Is India the next big market for fantasy sports?
Fantasy sports has revolutionized the Indian market to a great extend. A report published by KPMG and the Indian Federation of Sports Gaming (IFSG) estimated that the user base of fantasy gaming platforms crossed 70 million Indians in 2018. These numbers are huge considering the amount of traffic that India generates largely from Cricket.
Cricket, the lifeline of fantasy sports in India
Cricket was inevitably going to be the prime target for fantasy sports in India. The amount of cricket watched in India is responsible for gaining enormous numbers when it comes to fantasy sports. If Sporting apps are an intrinsic part of the industry in India, Cricket had to secure the top spot in fetching users and clocking exponential growth.
If we talk about the United States, the American National Football League i.e. NFL is the most popular fantasy sports app and the revenue for this app booming at a towering figure of 11 billion in the year 2013. It solely depends on the fact that which country follows which sport so that there is an unobstructed view of the market for fantasy sports.
How did it start?
India is in aearly stage when it comes to catching up with the trends of fantasy sports compared to other countries. The future definitely looks promising considering the presence of other sports apart from fantasy cricket.
Television viewership plays a leading role in creating a buzz in the minds of fantasy sports users. Moreover, there are advertisements, fan clubs, and merchandising to fuel up the sports fever. India’s fantasy base foundation is cricket but Football, Kabaddi and NBA also play their part in the growth of fantasy sports in India. With several local leagues like the IPL and Pro Kabaddi alongside craze for NBA and Football, India is touted to become a superpower in the fantasy sports market.
Fantasy Sports Market in India – An overview
About 67% of the 18 crore cricket fans in India are familiar with the concept of fantasy sport. Dream11 prediction has become India’s market leader in fantasy sports apps. As far the market, fantasy sports in India witnesses the growth rate of 30 to 50 percent per annum. This figure suggests India’s rise among the fantasy sports leaders in the current era.
If things keep rollingat this pace, the number of users will reach the 50 million mark very soon.