Final Version of Women’s sports_29 April (1) notes

Women's Sports In India: Podium to Profit

Table of Contents

• Foreword

• Report Methodology and Disclaimer

• The Scenario: The other half? No more.

  • India’s sure and steady transformation in women’s sports

  • Indian sportswomen script new wins alongside global counterparts

• The Spectator: Decoding the women’s sports audience

  • Progressive sports fans shape women’s sports viewership

  • The actively engaged women’s sports audience

  • Young working women and senior urban males are involved spectators

  • Solo viewing : an emerging trend in women’s sports viewership

  • Barricades of broadcasting: unpacking viewership challenges

• The Social: The digital conversation on women’s sports is getting louder

  • Women athlete attributes impact fandom and loyalty

  • Brand Story : Qua Clothing

  • Big draw: The stories behind the stars

  • Brand Story : Mia by Tanishq

  • Women sporting icons are inspiring a new generation of fans

• The Sponsor: Women’s sports is fertile ground for strategic investment

  • The organic brand and product alignment

  • Women’s sports endorsement breeds positive brand affinity

  • Women athletes capture equal space in brand ROI metrics

  • Brand Story: PUMA

• The Scope: Commercial viability of women’s sports is a compelling reality

  • Global benchmarks and growth trajectories in women’s sports

  • Women’s sports in India will scale new heights in 2030

• The Strategy: Investing in women’s sports makes business sense

  • Key takeaways for key stakeholders

Foreword

• Women's sports have transformed, claiming equal opportunity both on and off the field.

• In 2024, brands recognized the commercial potential of women's sports, increasing sponsorship deals.

• The success of women's cricket in India is attributed to the ICC and BCCI framework.

• The Women's Premier League (WPL), launched in 2023, is a new era in the commercialization of women's sports.

• An additional team will join the WPL franchise.

• Average sponsorship revenue is growing at 15%, anticipated to double in the next five years.

• The growth trajectory mirrors Women’s Basketball (WNBA) in the United States.

• Women's commercial leagues in hockey, pickleball, tennis, and cricket will increase interest from sponsors, advertisers, and broadcasters.

• WPL media rights are expected to benefit from IPL rights.

• Individual franchise earnings are projected to grow by 20% annually.

• The industry anticipates approximately USD $864$ million in revenue from women's sports event sponsorship and advertising by 2030.

• The Indian Olympic Association secured brand partnership deals worth USD $6$ million in 2024.

• Inclusion of cricket in the LA 2028 Olympics will be a game-changer for Games viewership in India.

• Female viewership of sports is increasing.

• Female sports fans actively engage with women athletes; their digital conversations are a lever for progress.

• The rise of commercial women's leagues demonstrates that sports fans are ready to consume quality sports content.

• Capri Sports takes its investment in women's sports seriously.

• 2030 will mark a significant milestone for women's sports in India.

• The report captures insights from published reports, media releases, industry interviews, and a PAN-India survey conducted by Capri Sports.

• The report explores the realm of women's sports in India.

• The commercial viability of women's sports has become increasingly evident as brands recognise the substantial ROI that investments in women's sports and athletes can deliver.

• Successful partnerships offer significant financial benefits.

• As visibility continues to grow and more brands engage with female athletes and events, the future looks promising for both sponsors of women's sports and the women athletes themselves.

Report Methodology

• Capri Sports along with KPMG Sports Advisory in India, has collated inputs from diverse sources, including consumer surveys, industry interviews and publicly available data.

• Consumer Survey

  • A PAN-India digital survey was commissioned.

  • About 615 sports fans responded to the survey questions.

• Expert Interviews

  • One-on-one conversations with professionals from organizations actively engaged in women’s sports.

  • These organizations are sponsors, advertisers, and managers of women’s sports events or athletes.

• Secondary Data

  • Publicly available secondary data and information from published reports, media releases and press reports.

