The Potential of Micro-Sports Leagues in India: A Guide for Sports Marketers

Remember playing Frisbee in the park as a kid? Now imagine doing it professionally—with leagues, sponsors, and cheering fans. That’s the magic of micro-sports in India today. While cricket remains the undisputed king, a quiet revolution is brewing beneath the surface.  

From Kabaddi to Kho Kho, and even niche sports like Ultimate Frisbee and Pickleball, these leagues are redefining what it means to be a sports fan in India. This movement is creating brand-new opportunities for sports marketers across the country, allowing space for smaller, community-driven sports to flourish. 

For brands tired of fighting for visibility in cricket, these micro-sports provide fertile ground for meaningful engagement, offering lower entry barriers, higher participation rates, and connections to communities untouched by mainstream advertising saturation. 

Lets dive deeper into the phenomenon of micro-sports leagues.  

Understanding Micro-Sports Leagues in India 

Think of micro-sports leagues as the indie bands of the sports world—smaller, scrappier, and packed with authenticity. These leagues focus on sports that haven’t yet hit the mainstream but have deep cultural roots or a growing fanbase. They may thrive in tier-2 and tier-3 cities, where community ties are strong, and ticket prices won’t break the bank. 

Key Micro-Sports Making Waves 

Cricket may dominate the headlines, but its monopoly is fading. According to a Havas Play report, non-cricket sports now account for 22% of total sports viewership in India—a number that’s growing every year. 

• Kabaddi: While the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) is now mainstream, smaller regional leagues like the Uttar Pradesh Kabaddi League and Haryana Kabaddi League thrive with hyper-local fanbases. These leagues often feature grassroots talent and community-driven narratives, offering brands a chance to engage with rural audiences 

• Ultimate Table Tennis: A niche but growing league, UTT has attracted international stars like Manika Batra and Sharath Kamal. Its shorter format and digital-friendly broadcasts on platforms like SonyLIV appeal to urban youth.  

• Pro Panja League (Arm Wrestling): This unique league has turned arm wrestling into a televised spectacle, combining traditional kushti culture with modern production. Its 2024 season saw a huge spike in viewership, particularly in Punjab and Haryana 

• Kho Kho: The Ultimate Kho Kho League launched in 2022 with six franchises. Its inaugural season had 64 million viewers, making it the third-most viewed non-cricket league in India. 

• Ultimate Frisbee: Growing rapidly in urban centers like Chennai, Bangalore, and Mumbai, appealing particularly to young professionals and college students. 

• Pickleball: This paddle sport has seen 45% growth year-over-year in India, primarily in metropolitan areas, attracting a demographic with disposable income. 

• Silambam: This ancient Tamil martial art featuring bamboo staffs is finding new audiences through regional tournaments in South India. 

• Mallakhamb: The traditional pole gymnastics sport has gained new enthusiasts through competitions that show its blend of strength, grace, and cultural heritage. 

• Cricket: let’s not forget cricket’s own micro-leagues. Tournaments like the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) and Karnataka Premier League (KPL) prove that even cricket can thrive on a smaller, more localized scale. 

This journey reached a new milestone when Amul India featured Deepak Shinde in a Chhaas advertisement, marking the first time a Mallakhamb World Champion was part of such a major brand campaign. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjgWCiwKjMM 

Cultural Significance 

Many micro-sports are woven into India's cultural fabric, representing regional identity, traditional values, and indigenous knowledge. For many communities, supporting these sports becomes an act of cultural preservation and pride, creating opportunities for marketers to align with uniquely cultural values. 

Marketing Advantages of Micro-Sports Leagues 

Unique Positioning Opportunities 

Micro-sports offers distinctive positioning advantages that major sports simply cannot match: 

• First-mover advantage: Brands can become category leaders with modest investments compared to cricket sponsorships. For example, Mother Dairy's partnership with the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) helped it tap into a less saturated market & enhanced visibility 

• White-space branding: With less sponsor clutter, brands achieve higher visibility and can shape the viewer experience more comprehensively. 

• Authentic storytelling: These sports offer rich narratives about perseverance and heritage. 

The "World Goes Kho" campaign captured this perfectly. With Tiger Shroff and Salman Khan as brand ambassadors, the campaign gained mass appeal—bridging grassroots heritage with mainstream attention, and making Kho Kho more aspirational.

The tournament’s strong cultural positioning helped it secure over ₹40 crore in brand sponsorships, with partners like EaseMyTrip, GMR Aero — showing how grassroot sports drive marketing value. 

• Geographic targeting: Want to reach rural Maharashtra? Sponsor a Mallakhamb tournament. Targeting Tamil youth? Back a Silambam league. Micro-sports let you drill down into specific regions and demographics with precision. 

• Value-based partnerships: Opportunities exist to align with causes like rural development, traditional knowledge preservation, and youth empowerment. 

Audience Insights 

Micro-sports attract distinct audience segments worth understanding: 

• Rural and semi-urban enthusiasts: Offering rare channels to reach India's next billion consumers. 

• Cultural purists: Audiences who value authentic Indian experiences. 

• Young experimenters: Urban youth seeking novel experiences through sports like Ultimate Frisbee. 

• Digital-first viewers: With many micro-leagues prioritizing digital streaming. 

• Community participants: Unlike cricket's spectator culture, many micro-sports boast high participation rates. 

Strategic Tips and Insights for Sports Marketers 

To effectively tap into India’s growing micro-sports ecosystem, sports marketers should adopt hyper-localized, data-driven strategies that align with regional passion points.  

Instead of chasing celebrity endorsements, collaborate with micro-sports tournaments and local icons who have deep credibility. For example, a Silambam champion in Tamil Nadu or a Kho-Kho legend in Maharashtra will resonate more authentically than a generic influencer. A Kabaddi tournament in UP draws audience by the drove. Use these assets and influencers for grassroots promotions, training camps, and social media storytelling to drive engagement. 

Brands should also move beyond logo placements to active community-building—this builds long-term brand affinity.  

• Sponsor training programs (like Tata Steel’s archery initiative in Jharkhand). 

• Provide equipment donations to schools and local clubs to nurture talent. 

• Create youth leagues with branded tournaments to foster loyalty. 

The Untapped Potential of Micro-Sports Leagues 

India's sporting future is vast, and the next big opportunity isn’t on the cricket pitch—it’s in the leagues you haven’t tapped into yet. The question isn’t if you should engage with micro-sports, but how—whether by building something new or activating an existing league for your brand. 

Whether you want to create a league from the ground up or tap into an existing one for maximum impact, Zupotsu crafts bespoke strategies—not generic solutions. We match your brand with the right micro-sports assets, ensuring authentic engagement, regional influence, and cost-effective partnerships. 

We help bridge the gap between forward-thinking brands and emerging sporting communities. At Zupotsu, we don’t just connect you with sports communities—we help you own the game where it’s played next. Reach out to us to know more.  

Zupotsu is a martech platform on a mission to ‘digitize’ sports marketing. Zupotsu enables the discovery, engagement, and evaluation (the ‘DEE’ framework) for every sports and esports marketing asset. Please sign up at www.zupotsu.com. Follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram. Reach out at ‘marketing@zupotsu.com’ for any queries.