How PKL Became the Second-Most Popular Franchise-Based Sport in India after IPL

It has completely re-branded the sport that people now watch with newfound interest. Although it has always been more prevalent in rural areas, India witnessed a gradual change over the last seven years and the game is now popular everywhere.

The youth has more options to pursue the game as a career option. As of now, 70% of the IPL are active viewers of PKL, which has rapidly caused its growth. The Broadcast Audience Research Council India states that the seventh season of PKL attracted 1.2 million impressions and a cumulative reach of 352 million. Even though the pandemic has affected every sector of sports, PKL has managed to keep its audience engaged.

Kabaddi's Ascent Over the Years

Although the game is rooted in the Indian mythological masterpiece Mahabarata, its contemporary version is credited to the 1930s when other countries, especially the United Kingdom also partook in its glory. "The International Kabaddi Federation consists of 31 national associations with countries like Kenya, Australia, Poland, Argentina, Australia, the United States of America, etc., taking part in the growth of the sport across the world. Poland especially has a thriving Kabaddi culture and is one of the few non-Asian nations to have a team composed majorly of native players," remarked Mohak Arora, spokesperson and sports expert at Parimatch brand.

Popularizing the Sport

Before the Pro Kabaddi League started, it had limited outreach. With the exception of Rakesh Kumar or Anup Kumar, no one recognized top kabaddi players even though India had nailed the first two editions of the Kabaddi World Cup and earned seven Asian Games Gold Medals between 1990 and 2014.

Ever since PKL commenced, top athletes like Manjeet Chillar, Pardeep Narwal, Pawan Sehrawat, Sandeep Narwal, and Naveen Kumar began to be recognized apart from many under-22 talents from across the country. The rise of independent Kabaddi tournaments like K7 also helped Mohit Goyat, Rakesh Sungroya, and Meetu Sharma achieve star status. Due to the ever-expanding sea of talent, the league increased to 12 teams from eight teams in PKL Season five.

Increase in Income

Other than the surge in popularity of Kabaddi, the emergence of the league has also had a financial impact. Star players such as Pardeep Narwal cost Yoddha INR one crore 65 lakhs in the recent season eight auction. Similarly, Siddharth Desai has also been valued at INR one crore and 30 lakhs.

Manjeet, Sachin, Rohit Gulia, Chandran Ranjit, Surjeet Singh, and Ravinder Pahal also turned out to be costly for their respective franchises. They were all bought for more than 70 lakhs each. Spokesperson Mohak Arora said, "With the league's viewership skyrocketing over the years, the players are expected to earn more in the PKL auctions as well as carve a space in the hearts of sports lovers across the globe in the next few years."