Why Kabaddi is Not Sustainable Sport in Terms of Sponsorship and Revenue

Kabaddi is a sport that many people in India and other parts of Asia love. It is fast, exciting, and part of the culture.However, being popular does not always mean a sport is making enough money to last forever. When we look at the business side of the game, we see many Kabaddi sponsorship and revenue issues that make it hard for the sport to stay healthy in the long run. Even though millions of people watch the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) on television, the money coming in is not as high as it needs to be.

One of the biggest Kabaddi sponsorship and revenue issues is the length of the playing season. Most big sports like football or basketball have leagues that last for many months. Some even play for most of the year. Kabaddi is different. The main league usually only lasts for about three months.

When a sport only happens for three months, sponsors do not get to show their brand to people for the other nine months.Brands want to stay in the minds of customers all year round. Because Kabaddi disappears from the news and TV for most of the year, big companies often prefer to spend their money on sports that have a longer presence. This short window makes it very difficult for teams to sign multi-year deals that pay well.

If a team owner has to pay for training, staff, and offices for 12 months but only makes money for 3 months, the math does not work well. This gap is a major part of the Kabaddi sponsorship and revenue issues that owners face every year.

Why Merchandise Sales Are Low

In sports like football or cricket, teams make a lot of money by selling things. They sell jerseys, shoes, hats, and even water bottles with the team logo. Fans love to wear the same clothes as their favorite players. However, in Kabaddi, selling these items is much harder.

Kabaddi is a sport that does not require much equipment. You do not need a bat, a ball, or special pads to play it. Most people play it barefoot or in simple gym clothes. This means there is no big market for “Kabaddi gear.” Because there is no equipment to sell, teams lose a big way to make money.

Also, many fans who watch Kabaddi live in rural areas or small towns. These fans might love the game, but they may not want to spend a lot of money on expensive official team shirts. This lack of “shopping revenue” is one of the key Kabaddi sponsorship and revenue issues that prevents the sport from growing its bank account.

Comparison of Revenue Sources: Cricket vs. Kabaddi

Revenue Type	Cricket (IPL)	Kabaddi (PKL)
Sponsorship	Very High (Year-round)	Medium (Seasonal)
Broadcasting Rights	Massive (Billions of Dollars)	Moderate
Merchandise	High (Jersey, Bats, Caps)	Very Low
Ticket Prices	High	Low to Moderate
International Deals	Global Brands	Mostly Local Brands

The Shadow of Cricket

It is impossible to talk about sports money in India without talking about Cricket. Cricket takes up about 76% of all the money spent on sports sponsorships in the country. This leaves very little for every other sport combined.

Because Cricket is so big, it acts like a giant magnet for money. When a big company has a budget for sports, they almost always go to Cricket first. This creates massive Kabaddi sponsorship and revenue issues because Kabaddi has to fight for the “small leftovers.”

Even when Kabaddi has more viewers than some Cricket matches, the “value” of those viewers is seen as lower by companies. They think Cricket fans have more money to spend on products. This makes it hard for Kabaddi to ask for higher prices from sponsors.

Lack of Global Interest and International Matches

For a sport to bring in huge amounts of money, it usually needs to be global. Football is popular in Europe, South America, and Asia. This allows it to get sponsors from all over the world. Kabaddi is mostly played in India, Iran, and a few other nearby countries.

Without a strong international calendar, the sport stays local. There are no regular World Cups or big global tournaments that catch the eye of international brands like Nike, Adidas, or Coca-Cola. Most Kabaddi sponsorship and revenue issues stem from the fact that the money is coming from only one market. If the Indian market has a bad year, the whole sport suffers.

When a sport does not have international stars from many different countries, it is hard to sell the TV rights to other nations. This limits the total amount of revenue that the league can share with the teams.

The High Cost of Running a Team

Many people think that because Kabaddi is a simple sport, it must be cheap to run. This is not true for professional leagues. A team owner has to pay for many things:

• Player Salaries: Top players now cost over 2 Crore.
• Travel and Hotels: Teams travel to many cities and stay in five-star hotels.
• Stadium Rent: Booking large indoor arenas is very expensive.
• Marketing: Teams have to spend money on ads to get people to watch.

When you add all these costs together, a team might spend 10 to 15 Crore every year. But if the Kabaddi sponsorship and revenue issues mean they only make 8 Crore back, they are losing money. Over time, losing money makes it impossible for the sport to keep going. Recently, some team owners have started to complain that the costs are rising faster than the income.

Challenges with TV Ads and Broadcasting

Most of the money in Kabaddi comes from the “central pool.” This is the money the TV channel (like Star Sports) makes from ads and then shares with the teams. However, selling these ads has become difficult.

In 2025 and 2026, many companies have moved their ad money to digital platforms like YouTube or Instagram. They are spending less on traditional TV ads. Since Kabaddi relies heavily on TV viewers, this shift is causing new Kabaddi sponsorship and revenue issues.

Also, the type of people who watch Kabaddi are often from “Tier 2” and “Tier 3” cities. While this is a large group of people, some luxury brands do not want to advertise to them. They want to reach rich people in big cities like Mumbai or Delhi. This means Kabaddi misses out on high-paying sponsors like luxury cars, expensive watches, or high-end electronics.

Risks of Injury and Player Longevity

Kabaddi is a very physical sport. Players crash into each other, pull legs, and fall hard on the mat. Because of this, injuries happen very often. A star player might have a career that only lasts a few years before their body cannot take it anymore.

This creates Kabaddi sponsorship and revenue issues because brands want to sign long-term deals with stars. If a player gets injured and stops playing, the brand loses its “face.” In Cricket, a player can play for 15 or 20 years. In Kabaddi, staying at the top for that long is very rare. This makes sponsors nervous about spending big money on individual player endorsements.

Lack of Infrastructure and Grassroots Funding

For a sport to be sustainable, it needs a strong foundation. This means there should be places for kids to play and learn. While Kabaddi is played in villages, the professional version is played on special mats in air-conditioned halls.

Building these facilities costs a lot of money. Right now, there is not enough money going back into the grassroots level. Most of the revenue stays at the top of the league. This creates Kabaddi sponsorship and revenue issues for the future. If there are no new players being trained with the best equipment, the quality of the game might go down. If the quality goes down, fewer people will watch, and sponsors will leave.

The Shift in Brand Interest

Some recent reports show that the “buzz” around Kabaddi is starting to fade. When the Pro Kabaddi League first started, it was new and exciting. Everyone wanted to be a part of it. But after ten or eleven seasons, the excitement is not as high.

Sponsors are now looking at other things like E-sports or even smaller sports like Pickleball that are getting popular in big cities. This competition for “the next big thing” adds to the Kabaddi sponsorship and revenue issues. If Kabaddi does not find a way to stay fresh and exciting for companies, it will continue to see a drop in sponsorship money.

The Burden of the Franchise Model

The franchise model used in Kabaddi is based on the IPL (Cricket). In the IPL, teams make so much money from TV rights that they are almost always profitable. In Kabaddi, the TV rights money is much smaller.

Teams are often forced to find their own local sponsors to fill the gap. But finding a local sponsor who can pay 2 or 3 Crore is very hard in many cities. This imbalance between what the league gives and what the team must find on its own is a core part of the Kabaddi sponsorship and revenue issues. Many owners are finding that the “return on investment” is just not there.

Kabaddi is a sport with a big heart and many fans, but its business side is struggling. The combination of a short season, low sales of products, and the giant presence of Cricket creates a tough environment. The Kabaddi sponsorship and revenue issues we see today are not easy to fix.