The Scale of Sport in India JioStar Sports CEO Ishan Chatterjee said the platform is now regularly delivering over 1 billion viewers per IPL cricket tournament season – 1.2 billion in 2026 – and set a global digital concurrency record of 72.5 million during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Cricket 2026 Final. These figures demonstrate the extraordinary power of live sport to aggregate audiences in a fragmented media landscape. Chatterjee described live sport as one of the few formats still capable of aggregating audiences at that scale. This makes sport a highly valuable asset for broadcasters and platforms, and a powerful engine for building and sustaining fandom.
Building Fandom in New Sports Chatterjee pointed to JioStar’s decade-long investment in kabaddi – now drawing over 300 million viewers a season – as evidence that cricket’s top-of-funnel audience can be redirected to build fandom in other sports from scratch. This is a powerful example of how the logic of fandom can be applied to grow new sports and audiences. The investment in kabaddi demonstrates that fandom is not just something that happens organically; it can be built through strategic investment and sustained effort.
The Integration of Commerce and Sport On commerce, Chatterjee cited JioStar’s integration with food delivery platform Swiggy as part of a broader push to combine content consumption with transactional experiences. This integration reflects a growing trend in the entertainment industry, where platforms are increasingly looking to combine content with e-commerce to create new revenue streams. The integration of commerce and sport creates new opportunities for brands to reach consumers in a more engaging and contextually relevant way.
The Global Picture of Sport Globally, sport is also a major driver of media consumption and fandom. The 2026 World Cup in North America is likely to be among the longest shared reality experiences in history. Millions will attend in person; billions will stream, watch, or listen; and many others will gamble on the event. Sport is a global language that unites people across cultures and geographies. It is a powerful force for community building and cultural exchange.
The Role of Data in Sport and Fandom Data is playing an increasingly important role in sport and fandom. Broadcasters and platforms are using data to personalize the viewing experience and deepen engagement with fans. Data can be used to provide real-time statistics, personalized highlights, and tailored content recommendations. Data is also being used to optimize ad delivery and to understand fan behavior, enabling more effective marketing and engagement strategies.
The Future of Sport in the Entertainment Industry The future of sport in the entertainment industry is likely to be characterized by continued growth, consolidation, and innovation. We can expect to see more investment in new sports, more integration of technology, and more emphasis on the fan experience. The logic of fandom will continue to be a powerful driver of growth in the sports and entertainment industry.