Demographics

• 54% Men

  • 77% Employed

  • 18% Tier 1 residents

  • 70% Watch women’s sports

• 46% Women

  • 22% Students

  • 25%

  • 20% 600 - 1200 Monthly household income in USD

  • 62%

  • 
    > 1200 - 2400 Monthly household income in USD

  • 22%

  • 
    >2400 - 3600 Monthly household income in USD

  • 
    >3600 Monthly household income in USD

Report Disclaimer

• Projections are based on growth trajectories in Indian and global contexts and comparable evaluation of estimates made for men’s sports.

• Growth percentages of publicly reported sponsorship and media rights deals for established and emerging leagues were analyzed.

• Logical assumptions were considered to extrapolate the same across the spectrum of women’s sports.

• These projections have not been verified with any accredited auditing body and do not represent a particular or all women’s sporting organizations.

The Scenario: The Other Half? No More.

• Women are no longer the lesser half of economic or social focus.

• From education to arts, sports, and employment, their presence is increasingly visible.

• Literacy, changing social norms, and financial independence have rendered higher decision-making power for Indian women.

• Indian women have the power to rewrite national athletic narratives across multiple disciplines.

Key Trends

1. Improving higher education enrollments:

   • Women enrolment in Indian universities is rising 26% year-on-year, with a 12% growth between 2023 to 2024.

2. Exceptional financial reliability:

   • Women borrowers demonstrate exceptional financial reliability with recovery rates of 95% to 96%.

3. Active online shoppers:

   • 40% of online shoppers are women.

   • The categories of ‘Fashion and Beauty’ lead in social adoption, influenced by popular trends, creators and celebrities.

4. Growing fitness conscious segment:

   • Female gym memberships surged by 40% in three years.

   • A 2024 Euromonitor report reveals a 35% rise in yoga participation among Indian women since 2022.

5. Increasing sports consumption:

   • Female viewership of sports content grew 22 - 25% in 2024.

   • Additionally, women now make up 44% of India's gaming audience.

India's Sure and Steady Transformation in Women’s Sports

Significant Shifts in the Last Decade

• Indian women Paralympians:

  • 2014: 20 events

  • 2023: 40 events

• Women’s sports events in Asian Games

• London 2012: Zero Paralympians

• Paris 2024: 36 Paralympians

• Commercial women’s sports leagues in India

  • 2012: Two leagues

  • 2024: Ten leagues

Levers Propelling Growth

• Government impetus:

  • Resulted in more female sports participation at the grassroots level.

  • There was a 160+% increase in women's participation in Khelo India games between 2018 and 2020.

  • Nearly 100,000+ women participated in 2023 Khelo games.

• Corporate investment:

  • Private sector commitment to sports is seeing a new surge through investment in commercial women’s sports leagues and sponsorship of women’s tournaments.

  • Women athlete brand endorsement deals are growing at 20% year on year.

• Broadcasting surge:

  • The USD $114$ million five-year media rights deal for Women’s Premier League (WPL) clearly signals broadcasters interest in women’s sports.

  • Leading broadcasters have articulated their intention to invest more in a cross section of women’s sports content besides cricket.

• Viewership growth:

  • Growth in viewership for women’s sports is a game changer.

  • The Women's Asia Cup 2024 saw a 126% increase in reach compared to the 2022 edition.

  • The Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2025 opening game saw a 150% rise in TV viewership from the previous year.

• Social media impact:

  • The impact of women athletes through social media engagement has changed the way brands engage with consumers.

  • Women athletes are now delivering on multiple brand endorsements, and appealing to an engaged and loyal following.

Indian Sportswomen Script New Wins Alongside Global Counterparts

• Women Paralympians made up nearly 40% of India’s 29-medal win at Paris 2024

• Nikhat Zareen combatted social norms to grab Gold in CWG 2022 and won the Women’s World Boxing Championship in the same year.

• Mary Kom punched every myth for women in combat sports, bringing Olympic glory. A movie on her life raked in over USD 12 million.

• PV Sindhu set a benchmark for women athletes, becoming the only Indian woman athlete in the Forbes list of highest paid women athletes.

• The Indian women’s cricket team won Gold in the inaugural outing at Asian Games, triggering a call for equal attention.

