Fanatic Sports and Hurun India have released the inaugural edition of the “Fanatic Sports Hurun India’s Most Valuable Sports Teams 2026”, highlighting India’s sports industry as an emerging asset class. The report points to rising discretionary spending, the expansion of professional leagues, and increasing investor interest as key drivers shaping the sector’s rapid growth.
The report covers franchise valuations, athlete metrics, ownership ecosystems and performance data of six professional Indian sports leagues – Indian Premier League (IPL), Women's Premier League (WPL), Indian Super League (ISL), Pro Kabaddi League (PKL), Hockey India League and Prime Volleyball League.
In the report, over 1300 athletes from more than 50 countries are taking part in more than 55 plus sports franchises included in the study.
The report reinforces, says Raghav Gupta, Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Fanatic Sports India, India's transformation from a "cricket country" to a "Sports Economy". The sport industry here is becoming its own asset class, with its own audiences, its own economics and its own heroes—the business of sport here is changing, Gupta said, and Tier II and Tier III are increasingly accepting franchise sport leagues.
Key Highlights:
- India’s sports industry emerged as a strong asset class driven by leagues, spending, and investor interest
- The report covers 6 major leagues with 1,300+ athletes across 55+ franchises
- Growth led by shift from cricket focus to wider sports economy, including rising role of women’s leagues
He also pointed out the women's sports contribution to the sports economy of India, stating that the future growth would go more and more towards women leagues and fandom and sporting events.
India was now experiencing a time when sports consumption can go hand-in-hand with the increase in disposable income, said Anas Rahman Junaid, founder and chief researcher of Hurun India.
India's per capita income had also surpassed USD 2500 which is the threshold that can be used as a benchmark for increased discretionary spending and is likely to reach USD 5,000 by 2030, he added. By the end of the decade, he estimates that 165 million Indians will be earning more than USD 10,000 a year.
Expenditure on sport-related activities like sport goods, sport tickets, OTT subscription, fantasy games, fan travel and youth academies normally escalates as the income of the middle class increases, Junaid said.
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