sponsorship in women’s leagues growing at a faster rate than men’s. 

LS Digital adds that 86% of sponsors reported their campaigns met or exceeded return-on-investment expectations. Digital consumption has played a notable role, with streaming contributing more than 40% of total viewership and social engagement around women’s sports increasing nearly 200% over three years.

Audience patterns are also shifting. Social data in the report indicates that 57–58% of viewership during recent women’s cricket tournaments came from men. A further 6% of conversations focus on youth inspiration, reflecting the influence women athletes hold among younger audiences.

The findings extend to the athlete economy. The report highlights rising endorsement values for players such as Jemimah Rodrigues and Smriti Mandhana, ranging between 25% and 100%. It references Mandhana’s reported fee of around Rs. 2 crore per endorsement and notes that top athletes may hold as many as 16 brand partnerships across sportswear, nutrition, technology, finance and lifestyle sectors.

Women’s sports beyond cricket also feature prominently. Around 22% of conversations tracked cover sports such as chess, squash, combat sports, ice hockey and winter sports, indicating a broadening landscape and emerging opportunities for storytelling and investment.

Institutional developments continue to support the category. The BCCI’s introduction of equal match fees, Rs 15 lakh per Test, Rs 3 lakh per ODI and Rs 1.5 lakh per T20I, along with record World Cup prize money of $4.48 million (approximately Rs 40 crore), and the unbundling of women’s cricket rights have contributed to women’s cricket building a stronger independent commercial profile. Increased investment in training infrastructure and grassroots pathways is also noted.

Commenting on the findings, Prasad Shejale, Founder and CEO, LS Digital, said, “The data now unequivocally shows that commitment to women’s sports delivers both resonance and ROI. We are past the point of tokenistic sponsorship; brands are seeing clear value, with strong audience engagement and measurable returns. The market is signalling the need for year-round investment in athletes, leagues, and grassroots development. Brands that move beyond event-led activation to sustained, authentic partnership will gain a significant competitive advantage in audience reach and brand differentiation in the years ahead.”

The report concludes that the next phase of growth will depend on how stakeholders strengthen fan engagement, develop more consistent storytelling and maintain a year-round connection with audiences.