• In the akhadas of Haryana, once a no-entry zone for women, there is applause for the daughters of wrestling. This momentum started when six Indian women finished in the top 10 at the Asian Championships of 2020.

• Indian women athletes have emerged as a powerful force, reflecting not just athletic excellence, but a broader narrative of ambition, determination, empowerment, and social change.

• Cricket and multi-sport championships like the Olympics and the Asian Games lead the amplified interest in women’s sporting events and growing following of women athletes.

• Professional women’s sports in India is witnessing increased participation owing to launch of new leagues in Hockey, Pickleball, Tennis, Badminton etc.

• This development combined with the growing social media presence of female athletes, is set to accelerate the commercial potential for women’s sports in India.

The Spectator: Decoding the Women’s Sports Audience

• Viewership of women’s sports on television, digital platforms, and in-stadia attendance has spiked the interest of broadcasters and sponsors alike.

• Globally, women’s sports events set new benchmarks. In India, it sparked interesting conversations for the sports pundits.

Key Highlights

• More emphasis on broadcasting women’s sports in global events

  • In the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, women’s events accounted for a 57.55% of NBC’s primetime broadcasts.

  • This was the largest margin, with women’s sports receiving more coverage than men’s.

• India sees record viewership of Olympics events and women’s sports

  • India’s leading streaming platforms Jio Cinema and Sports 18 network reported that 170 million people watched the Paris Olympics, where multiple women athletes competed, creating a new record of 15 billion minutes of viewing.

  • The rise in viewership of Women’s Asia Cup (126%) and WPL (150%) over previous editions, is steering women’s sports viewership numbers.

• Women’s cricket pulls in-stadia attendance

  • Women's T20 World Cup 2024 demonstrated the rising appeal of women’s cricket with a record turnout of 91k spectators in the stadium for the tournament held in the UAE, marking a 30% increase from the previous edition.

  • India-Pakistan game saw nearly 16k in-stadia spectators, the highest ever for any group stage game.

  • India vs Australia T20 WC in 2020 witnessed 86k spectators at the Melbourne Cricket Ground - and was reported as an important milestone in Indian women’s cricket.

• More female viewers are now consuming sports content

  • In 2020, IPL witnessed a female viewership of 171 billion minutes. This reached over 280 billion minutes in 2023.

  • Star Sports 1 Hindi viewership data reports that live IPL viewership by women increased from 40.6% in 2023 to 41.6% in 2024, indicating a viewership trend beyond television.

  • The growing consumption of sports content is expected to extend to other women’s sports like badminton, tennis, and hockey.

  • Dhruv Dhawan ex-head of Ad Sales,JioHotstar, mentions the channel witnessed a three-fold hike in women’s cricket viewership in 2024. Additionally, with women’s cricket attracting 20% more female viewers compared to men’s cricket,the channel anticipates 2.5 times advertising spend, particularly from FMCG brands around major tournaments.

Progressive Sports Fans Shape Women's Sports Viewership

• Men in the age group 31 - 40 display the most enthusiasm for women’s sports to encourage it, recognising its potential in India.

• The next generation, particularly younger audiences, are gender agnostic when it comes to sports and want to see quality sports content.

• From a commercial standpoint, the cost of entry for brands is comparatively lower with women's sports, but the potential ROI in the future is quite high.

• Snehal Pradhan Women’s Cricket Manager, ICC mentions that evolved sports fans are shaping the future of women’s sports viewership in India.

Key Findings

• 65% sports fans are gender agnostic when it comes to sport.

• They do not discriminate between men’s sports and women’s sports and enjoy watching any sport.

• 40% female fans feel inspired or proud when they watch women’s sports.

• Female fans in the age group of 21 -30, feel most inspired by women’s sports.

The Actively Engaged Women’s Sports Viewer

• Sports fans recall the major women’s sporting events they watched in 2024, like the Olympics, Wimbledon, and the Cricket World Cup.

• 80% of male fans watched the Women’s T20 World Cup, compared to 44% of female fans.

• 52% of both male and female fans watched the women’s events in the Paris Olympics.

• 80% of both male and female fans watch women’s sports if it is part of major sporting events like the World Cup, Olympics, or a Grand Slam.

