Vinit Karnik, Managing Director, Content, Entertainment & Sports, GroupM India, said, “The Indian sports economy has firmly established itself as a high-growth sector, surging 7x since 2008 to near the billion mark. While traditional powerhouses continue to drive momentum, the real story lies in the rise of emerging sports, athlete-driven brand value, and digital explosion, […]
Vinit Karnik, Managing Director, Content, Entertainment & Sports, GroupM India, said, “The Indian sports economy has firmly established itself as a high-growth sector, surging 7x since 2008 to near the billion mark. While traditional powerhouses continue to drive momentum, the real story lies in the rise of emerging sports, athlete-driven brand value, and digital explosion, which alone saw a 25 per cent jump in media spends. The record-breaking Rs 1,224 crore in athlete endorsements signals a shift—brands are betting big on individual icons across sports. As we enter a new era of engagement, innovation will be key in unlocking the next wave of commercial success in Indian sports.”
According to the report, 2024 saw healthy growth in sponsorship spends in emerging sports. With an upswing of 19% over 2023, they delivered a total value of Rs 1,811 crore ($ 216 Mn). The Paris Olympics gave an impetus to the business of these sports. 2024 saw the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) receiving robust support from brands like Dream 11 and Shriram Finance; Indian Super League (ISL) pushed the ball forward. The year also saw successful execution of Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT), Ultimate Kho Kho (UKK), and Prime Volleyball League (PVL), marking the early stages of their respective journeys.
India’s sports industry has witnessed a significant uptick in media spends, growing by 7% in 2024 to reach Rs 7,989 crore, according to GroupM’s latest Sporting Nation report. The growth signals a steady rise in investments across various sports properties, driven by increasing viewership, brand engagement, and the expanding digital ecosystem.
In 2024, IPL saw a reach of over 5.07 million in terms of TV with TV ratings of 3.06. IPL’s social conversations stood at over 18,600, with an online mention of 17,800 on X, a reach of 25,000 on Facebook, and 11,000 on Instagram.
Cricket contributed around Rs 7,509 crore (vs. 7,074 in 2023) to the overall media adex, whilst emerging sports stood at Rs 479 crore (vs. 420 crore in 2023). “Sports media spends on the verge of crossing the $ 1 bn. mark. TV media spends on sports stayed stagnant because of lesser number of matches that India played in 2024 as against 2023,” the report said.
The report also shared that the total athlete endorsement spends crossed Rs 1,000 crore for the first time in 2024, and reached Rs 1,224 crore – up 32% over 2023.
The sports sponsorship spends stood at Rs 7,421 crore in 2024 with an incremental growth of only 1% over 2023 (Rs 7,345 crore). Endorsement spends stood at Rs 1,224 crore in 2024, witnessing a 32% increase over 2023 ( Rs 927 crore). Overall, the sports revenues stood at Rs 16, 633 crore in 2024, inching closer to $ 2 billion. This was up from Rs 15,766 crore in 2023.
The sports adex in 2023 (with TV contributing around Rs 4,620 crore, followed by digital at Rs 2,870 crore and print at Rs 3.5 crore) stood at Rs 7,494 crore, which increased to Rs 7,989 crore in 2024. In 2024, TV ad spends in sports stood at Rs 4,396 crore, followed by digital at Rs 3,588 crore and print at Rs 4.6 crore.
The number of matches that team India played in CY2024 was lesser – 44 Matches in 2024 vs. 64 Matches in 2023. CY2023 was the last of the previous sponsorship cycle in both – IPL and ICC. While IPL renewed Title Partnership at Rs 500 crore/yr and associate partners at an avg. of Rs 93 crore/year, IPL 2022 and 2023 was an anomaly – with 100% fill rate in terms of sponsors.
The rise in athlete endorsement was driven not just by cricket, but also by icons like Neeraj Chopra, PV Sindhu, and Manu Bhaker, with a 46% increase in non-cricket endorsements.
