In a league of its own, women's cricket captivates both brands and viewers

Mumbai: The Women’s Premier League (WPL) is heading into its most lucrative season yet as women’s cricket in India has hit an inflection point—decisively moving from promise to profit—following the Indian team’s recent World Cup victory.

The BCCI-run franchise T20 tournament is drawing much stronger advertiser commitments ahead of the fourth season starting on Friday, with executives across media, sports marketing and team ownership saying the recent surge in viewership has altered how brands value the league.

Also Read: WPL 2026: JioStar reels in 15 sponsors amid rising buzz




Beauty and jewellery brands such as Lakme, L’Oréal, De Beers, and PC Jeweller, which were either absent earlier or participated sporadically, have signed on as sponsors as a growing number of women alongside traditional male cricket viewers tune in to women’s cricket amid consistently high-quality play during the World Cup and even before that.

This shift is translating into higher sponsorship spends at both the league and franchise levels.

“WPL revenue across team and central sponsorship has reached an inflection point,” said Jinisha Sharma, director at Capri Sports, which owns the UP Warriorz franchise.

She said the World Cup win in November has provided a strong tailwind for the WPL, as brands look to be early movers in women’s cricket where clutter remains limited. Brands such as BKT and Lakme, which were not previously associated with women’s cricket, are now coming on board, she noted.

According to industry estimates, cumulative team and central sponsorship revenues are expected to touch Rs 120 crore this WPL season.

The five franchises are likely to earn Rs 10–12 crore each on average with some teams hitting high double-digit marks.

Separately, BCCI has signed new sponsorship deals with ChatGPT, Bisleri and Kingfisher Packaged Drinking Water, collectively valued at Rs 48 crore over the next two seasons.

An official from the Mumbai Indians franchise said the team expects high double-digit growth in sponsorship revenue this season. “There is strong interest from both traditional and new-age categories with solid pedigree,” the person said.

Sanjay Adesara, chief business officer at Adani Sportsline, said WPL is evolving into a gender-agnostic property, with strong viewership from both men and women.

“In the early days, women’s cricket was largely seen as relevant only for female-oriented brands or categories. Over the last couple of years, particularly after the WPL, and now with the ODI World Cup win, that perception has changed significantly,” he said.

WPL viewership more than doubled in two years to 325 million in 2025 from 152 million in its inaugural season in 2023 across television and digital platforms, according to data shared by JioStar, the official media rights holder.

JioStar, which paid Rs 951 crore for the five-year rights cycle ending in 2027, has also seen strong advertiser demand for WPL, roping in 15 sponsors across categories.

Anup Govindan, head of sports sales at JioStar, said WPL 2026 represents a clear inflection point for women’s cricket, both in scale and commercial ambition. “WPL offers a compelling platform with scale, high engagement and strong audience connect,” he said. “The diversity of categories coming on board reflects growing confidence in women’s cricket as a premium media property.”

Karan Yadav, chief commercial officer at JSW Sports, said one of the strongest indicators of women’s cricket’s growing stature is the rise of individual player brands. He pointed to players such as Jemimah Rodrigues and Shafali Verma, who have built strong brand equity.

JSW Sports co-owns Delhi Capitals WPL team with GMR Group.

Pidilite Industries-owned Dr Fixit, which has come on board as the official umpire partner of the WPL, believes the league embodies the same core attributes as the brand.

Sudhanshu Vats, Managing Director, Pidilite Industries, said:


“Dr. Fixit stands for resilience, performance, and quiet strength; qualities that strongly reflect the spirit of India’s women cricketers. As the Official Umpire Partner for the Women’s Premier League, our role reinforces Dr. Fixit’s core promise of expertise and integrity."