Vinit Karnik on the commercial rise of women’s sports in India

In the span of the last few years, women’s cricket in India has changed its commercial and cultural script. The 2025 ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup final set viewership benchmarks, equalling the audience seen for the Men’s T20 World Cup final with around 185 million viewers on JioHotstar. 

That record exposure fed directly into the commercial ascent of the Women’s Premier League (WPL): viewership more than doubled in 2026 compared to its inaugural season, and it emerged as the most-watched edition yet.

Between 2023 and 2026, sponsorship spending around the league has more than tripled. Media reports show that WPL sponsorship revenues have grown from roughly ₹40-50 crore in 2023 to an estimated ₹130 crore in 2026.

This structural shift found formal recognition in WPP Media’s TYNY 2026 (This Year, Next Year) forecast, where one of the Top 10 trends spotlighted was “The Commercial Coming of Age of Women’s Sports.”

But what does that “coming of age” actually mean? Is it about bigger numbers alone, or something deeper within brand thinking?

In conversation with Vinit Karnik, Managing Director, Content, Entertainment and Sports, South Asia, WPP Media, the answer becomes clear. For him, the real change isn’t just the surge in viewership figures, but how advertisers perceive and position women’s sport within their broader marketing strategy. He recalls how those conversations would begin.

“A couple of years back, when we used to speak about women's sports or women’s cricket, the first thing that advertisers used to ask us was whether it was a CSR-driven campaign or about women empowerment.”

That question, according to Karnik, defined the category for years. Women’s sport was often viewed through the lens of purpose, not performance. 

Today, that has changed.

According to an industry report, sponsorship in women’s sports in India is growing about 50% faster than in men’s leagues.

“Because of the World Cup win, women’s cricket has now become strategic. It was tactical earlier. Today we have crossed that stage and we are actually creating campaigns which are strategic to women in sport. I think that's a huge shift.”

The difference, he explains, reflects a deeper shift in how brands approach the category. He shares that investments previously flowed through CSR budgets tied to women’s empowerment initiatives.

“Most companies had CSR budgets. Women empowerment was a common initiative. Investments in women’s sport used to come through that pipe. That has now moved from a CSR pipe to a marketing pipe.”

That distinction matters. A CSR allocation is finite and philanthropic. A marketing allocation is competitive, scalable and performance-driven. Today, women’s cricket features on annual marketing calendars.

Performance drives investment

If women’s cricket has entered the mainstream, performance remains the catalyst.

“The first thing that happens is the performance of the sport. If the performance is top class, the money follows,” says Karnik.

With India emerging as a dominant force in global women’s cricket, sponsorship interest has intensified. And that optimism spills over into the broader cricket economy.

“We are definitely estimating double-digit growth.”

Victories don’t just inspire audiences; they also unlock marketing budgets. 

New categories join the field

Women’s cricket’s rise is also coinciding with fresh category participation across the sport.

“The AI sector is making its debut, while EVs and fintech are following closely. BFSI and automotive sectors are already active participants.”

He frames this as part of a broader evolution.

“Ten years back, we had edtech and jewellers. Then we got RMG. Now it’s AI and EVs. It’s evolution.”

Cricket continues to be the launchpad for emerging sectors looking to scale rapidly in India.

The ripple effect beyond Cricket

While women’s cricket is the anchor, Karnik sees broader momentum building across individual sports.

“After cricket, there will be individual sports. A lot of brands are supporting athletes in badminton, shooting, wrestling, squash. Women’s cricket is the big pillar, and money will get channelised to other individual sports as well,” Karnik shares.

Beyond cricket, several Indian women athletes are now commanding strong brand attention.

Badminton player, P. V. Sindhu, has become one of India’s most commercially active women athletes, signing endorsement deals with brands such as JBL, Bridgestone Tyres, Gatorade, Moov, Myntra and Bank of Baroda.

Similarly, Table Tennis player, Manika Batra was signed by Indian brands such as Boldfit, Herbalife India - Vritilife, and Adidas.

In Squash, Dipika Pallikal and Joshna Chinappa, have secured brand endorsements from major global sports brands, driven by their international success. Key partnerships include Adidas (Pallikal) and ASICS (Chinappa).

Athlete-led endorsements and federation partnerships are increasingly seen as long-term brand-building assets rather than symbolic associations. What was once considered a checkbox is now a core strategic opportunity, signaling a new era for women’s sports in India.

In this new era, women’s sports in India are moving from being an exception or an afterthought, to becoming a pillar of the sporting and commercial landscape. For fans, athletes, and marketers alike, the coming of age of women’s sports signals that the game, and its impact, has only just begun.