Source: GroupM
Despite macroeconomic challenges, the Indian sports industry continues to attract higher media investments, the report concluded. This marks the 12th edition of the annual report on the Indian Sports Industry from GroupM ESP, the Entertainment & Sports division of GroupM.
Nikki Spetseris previews ‘Full Court Press’ season two
Last year’s Full Court Press women’s NCAA basketball docuseries proved to be a remarkable moment. The series, from Omaha Productions, Words + Pictures, and ESPN, followed Caitlin Clark, Kamilla Cardoso, and Kiki Rice through a wild season that saw massive interest in them, especially around Clark breaking the NCAA scoring record. So how do you […]
Last year’s Full Court Press women’s NCAA basketball docuseries proved to be a remarkable moment. The series, from Omaha Productions, Words + Pictures, and ESPN, followed Caitlin Clark, Kamilla Cardoso, and Kiki Rice through a wild season that saw massive interest in them, especially around Clark breaking the NCAA scoring record.
So how do you follow that up?
That was a key question around the second season of Full Court Press, which was green-lit last May. The first season drew a lot of attention, but there was discussion of how much of that was the Clark effect. And that fit into wider discussions about where women’s college basketball ratings would go post-Clark. Indeed, season one director Kristen Lappas even told Awful Announcing last spring “We caught lightning in a bottle” in terms of how well things broke for the first season of the show.
But the post-Clark era has seen ratings interest in women’s college basketball continue, with even some year-over-year growth. And that’s promising for the second season of Full Court Press, which premieres Saturday. Its first two episodes will air at 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. ET on ESPN, with the final two airing May 11 at 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. ET on ESPN2, and with all episodes available on ESPN+ following their airing.
Nikki Spetseris, who directed the second season of Full Court Press, spoke to AA on that this week. She said there were some questions on how to follow up the first season, but this one (covering Notre Dame sophomore guard Hannah Hidalgo, LSU junior guard Flau’jae Johnson and USC graduate student forward Kiki Iriafen) came together to provide its own unique set of stories.
“I think last season was amazing, but obviously they had a superstar, and a tangible thing to follow, which was her record-breaking season,” Spetseris said. “No one knew what to expect this season: will we live up to the hype of of the first one? And I think it’s almost more exciting, because we have…I don’t want to say they didn’t have three big personalities, but I do think that every woman got the same airtime [in S2], and we got to put a spotlight on three different personalities, programs, backgrounds, equally, and follow those stories.”
Telling three unique athletes’ stories
Each of those athletes has quite a different story. Spetseris said Johnson’s is a combination of her playing success, her business success, and her personal background.
“Flau’jae Johnson, the first time I met her in person, she just walked into the room, and there was this air about her. You’re like ‘She is a superstar.’ She just has that energy and that feeling around her. Not only are these three women amazing athletes, and we were able to see that, the discipline and the work they put in every day, but I think with Flau’jae, it’s the story off the court.
“I think her backstory is so inspiring, growing up with a single mom and her dad passed away while her mom was still pregnant with her. And she’s then pursuing his kind of rap career. I think she stands out with her off-the-court story. Also, she has more NIL deals than almost any college basketball player. So that was kind of interesting to follow, just a business mogul, musician, and athlete.”
With Hidalgo, Spetseris said the docuseries shows off a side of her that fans might not expect.
“Hannah Hidalgo, I think people see her on the court and she’s so fiery. Those were some of the the games I looked forward to the most, watching her out there flexing, doing her Incredible Hulk and just getting her team and the crowd amped up.
“I think what was cool to figure out with her, which we talked about in the series, is that off the court, she’s not like that at all. She’s really mellow. She’s really calm. She’s kind of quiet. So I think that makes her very interesting. There’s something that’s stepping out onto the floor and being under the lights and being around the crowd that just flips the switch for her.”
And with Iriafen, Spetseris said the show got a chance to watch her grace under pressure during difficult times.