• Popular women’s sporting events create a remarkable viewership surge.

• Women gravitate strongly towards large sporting events like the Olympics, possibly drawn to their grandeur and representation of female athletes.

• Male fans are more drawn towards sports like cricket which they also play regularly.

• Most often, women’s sports viewership is sport-driven. However, for a section of the audience, it is the athlete that draws following.

• WPL demonstrates potential for sustained viewership of women’s sports.

• In 2023, the league recorded 50 million views, jumping to 103 million in 2024 (in the first 15 games). In 2025 WPL saw a viewership of 300 million, which is a nearly 150% increase.

• Paralympics' viewership, although a small share, indicates women viewers' increasing engagement with diverse sporting formats beyond mainstream events.

• Among the survey respondents, a majority of women play badminton, while men play cricket.

• Men primarily watch women’s cricket tournaments, while women watch multi-sport events.

Young Working Women and Senior Urban Males are Involved Spectators

• The women’s sports fan is articulate, engaged, and keen to see the growth of women’s sports at multiple levels.

• There is a keenness to not only watch the event but also follow the women athletes through social channels and gather more information about their lives.

• Male sports fans in the age group of 36-45 are actively involved with women's sports, aware of tournaments and leagues, and track updates regularly.

• Female sports fans in the age group 25 -35 display active engagement with women's sports, both in terms of awareness and social media following, and recognise brands that support women's sports.

• 64% of employed women in the age group 25-35 follow female athletes on social media and express interest in knowing about their lives.

• 45% of employed men in the age group 36 - 45 strongly feel that women’s sports should receive more attention from the media, sponsors, and investors.

• 58% of employed men (across age groups) are aware of top women athletes, track tournaments, and actively discuss women’s sports tournaments/ leagues.

Solo Viewing: An Emerging Trend in Women’s Sports Viewership

• About 40% tend to watch women’s sports by themselves.

• A significant 60% of responses indicate that viewers also tend to watch with family and friends.

• The survey indicates that women’s sports viewing remains primarily a personal or a close social-circle activity, with solo viewing also emerging as a preferred mode.

• Perhaps, the proliferation of multiple viewing screens in every house fuels this trend.

• OTT dominates as the most preferred medium for both male and female fans, with 85% choosing to watch women’s sports on that platform.

• Men indicate an equally high consumption of women’s sports content, at 81%, via television.

• Reasons to watch women's sports with:

  • By myself - 41%

  • With family - 25%

  • With spouse/partner - 17%

  • With friends - 14%

  • With colleagues - 3%

Barricades of Broadcasting: Unpacking Viewership Challenges

• Women’s sports is not just a social responsibility, but a genuine commercial opportunity awaiting action.

• Sony Sports’ recent, first-ever broadcast of the U-19 Women's Asia Cup marks the beginning of expanded coverage.

• Multi-sport events like the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games, where Indian women athletes have won numerous medals, draw substantial viewership. The time is right for big investment in women's sports broadcasting - the audience exists, advertising interest will grow, and content quality will continue to improve.

• Rajesh Kaul CFO, Sony Sports Network mentions that women's sports face viewership hurdles despite growing achievements and potential audience interest and the analysis paints a nuanced picture of interconnected challenges that require strategic intervention.

Key Challenges

• About 38% of the survey respondents do not watch women’s sports.

• 43% of sports fans indicate lack of advance information on tournaments and limited coverage of women sporting events.

• 30% of male sports fans cite perceived differences in competitive intensity as a key barrier, in addition to concerns about quality of play.

• 40% of female fans cite challenges of limited awareness of women’s sporting events and not enough company to watch the sport.

The Social: Digital Conversation on Women’s Sports is Getting Louder

• The social media conversations around women’s sporting events and women athletes are receiving their due attention.

• The Olympics witnessed a 15x surge in the volume of conversations from 2020 Tokyo to 2024 Paris.

• Women’s T20 World Cup saw a 40% spike in media mentions between 2023 and 2024.

• According to ICC, the online search for women’s cricket in India jumped 103% from November 2023 to October 2024.

