From Small Towns to Big Leagues: The IPL's Expanding Reach & Rising Stars

Did you know the Indian Premier League, also known as IPL, is considered the second most valuable sports league worldwide? The IPL ranks second in terms of per-match value among international sports leagues. However, it ranks lowest among the top 7 leagues in terms of per-season value, as the NBA and MLB have over 2,000 matches per season as compared to the IPL's 74-80 matches. IPL has achieved a significant milestone, now classified as a "decacorn" with a value of $10.7 billion in 2023, as per Brand Finance. Since its inception in 2008, the league has experienced remarkable growth, expanding by an impressive 433%. Between 2022 and 2023 alone, the IPL's value went up by 28%, reaching $8.4 billion. This increase was driven by the return of full stadiums after two seasons affected by COVID-19, along with significant growth in the worth of media rights and sponsorships.

As the brand value of the Indian Premier League grows, it's becoming more popular in smaller towns and cities. More people in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities are watching IPL matches, and more budding cricketers are coming from these regions. Realising the role of small cities, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) initiated the establishment of fan parks in 15 cities across India, with a particular focus on smaller towns, starting in 2015. The fan parks aim to mimic the excitement of being at the stadium through communal viewing experiences. With each passing season, these fan parks are getting larger, providing fans with more opportunities to show their support for their favourite teams, players, and the sport itself. In 2024, BCCI has expanded these fan parks to 50 cities, including small and mid-sized cities like Madurai, Meerut, Midnapur, Jamshedpur, Dehradun, and others. These parks feature live matches, music, stalls selling team merchandise, food courts, games, and various other enjoyable activities provided by IPL’s official sponsors, allowing fans to engage in the experience fully.

There has been a significant rise in the number of cricket players from smaller towns who continue to inspire the citizens of smaller towns towards cricket. Cricketers such as Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Suresh Raina, hailing from Ranchi, Jharkhand, and Muradnagar, Uttar Pradesh, respectively, have served as sources of inspiration for countless individuals. In a similar vein, Riyan Parag from Guwahati, played a crucial role in Rajasthan Royals’ recent win in the Indian Premier League with an unbeaten score of 84 runs. Despite having limited facilities in Ratlam, a small town in Madhya Pradesh, Ashutosh Sharma, a young cricketer, is playing a key role in the Punjab Kings campaign in the ongoing IPL in the hope of winning their first-ever trophy.

The BCCI has also included smaller cities like Cuttack, Ranchi, Lucknow, and Dharamsala as venues for IPL matches. This decision was made to accommodate newer teams and to tap into the Hindi-speaking markets of the IPL. Likewise, Jio Cinema strengthened its digital engagement by introducing live commentary in 12 languages like Marathi, Gujarati, Bhojpuri, Kannada, Hindi, English, Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Punjabi, and Bengali, along with Haryanavi making its debut.  It recruited over 100 commentators for these languages.

The Indian Premier League has also paved for the development of infrastructure like roads in Mullanpur, a town in Punjab. The development of roads progressed as Punjab Kings (PBKS) is hosting home matches at the newly-built Maharaja Yadavindra Singh Stadium in Mullanpur.

There’s also been a notable rise in online food ordering in Tier-2 cities compared to metros during the IPL season, as highlighted by Redseer. There has also been an increase in fantasy gaming in Tier-2 cities: CEO and Co-Founder of Dream 11, Mr. Harsh Jain, emphasised that 72% of the new users come from areas outside the top 100 cities of India. Times Next revealed that Dream 11's user base has skyrocketed to 55 million in 2023, with a significant rise in female users. Dream 11 saw a surge of 1.1 million new users on the opening day of the IPL, strengthening its status as the leading fantasy gaming platform.

Have you noticed an increase in the popularity of fantasy sports in your area? Do you have any IPL fan parks in your town? Let us know in the comments section below!