“Kiki was kind of the player that maybe myself and my whole team knew the least about going into the show, and she just continued to impress us. I think of just grace when I think of her. She’s really poised. They really all were vulnerable and let their personality show, but I think there were some moments with Kiki where there were some growing pains at the beginning of the season, airing out chemistry with her new team and what her role was.”
One moment in particular with Iriafen stood out for Spetseris.
“We had a really interesting moment with her after the Notre Dame-USC game. She had a really tough time, and she opened up to us and she gave a teary interview about the turning point that that game created for her. That took a lot of guts.
“And at first she didn’t want to talk about it. But we kind of stressed the importance of showing the highs and lows; ‘You’re a gorgeous, talented athlete, let young women know that you have struggles too.’ With her, I was just really impressed how she opens up. And she has this grace that maybe we didn’t know at first, that she was so poised that way.”
Another element with Iriafen was her academic work in grad school and how she balanced that with on-court play.
“With Kiki, that was just a little bit more of her story,” Spetseris said. “I mean, graduating Stanford in three years is insane. So certainly that just became a little bit more of her story arc than the other two women.”
Maintaining women’s college basketball’s momentum
Overall, Spetseris said she sees this season of Full Court Press as proof there are still incredible stories to cover in women’s college basketball even after Clark.
“The time and place we’re at, wondering if this was just a moment in time with women’s basketball, I think we were able to help prove that it isn’t, and keep that momentum going.”
Speaking of maintaining momentum, Spetseris said coming into an established series like this actually had some benefits, with her able to build on the work Lappas had done.
“I think as filmmakers, we always want to put our stamp on things. But for me, I just remember when I first got the call and first started talking about the show. I just kept saying like ‘You know, we don’t need to reinvent the wheel.’
“They’d already set so many things in motion that were successful, even kind of like a rough formula for ‘Here’s what we track over the season, and here’s our graphics look.’ And we had a composer. There were so many things that I usually have to worry about that were just already set up that I could really focus on getting to know these women, and their stories, and how do we tell the best stories? So I actually felt really lucky that I could just focus on the fun stuff, if you will: Kristen had already put a lot in motion. So that was great.”
Spetseris and her team did make some changes here and there, though. That included more emphasis on practices and on some different interview settings.
“They didn’t do so many practices last season, and I tend to just love that process of seeing what you work on in practice and then seeing it play out in a game. So I think that was kind of an interesting little added thing.
“And Kristen had these epic interviews that were so gorgeous, where these women were the center of the room, and we loved that. But I feel like just to get to know them, we kind of started, like with this vulnerable interview I was talking about with Kiki, that was just in her bedroom on her bed in the afternoon. And we tried to craft a few intimate moments like that, where maybe they would open up in a different way.”
She said the series’ focus on telling the stories of each athlete on and off the court remains, though.
“You’re always trying to get that right combination as a filmmaker: what will get the best result, what will make people the most comfortable? So we played around with that a little bit, and that served us well. But generally the storytelling, I just feel like it’s really ‘What’s the flow of the story and how do you mix these three characters together?’
“And for me, the mark of success is always, I mean, we hope people watch, but ‘Do you care about these characters and care about these women after you watch the show, and do you want to tune in and and hear more? Do you want to follow their games? Are are they relatable in some way?’ I think Kristen did a great job at that, and I think that I’ve done and my team has done a great job with that this season.”
The logistical hurdles of a multi-athlete series
It’s a lot of work to pull off a docuseries covering three athletes across three different schools over the course of six months, though. Spetseris said her team was critical to making that happen.
“For this project, we’ve been following these women for about six months, obviously their season story arc, but also injuries and birthdays and family events. And you really are embedded. I just want to shout out the women for letting us in and being so vulnerable. But also, I had like a forty-person team, the people in the field and the cameras and editors and assistant editors, and then the three field producers.
“I’m not everywhere, I’m also running four edit rooms while we’re filming, so we have three field producers that were just out there, and they’re the ones that really become like family to the women. Shout out to them and the rest of the crew, because it really is a team effort on this one.”
