Pro Kabaddi League: Is PKL a playing ground for advertisers?

The new season had to accommodate higher player fees owing to the rising popularity of the league. The PKL is now the second-most watched TV property trailing the Indian Premier League (IPL). 

In a country devoted to cricket, kabaddi is sometimes dismissed as a rural sport, but the reports now suggest a change in the trend. 

Sources have revealed that the ninth season will witness a 12% rise in ad rates compared to the 2021 edition. It will hit INR 1.25lakh per 10 seconds for the league stage and INR 1.60lakh for the playoffs and finals. 

The claims hold despite brands reducing ad expenditure due to inflationary pressures. There will be a steep increase in the league's revenue from INR 120 crores to INR 150 crores over a year. 

PKL season eight attracted a collective TV viewership of 227 million, and advertisers expect the numbers to cross 275 million in the upcoming season. 

Growth of PKL through top kabaddi players

In addition, top Indian raider Pawan Seharawat was declared the most expensive player this season. The Tamil Thalaivas bought for him a whopping INR 2.26 crores.

There are other names in the PKL hogging the limelight and gaining start status that has proved how the league is only gaining popularity, according to Gunnidhi Singh Sareen, VP of marketing, Head Digital Works (A23).

"Over the next few years, we might see the top scorers also getting endorsement deals if the brand fit is right," he continued. However, the tournament will challenge the ICC Men'sMen's Twenty20 World Cup broadcast. 

Niti Kumar, COO of Starcom, believes that a clash of these two tournaments will result in cricket gaining the upper hand in budget. 

However, the digital expanse will ensure, and the popularity of CTV will ensure that the league is booming. Advertisers will have the option to sign integrated packages if a good deal arrives as additional viewers come in using digital means.

What season 9 has in store for advertisers

Ruchika Gupta, the CMO of Luminous and a season eight sponsor, thinks that the league needs to increase its viewership every season. 

"The advertisers betting on this property at the moment are mostly from categories like ours—marketers wanting to connect with the hinterland and the masses in India," remarked Gupta.

The ninth season will adopt a caravan format as they travel around four to five cities, allowing increased interaction with fans and audiences. Advertisers will consequently find ways to engage with their target group.  

 As the league is getting increasingly accessible for fans, revenue through ticketing, merchandising, subscription video on demand (SVOD), and other platforms besides sponsorship money from 137 games is estimated to be around INR 150 crore, according to R Venkatasubramanian, president, investments & head, Havas Sports, Havas Media Group India.