• As of January 2025, about 30 women athletes with 60 million digital fans impacted a $4x$ to $7x$ jump in media mentions.

• The top 10 Indian women athletes on social media, have collectively garnered over 40m followers, with icons like Sania Mirza and Smriti Mandhana crossing the 10 million mark.

• The rise of digital fan following is also paving the way for the next generation of stars, such as PV Sindhu, Manu Bhaker, Shreyanka Patil, Harmanpreet Kaur, Nikhat Zareen, and Yastika Bhatia, to further amplify their influence.

• Social Media impact is shown via:

  • Tokyo Olympics 2020 Media mentions (in ‘000s) - 14K

  • Paris Olympics 2024 Media mentions (in ‘000s) - 214K

  • Women's T20 World Cup 2023 Conversation volume (in ‘000s) - 22K

  • Women's T20 World Cup 2024 Conversation volume (in ‘000s) - 131K

  • WPL 2023 (Feb - Apr) Conversation volume (in ‘000s) - 137K

  • WPL 2024 (Feb - Apr) Conversation volume (in ‘000s) - 343K

  • Women athletes are growing their social media presence, and are empowering more online conversations through fan connections. Social media following 4x-7x Media mentions and conversations - 60million

Women Athletes’ Personality Attributes Impact Fandom and Loyalty

• A significant portion of women's sports fans watch their favourite sports on personal digital devices and follow female athletes on social media platforms.

• Fandom for women athletes is attribute driven.

• Male fans recognize the competitive spirit and inspirational quality of women athletes, while women fans highly value ‘confidence’ as an attribute.

• Female fans in the age group 36-50 identify ‘resilience’ as a top attribute of women athletes.

• Nikhat Zareen’s Olympic prep story on Better India ranked among the channel's most liked and shared content, highlighting her inspiring journey.

• Manu Bhaker’s shooting skills which led to her historic twin-medals at Paris Olympics 2024, saw her Instagram following surge to one million after the competition.

• Fans of women’s sports are likely to be drawn to:

  • Inclusivity, representation, and community

  • Athletes’ personal stories

  • The overarching push for equity in sports

  • Authenticity and meaningful engagement

Top 5 Attributes that Men Associate with Female Athletes

• 77% Competitive

• 75% Inspiring

• 54% Skillful

• 52% Strong

• 51% Confident

Top 5 Attributes that Women Associate with Female Athletes

• 80% Inspiring

• 65% Confident

• 60% Competitive

• 54% Strong

• 42% Skillful

Brand Story: Qua Clothing

Women Athletes Lead Brand Narratives with Confidence

• Qua, the women’s clothing label for the strong, independent modern woman, is named after the Arabic word for power.

• When the brand launched its pre-fall collection in September 2024, ahead of the T20 World Cup, it found an organic way to state that fashion can and should be about more than just aesthetics.

• Dedicated to women cricketers, the ‘Modern Heroine’ campaign features Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma, Shreyanka Patil, and Radha Yadav, celebrating women who’ve carved their place in a male-dominated sport.

• Qua brand reach grew 10 times owing to the campaign

• Rupanshi Agarwal Founder, QUA Clothing mentions that the brand sentiment became stronger among the target audience segments.

Big Draw: The Stories Behind The Stars

• Women athletes are often perceived as agents of social change, influencing attitudes towards women's roles in society.

Factors Important to Sports Fans About Women Athletes

• Athletic performance - 90%

• Personality - 80%

• Personal journey - 68%

• Social advocacy - 52%

• Social media presence - 39%

What Fans Want To Know More About Their Favorite Woman Athlete

• Fitness routine - 55% Employed men, 43% Employed women

• Stories behind the game - 84% Employed men, 71% Employed women

• Diet regime - 75% Employed men, 45% Employed women

• Workout plan - 58% Employed men, 37% Employed women

• Motivational stories - 55% Employed men, 33% Employed women

• Employed men shower more interest in the real stories behind the game and lives of the athletes while working women express an interest in fitness related information about their favourite female athletes.