She said another particular challenge with a project like Full Court Press is that these athletes are all busy, and have frequent short-notice schedule changes.
“The logistics of it are the most difficult part. And I also think that because they’re young women, they have a lot of scheduling changes. We would fly somewhere and we’d have a day planned and then all of a sudden a practice would get scheduled, or a time would change for a practice or a workout or training session, or maybe a NIL commercial shoot would pop up.”
Spetseris said the key from her perspective is being flexible there.
“I think that you just have to be, most people that produce and direct are really type A, and I think you have to let a little of that go when you’re doing documentary work, particularly with college athletes. I got a lot of mid-day or late-night phone calls about, ‘Hey, this isn’t happening anymore, what should we do now,’ and just brainstorming on the fly.”
And that flexibility led to some benefits for the series, including an unexpected chance to connect with Johnson at a key moment.
“After LSU’s Elite Eight loss, we ended up just by chance being on the same flight as Flau’jae going to Atlanta,” Spetseris said. “We saw her at the airport. We just thought, ‘Oh my God, we need to get a shot of her on the plane.’ We filmed her right after the loss. So we have her at the airport, in an airplane.
“And then it was kind of this discussion, basically like midnight that night, ‘Do we just stay in Atlanta and film with her the next day? Because how crazy is that access?’
“There’s a lot of that last-minute decision making in the show. And the games are at night and on the weekends, all the stuff. So we did definitely live and breathe it the last six months, which was really fun. But also, we all need naps now.”
While projects like this do take a massive amount of work, Spetseris is optimistic Full Court Press can pave the way for more docuseries on female athletes.
“I’ve been doing this almost 20 years, and this is one of the first shows I’ve done with female lead athletes. And the majority of my team behind the scenes, shoutout to the guys that were on our team too, but we had a a strong female-led team. And just knowing my own personal energy for it and my team, for us, we feel like, ‘Oh my God, this is such a long time coming. This is just the beginning.’
“Now it’s such a rare thing, there’s still not enough of these docs out there. But I think hopefully really soon they’ll just be good docs and great athletes and all that stuff that they are. I think now it’s so new still that there’s such a focus on these being female-led stories, right? So for me, no, I never worry, because I know how me and all my friends think, and they’re like ‘More of this.’”
Story Links
Next Game: at Memphis 5/3/2025 | 3:00 P.M.
May. 03 (Sat) / 3:00 P.M.
at Memphis
History
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Memphis handed Wichita State its first loss in the series since 2018 with a 4-3 win in the series opener Friday […]
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Memphis handed Wichita State its first loss in the series since 2018 with a 4-3 win in the series opener Friday night.
Wichita State (26-24-1, 13-11-1) had won 17 straight vs. the Tigers until Friday’s upset.
Brookelyn Livanec had two of the team’s six hits, both doubles. Jodie Epperson hit a two-run home run, while Lauren Lucas, Sami Hood and Camryn Compton logged singles.
Ryley Nihart (9-7) went 4.2 innings in the start, allowing four runs on five hits and four walks. Ava Sliger didn’t allow a baserunner in relief out of the bullpen.
After three scoreless innings, Wichita State finally opened the scoring in the top of the fourth. Epperson lined a two-run shot just inside the left field foul pole to start the frame. The Shockers then made it 3-0 following Livanec’s second double of the night and a Hood bunt single and Memphis throwing error.
Memphis got a run back in the bottom of the fourth on a leadoff infield single and RBI double.
With two outs in the bottom of the fifth, the Tigers scored three runs on back-to-back singles to take a 4-3 lead. The first single drove home two with the bases loaded.
That 4-3 lead would hold up, as the Shockers went down in order in both the sixth and seventh innings.
Up Next
Wichita State and Memphis continue the series Saturday at 3 p.m.
