September 1, 2025

Mumbai is buzzing with news that India’s cricket economy might soon hit a rough patch — to the tune of a jaw-dropping ₹7,000 crore! Why? The government has banned money-based online games, especially fantasy sports, which had turned into the biggest sponsor and advertiser in cricket. Industry insiders say this sudden ban slams the brakes on huge ad spends. Broadcasters, streaming giants, and rights holders now face a tough time because fantasy sports were their most aggressive backers. Let’s talk sponsorship drama! The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had a ₹358 crore deal with Dream11 for Team India’s lead sponsorship. That deal ended abruptly due to the ban. The IPL’s ₹625 crore agreement with My11Circle is also close to getting canceled because the new law stops these companies from advertising altogether. With Dream11 out, BCCI is hunting hard for a new sponsor for the Asia Cup starting September 9. They aim to bag ₹452 crore from a fresh deal for 2025-28. But finding a major backer under these tough new rules? Not easy! IPL franchises, too, are shaking in their boots. Many had sweet deals with fantasy sports firms, and now their revenue streams are drying up. Here’s some number magic: Fantasy sports companies splashed nearly ₹5,000 crore annually on ads, while other real-money gaming apps added more than ₹2,000 crore. That’s nearly ₹7,000 crore vanishing from the cricket and sports advertising pot! This sudden pullback reminds experts of past warnings when new-age sectors like edtech and fintech had to cut back after fat funding had dried, causing a domino effect on cricket’s ad world. But it’s not just cricket feeling the heat. Tech biggies like Google and Meta, who enjoyed pouring in huge ad money from fantasy sports and real-money gaming platforms like rummy, now face a big revenue slump. Advertising growth in India, currently booming at 7-8% yearly with a total size of ₹1-1.5 lakh crore, will likely stumble. Sujata Dwibedy, CEO of Dentsu X, warns, "The ban on money-based games is set to significantly disrupt the advertising ecosystem around marquee properties like the IPL and ICC events." She says rights holders might try to hike ad rates or depend on other sectors to plug the loss. Among media companies, JioStar is expected to lose most, as it’s the top player in India’s sports media. Sony Pictures Networks India is somewhat safer due to careful bidding but will still feel the pinch. Sridhar Balasubramanian, EVP of Seoul’s Innocean local branch, sums up, "The ban on money-based games will significantly impact the monetisation of sports, particularly cricket." So cricket fans and businesses, stay tuned! The game’s not just on the ground but also fighting fierce battles off it, in the world of big money and advertising.

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Tags: India cricket economy, Fantasy sports ban, Bcci sponsorship, Ipl advertising, Online gaming ban, Sports advertising loss,