The next Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) media rights cycle has become one of the biggest talking points in Indian sports business. A detailed report published by Exchange4Media, one of India’s leading media and advertising publications, suggests that the upcoming five-year media rights deal could command a significant premium over the previous agreement.
However, one big question still remains:
If PKL’s valuation has increased so much, will broadcasters actually be willing to pay that price?
Note: This article is based on information reported by Exchange4Media. The analysis and opinions in the final section are those of Kabaddi Ultras.
Looking Back at the Previous Media Rights Auction
Exactly five years ago, PKL organiser Mashal Sports conducted the league’s first open media rights auction. The consolidated package, covering television and digital rights, had a reserve price of ₹900 crore.
When the auction concluded, Star India (now JioStar) retained the rights for ₹905 crore for five seasons (PKL Seasons 8 to 12), which works out to around ₹181 crore per season.
The most surprising part of that auction wasn’t the price – it was the lack of competition.
Despite PKL being widely regarded as India’s second-biggest sports league after the IPL, only one broadcaster submitted a final bid. That raised questions about whether the league had received its true market value. According to Exchange4Media, this makes the upcoming cycle particularly important, as it is effectively only the second opportunity for the market to properly discover the value of PKL’s media rights.
Also Read | 3 Teams Confirm Their New Head Coaches for PKL 13
Experts Expect the Next Deal to Cross ₹1,000 Crore
According to Exchange4Media, several industry experts believe the next five-year media rights agreement could be worth anywhere between ₹1,000 crore and ₹1,300 crore.
Anil Shankar, Managing Partner at Starcom India, estimates that the rights could realistically fall between ₹1,100 crore and ₹1,300 crore, with ₹1,200 crore being a reasonable benchmark.
Meanwhile, some other experts have taken a more conservative view, suggesting a 10–15% increase over the previous cycle, depending on bidder participation and how the rights are packaged.
Why Has PKL’s Value Increased?
One of the biggest reasons is the league’s impressive audience growth.
During PKL Season 12, the league recorded 195.84 million television viewers, making it one of India’s most-watched sporting events.
For comparison:
PKL Season 12: 195.84 million TV viewers
Women’s Premier League (WPL): 166.95 million TV viewers
Indian Super League (ISL): 122.86 million TV viewers
Indian Premier League (IPL): 495.23 million TV viewers
Although the IPL remains far ahead, PKL comfortably outperformed both the WPL and ISL in television reach, strengthening its position as India’s leading non-cricket sports league.
Digital Growth Has Been Equally Impressive
Television isn’t the only reason experts are optimistic.
During Season 12, PKL generated around 936 million video views across digital platforms, representing a 56% increase compared to Season 11.
Compared to 2021, the league has evolved significantly. Audience engagement has grown across television and digital platforms, making PKL a much stronger commercial property than it was five years ago.
Advertisers are Investing More in PKL
Exchange4Media’s report also highlights encouraging growth in advertising.
Compared to the previous season:
Advertising categories increased from 10 to 17.
Advertisers increased from 10 to 13.
Brands advertising during PKL increased from 13 to 20.
These numbers are particularly important because broadcasters rely heavily on advertising revenue to recover the cost of expensive media rights deals. A broader advertiser base makes the league far more attractive commercially.
The Advertising Landscape is Changing
One notable change is the decline of online gaming companies.
In 2024, Dream11 accounted for 16.9% of PKL’s television advertising volume. However, regulatory changes have significantly reduced advertising from the real-money gaming industry.
Fortunately for PKL, new sectors have stepped in.
According to Exchange4Media, the biggest advertising categories during the latest season included:
Corporate & Financial Institutions – 21.4%
Cement – 18.8%
Financial Services – 18.7%
Building Materials – 14.3%
Energy Drinks – 6%
This indicates that PKL is gradually attracting a broader range of mainstream advertisers rather than depending heavily on one industry.
Also Read | India Squad Announced for Asian Games 2026
Who Could Bid for the Rights?
Industry experts believe JioStar, Zee and Sony are the strongest contenders for the upcoming auction.
At the same time, JioStar is still considered the favourite because of its long association with the league and its strong television and digital distribution network.
However, one challenge remains.
India’s sports broadcasting market has become much more concentrated over the past few years, with fewer major broadcasters capable of making multi-hundred-crore investments. That could limit bidding competition even if PKL itself has become a stronger property.
Kabaddi Ultras Analysis
The reported valuation of ₹1,000–1,300 crore certainly reflects how much PKL has grown over the last five years. Television viewership is rising, digital engagement continues to improve, and more brands are investing in the league than ever before.
However, whether the media rights actually reach those numbers is a completely different question.
The previous auction showed that even a league as successful as PKL attracted only one final bidder. If a similar situation repeats, the final price may not fully reflect the league’s commercial potential.
On the other hand, if broadcasters like JioStar and Sony compete aggressively or if Mashal Sports introduces smarter rights packages by separating television, digital, or language rights, the auction could finally deliver the competitive price discovery that was missing in 2021.
In our opinion, predicting the final valuation right now is extremely difficult. PKL has undoubtedly become a much stronger league than it was five years ago, but the biggest factor will not be its popularity, it will be how many broadcasters are willing to compete for the rights.
Whether the final deal crosses ₹1,000 crore, reaches ₹1,200 crore, or even falls below the previous cycle, the upcoming media rights auction is likely to become one of the most important moments in PKL’s commercial history.
Stay tuned with Kabaddi Ultras for all the latest updates on the PKL media rights auction.
We’ve also covered this topic in detail on our YouTube channel, where we explain the complete Exchange4Media report along with our own analysis.
