Pro Kabaddi League: How PKL became the second-most popular franchise-based sport in India after IPL

Add as a preferred source on Google

New Delhi, February 17: Since its inception in 2014 by Mashal Sports Pvt. Ltd., the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) has quickly emerged as the second most-watched sporting league in India after the Indian Premier League (IPL). The league has brought back Kabaddi in a new avatar that is more entertaining and fun to watch.

The rustic sport of India - that was once considered to be a game of the rural areas - has in the last seven years broken the stereotype and made its stronghold in the urban parts of the country. The popularity of the Pro Kabaddi League has breathed in a fresh lease of life to Kabaddi as youth are planning to build a career in the sport. The kids are getting encouraged by their parents to pursue a career in this contact sport.

As per reports, currently, 70% of the IPL audience watches PKL regularly, contributing to its growth over the years. According to the 'Broadcast Audience Research Council India,' the seventh season of PKL attracted 1.2 million impressions and a cumulative reach of 352 million, which is set to grow in the coming years further.

Despite many forced hiatuses due to COVID-19 restrictions and other challenges, PKL has successfully retained its audience over the years and will continue to do so in the coming years.

Kabaddi - Rise to Global Fame

The ancient game of Kabaddi can be traced back to the epic Mahabarata. However, the modern form of the sport evolved in 1930, and since then, many countries have taken up the contact sport. In the United Kingdom alone, channels broadcast PKL to the 1.5 Million Indian population living in the country. Furthermore, the meteoric rise of Kabaddi clubs across London and other major cities in England have also shown to be a testament to the growth of the sport outside India.

"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," said Mohak Arora, spokesperson and sports expert at Parimatch brand, a global leader in the "play to earn" industry.

Development and Broadening of the Talent Pool

Before the advent of the Pro Kabaddi League, the reach of the sport had decreased in urban cities and towns. Ahead of the first season of PKL, not many sports fans could even recognize any Kabaddi players apart from star raiders Rakesh Kumar or Anup Kumar, despite India winning the first two editions of the Kabaddi World Cup and bagging seven Asian Games Gold Medals between 1990 and 2014.

Since 2014, however, many Kabaddi players like Manjeet Chillar, Pardeep Narwal, Pawan Sehrawat, Sandeep Narwal, and Naveen Kumar were able to achieve superstar status in the country.

Through the league's Future Kabaddi Heroes Programme, the scouts were also able to discover many Under-22 talents from across the country, with Naveen Kumar, Rohit Gulia, Nitesh Kumar, Surender Singh, and Sachin Tanwar establishing themselves as the mainstays in PKL.

Many talented young players like Mohit Goyat, Rakesh Sungroya, and Meetu Sharma also rose through independent Kabaddi tournaments like K7, which further boosted the talent pool in the PKL. As a result of the increasing talent pool, the league expanded to 12 teams from 8 teams in PKL Season 5.

Moreover, with the rise in popularity of the PKL, the financial status of these Kabaddi players has constantly risen throughout the league's history. Star raider Pardeep Narwal cost UP Yoddha Rs 1 crore 65 lakhs in the recent season 8 auction. Dynamic raider Siddharth Desai also went for a whopping sum of Rs 1 crore and 30 lakhs, with Telugu Titans landing the much-wanted player.

Arjun Deshwal, who kept himself in Category B in the PKL auction ahead of the eighth season, ended up as the third costliest buy, with Jaipur Pink Panthers landing his signature at Rs. 96 Lakhs. Manjeet, Sachin, Rohit Gulia, Chandran Ranjit, Surjeet Singh, Ravinder Pahal cost their respective franchises sums between Rs. 70 Lakhs to Rs. 85 Lakhs.

Mr Arora further added, "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."