Pro Kabaddi League, more money and bigger aspirations
The season 5 of Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) promises a grand event with new format, more teams and a longer-running tournament. The league also brings with it the big money through its many sponsors, advertisers, and investors. With its latest season set to kick off on 28 July, let's see how the commerce of Pro Kabaddi League works.
Growth across past seasons
The factor behind massive inflow of investments into PKL is its rapid growth. Over the years, PKL has emerged as the most popular non-cricket sporting league. It saw a cumulative growth of 51% in terms of viewership across its last four seasons. Season 4 of PKL for instance had higher ratings than IPL in Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.
Increased investments with new teams
Addition of new teams automatically translates into more investments in the league. The new teams backed by the likes of Adani Wilmar, JSW Sports amongst others include - Team Gujarat, Team Haryana, Team Tamil Nadu, and Team Uttar Pradesh.
The VIVO sponsorship deal
Chinese handset manufacturer VIVO became PKL's first ever title sponsor in a Rs 300 crore deal. The 5-year deal makes PKL the second-largest sporting league in India terms of sponsorship money. The sponsorship revenue reportedly grew by 320% in 5th season. For 2016, PKL earned Rs 62 crore in team sponsorship. For its 5th season, the revenue is expected to rise by 100%.
Player auction value
Auction of the 227 players of PKL fetched a total of Rs 46.99 crore for the teams involved.
Tournament prize purse
12 teams compete over 138 matches for the final title amounting to Rs 3 crore. While runners-up stand to gain Rs 1.8 crore, team finishing third will be awarded Rs 1.2 crore. With a consolidated prize money of Rs 8 crore, it is a major increment from season 4's prize purse of Rs 2 crore. The season's MVP will be awarded Rs 15 lakh.