• Employed sports fans with purchasing power (both men and women) are more eager to know about lifestyle-related details as well as the stories behind the success of their favourite sports stars.

Brand Story: Mia by Tanishq

Women Athletes Empower Brand Narratives

• Mia by Tanishq reflects a woman’s journey towards self-discovery and empowerment.

• The brand’s strategic partnership with sportswomen like Rani Rampal, Manika Batra, and Deepika Kumari during Tokyo 2020 shattered stereotypes about femininity in sports.

• Sportswomen wearing finely crafted, stylised, precious jewellery at the sporting arena, broke myths about the femininity of sportswomen.

• Sampurna Rakshit Marketing Head, Mia by Tanishq mentions association with women sportspersons has resulted in 100% positive sentiment analysis, caused brand searches to surge, and opened doors in tier two cities. We see high engagement across demographics. This journey has reinforced our identity as a brand that celebrates the modern, active Indian woman.

• The out-of-the-box thinking made perfect business sense. Sportswomen adorned with signature fine jewelry captivated audiences nationwide. Strategic partnerships developed organically, beginning with Paralympic archery champion Sheetal Devi (driving a 30x increase in brand searches), and later featuring sports power couple Deepika Pallikal and Dinesh Karthik in Valentine's campaign.

• Mia brand search grew 30 times owing to the campaign.

• All brand conversation indicated positive sentiments - 100%.

• Mia’s sponsorship of RCB women’s team exceeded expectations, - the finals triggered a surge in Mia’s brand searches. The spike continued for two days, reached tier-two cities and opened unexpected opportunities.

Women Sporting Icons are Inspiring a New Generation of Fans

• Sania Mirza, with 13.1 million followers on Instagram, remains a frontline woman athlete who pioneered fan engagement through regular documentaries, interviews, endorsements, and commentary appearances.

• Stars like Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur are celebrated globally for their success on the cricket field.

• Young girls and boys are often at the cricket stadiums to catch them in action.

• Indian women athletes are creating lasting connections with young sports fans.

• Their stories inspire many young children to pursue competitive sports.

• Badminton star PV Sindhu and double Olympic medal winner Manu Bhaker, are considered leading sporting heroes of this decade. They regularly engage with budding athletes.

The Sponsor: Fertile Ground for Strategic Investment

• 2024 saw major movements in women’s sports sponsorships and endorsements, setting the stage for the future growth of this sector.

• Brands are now talking sustained engagement with women athletes, and not one-off endorsement.

• Tuhin Mishra MD & Co-Founder, Baseline Ventures anticipates that new and emerging sports leagues are attracting sponsor interest causing an almost 100% growth in women’s sports sponsorships. Brands are willing to pay 30 - 40% more for women athletes who can amplify reach.

• The commercial endorsement landscape of women athletes is transforming and they appeal to audiences across demographic and social boundaries.

• Major corporations like Gulf Oil, Hero Corp, and Bank of Baroda recognise this, evidenced through their sustained brand engagement and long-term partnerships with women athletes.

• Aspects such as contract renewals prove a return on investment for brands, confirming that women athletes deliver value.

Key Metrics

• Indian women athletes’ and para athletes’ earnings from endorsements and fees from participation in commercial leagues are growing at 15% year on year. Performances in major sporting events are resulting in a 40% spike in their earnings potential.

• WPL clocked an average 15% sponsorship growth rate at par with the men’s IPL.

• Advertising spends and media rights across women’s sports leagues were close to USD $63$ million, with WPL alone attracting ~USD $52$ million.

• Investor funding in commercial leagues for Hockey, Tennis, Badminton and Pickleball gained early interest.

• Sponsorship, media rights and advertising spends - ~USD$600$m

• Team ownership investments - ~USD$24$m

The Organic Brand and Product Alignment

• Sports fans generate natural connections between women’s sports and product categories. Nutrition, sportswear and apparel lead the product category association.

• The highest-paid women athletes are also commonly seen endorsing brands from these categories.

• A fraction of men in the younger age segment associate categories like financial services and tech gadgets with women sports, more than women in the same segment do.

