Mumbai: The Indian sports industry has seen an exhilarating journey in recent years. In 2022, it witnessed a surge in revenues, crossing the Rs 140 billion mark, recording a remarkable 49 percent increase from the preceding year. This, in itself, is a testament to the growing popularity of sports in India. While cricket continues to be a national passion, the excitement for diverse sports is reaching new heights. The Indian audience is now hooked to witness innovation, an enhanced experience, and greater engagement beyond the cricketing field.
Leaders Meet: India, to be held in Bengaluru on 29 and 30 November, steps in as a catalyst where dialogues and idea exchange will be the centre of this transformation. The event will bring together the biggest game changers from across the sporting world, offering a truly global perspective on the present and future of the sports industry and how India can become a powerhouse in the business of sports.
As we edge closer to the summit, here are four global sports leaders who have transformed and expanded the global football market and each, a trailblazer in their respective fields, will be sharing their perspectives and propelling discussion at the Leaders Meet: India.
FIFA’s primary focus is to expand and develop football as well as democratize the sport globally. FIFA+ witnessed 211 million unique users for FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and 190 million views on match recaps. Recently, FIFA+ has also expanded its availability on five new connected TV app. In order to bring more benefits for football fans, FIFA Digital Skills was launched in 2022 as an educational programme to develop the digital skills and expertise of professionals working in the global football community. This was a pet project of Charlotte Burr. The platform also included a dedicated e-learning platform, case studies of best practices, analysis of the latest technological trends and a series of live masterclasses for the ever increasing football community. At the Leaders Meet: India, as FIFA’s director of strategy for corporate development and digital, Charlotte Burr will be presenting the importance of India as a football market and what are possibilities for India to explore and become one of the biggest football growth market in the world.
The Premier League's annual TV audience is 4.7 billion and the game is viewed in 643 million homes worldwide. Fantasy Premier League too attracted 11.4 million participants from the world over last season and it became the primary touchpoint for the audience to engage with the league and develop a strong affinity with a particular club of liking. As Premier League chief commercial officer Will Brass will be giving an insider account on the business strategies about the world’s number one football league and also plans for India as a strong growth market for football.
As per latest statistical data, Manchester United had the highest average attendance in the Premier League in the 2023/24 season, attracting crowds of around 73,488 to Old Trafford. Meanwhile, city rivals and Premier League champions Manchester City had an average attendance of 53,427. The club stands third in the revenue list (2021-22) and aims to only grow stronger and bigger fanbase. Ellie, with Formula 1, led the sport to grow its fan base, defined its vision, value & purpose and delivered sustainable growth for the game globally. And now with Manchester United, as their chief communications officer, Ellie Norman has been keeping fans back at the heart of the club. During the Leaders Meet: India, she will give insights on the ups and down through strategic marketing, partnerships, content and fan engagement.
Tottenham Hotspur enjoy a massive fanbase in Korea as 12 million out of the country’s total population of 51 million supports the club which is almost one in four. Tottenham Hotspur has significantly hastened its digital development. The club revamped its website, recast its app and expanded its social media capabilities in line with this shift. While television growth has been significant, digital campaigns overtook traditional formats at Spurs. The club also fast-tracked its marketing tech stack build out and now has a strong following in the APAC region. To roll out the back story, Hotspur chief football officer Scott Munn will speak about the power of legacy fan base that will harness the Indian sub-continent football brand story at the Leaders Meet: India.