• Unilever personal care brands, including Rexona and Dove, become ICC's first dedicated partner for women's cricket in a two-year partnership until the end of 2027.

• Sidharth Choudhary Marketing Lead, Herbal Life mentions that women athletes can play a big role in driving brand recognition with their inspirational, ‘against the odds’ stories. Early movers are going to gain a significant advantage as The potential in women’s sports is still largely untapped.

• Top categories investing in women’s sports in India: Nutrition, Sportswear, Automobile, Jewellery, Personal care

Product Categories Associated with Women Athletes

Employed men

• Nutrition products - 25.5%

• Sportswear/ Athleisure - 20.2%

• Apparel - 14.1%

• Food products - 12.9%

• Footwear - 12.5%

• Financial services - 7.6%

• Personal care - 7.2%

Employed women

• Nutrition products - 21.3%

• Sportswear/ Athleisure - 18.2%

• Apparel - 25.7%

• Food products - 15.4%

• Footwear - 7.9%

• Financial services - 7.5%

• Personal care - 4%

Women’s Sports Endorsement Breeds Positive Brand Affinity Among Fans with Purchasing Power

• Nearly 50% female sports fans from the survey state that they would pay attention to billboards featuring their favourite woman athlete and respond with positive action.

• Sports fans are noticing brands that back women’s sports and endorse women athletes.

• Our survey unpacks how consumers with purchasing power (employed men and employed women) build positive attitudes towards brands that support women’s sports persons.

• Inclusivity is seen as an attractive brand attribute by sports fans in the 25-35 age group.

Perceptions about a brand advertising that features women athletes

Employed men

• It is high time they embrace inclusivity - 11%

• They are getting modern in their approach - 53%

• It is a one-off - 36%

Employed women

• It is high time they embrace inclusivity - 11%

• They are getting modern in their approach - 69%

• It is a one-off - 20%

Women Athletes Capture Equal Space in Brand ROI Metrics

• Brands increasingly recognise that partnering with female athletes provides unique market access, especially when building brand identity through the athletes' personal attributes and values.

• Brands across categories inked endorsement deals with a range of women athletes - new, emerging and established.

• These endorsements were aligned to brand ROI beyond revenue including reach, recognition and reputation.

• Examples:

  • Yastika Bhatia became the first female cricket player to be signed by Skechers sports performance category shoes which launched in Sep 2024. They believe supporting women’s cricket is both important and essential – both as a company that cares about the sport and one that wants to build its presence in India, her energy and dedication to the sport mirror our brand's values.

  • State Bank of India (SBI), signed Smriti Mandana (after MS Dhoni) as their brand ambassador. Her outstanding achievements in cricket align perfectly with our core values and we are delighted to have her as our representative.

  • Utkarsh Small Finance Bank signed female Olympian boxer Mary Kom as their brand partner. Both Mary Kom and Sunil Chhetri have overcome significant challenges to achieve global recognition, mirroring Utkarsh SFB’s mission of uplifting underserved segments by providing accessible financial services.

  • Britannia Marie Gold launched the Avani Lekhara Special Edition to honor India’s first female para athlete to win gold at both the Tokyo 2020 Games as well as Paris 2024, exemplifying what Indian women can accomplish when given the right opportunities.

Brand Story: PUMA

Women Athletes Script Pathbreaking Campaigns

• PUMA is an internationally acclaimed, gender-fluid sportswear brand that champions gender equity in sports.

• In keeping with its profile, the brand’s marketing strategies have been curated to build stronger connections with consumers.

• To tap into India’s badminton fan-base, PUMA launched a teaser campaign which creatively blended PV Sindhu's initials with the brand's logo to create the ‘PVMA’ campaign.

• The campaign became an instant success across social media platforms.

• Sponsoring sportswomen lends authenticity and credibility when passionate sportswomen champion a brand in their own way, it fosters deep trust and long-term engagement .Shreya Sachdev Head of Marketing & Strategic Initiatives, PUMA India

• Statistics of the Puma marketing campaign:

  • 2.12b between Dec 2024 - Jan 2025 Brand mentions

  • 331% increase