Yaxel Lendeborg Signs with Octagon Basketball for NIL Representation
Yaxel Lendeborg announced on social media Saturday that he has signed with Octagon Basketball for name, image, and likeness (NIL) representation, signaling his continued openness to returning to college basketball—even as he explores the NBA Draft process. Octagon is a leading sports agency that not only represents NBA stars like Steph Curry, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and […]
Yaxel Lendeborg announced on social media Saturday that he has signed with Octagon Basketball for name, image, and likeness (NIL) representation, signaling his continued openness to returning to college basketball—even as he explores the NBA Draft process.
Octagon is a leading sports agency that not only represents NBA stars like Steph Curry, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Bam Adebayo, but also works with high-profile college athletes through NIL partnerships.
Lendeborg has declared for the 2025 NBA Draft and received an invite to the NBA Draft Combine, which will take place May 11–18 in Chicago. Under NCAA rules, he has until May 28 at 11:59 p.m. ET to withdraw his name and retain college eligibility.
If he does return to college, Lendeborg would fill a crucial frontcourt role for Michigan, effectively replacing Danny Wolf, who thrived under new head coach Dusty May last season before declaring for the draft himself. At UAB last year, Lendeborg was one of the most productive and versatile big men in the country, averaging 17.7 points, 11.4 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.8 blocks, and 1.7 steals per game.
He helped lead UAB to the NIT quarterfinals and joined elite company by becoming just the second Division I player in history to post 600+ points, 400+ rebounds, and 150+ assists in a single season—the other being Larry Bird.
A two-time AAC Defensive Player of the Year, Lendeborg brings switchable defense, high IQ playmaking, and strong rebounding—all traits that fit perfectly in May’s system, which elevated Wolf into a potential first-round NBA Draft pick. Something that was a major factor in Lendeborg’s decision to transfer to Michigan.
With his future still undecided, Michigan fans will be closely watching Lendeborg’s performance at the combine and awaiting his decision later this month.
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Complete Game From Avery Shamblin Leads The Niners to a Series Win
Story Links
Next Game: UAB 5/4/2025 | 12:00 PM
ESPN+
May. 04 (Sun) / 12:00 PM
UAB
History
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Niners Softball secured the conference series win on senior day with a 2-1 victory over the UAB Blazers, led by […]
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Niners Softball secured the conference series win on senior day with a 2-1 victory over the UAB Blazers, led by a complete game from Avery Shamblin in the circle.
HOW IT HAPPENED
After blasting a solo shot to center last night to put the Niners on the board, Kari Shedrick did it again in the bottom of the second, hitting her seventh bomb of the year to put the Niners on the board 1-0 in the second.
One inning later Olivia Williams hit her second homer of the year to left field to give the Niners a 2-0 lead.
UAB scored once in the fifth, breaking up a no-hitter with a solo shot to center from Lindsey Smith to make the score 2-1. The Blazers managed to get two runners in scoring position after the homer, but the Niners’ pitching and defense kept the UAB offense at bay.
Avery Shamblin pitched for the Niners, going all seven innings and not allowing a hit until the fifth. Shamblin threw 90 pitches and struck out three batters in her first career complete game.
With the win on Saturday, Charlotte has secured a first-day bye in the American Conference Tournament next week and will be either the third or fourth seed. Currently, the Niners sit in the fourth seed but can move into the third depending on the results of the North Texas and ECU series, which will finish with a doubleheader on Saturday evening.
The Niners are now assured of finishing the season above .500 and will end up no lower than fourth in the conference standings. Charlotte was initially picked eighth in the preseason rankings.
UP NEXT
Charlotte will conclude its regular season with a 12:00 p.m. game tomorrow afternoon against UAB as they search for the series sweep.
FOLLOW THE TEAM
Stay up to date with everything Charlotte Softball by following the team on X (Formerly Twitter) @CharlotteSB and Instagram and Facebook @CharlotteSoftball.
President Donald Trump and his administration are considering an executive order aimed at increasing ‘scrutiny of the explosion in payments to college athletes,’ per the Wall Street Journal.
Trump reportedly met with Nick Saban Thursday when he was in Tuscaloosa for his commencement speech at the 2025 spring graduating commencement for the University of Alabama.
The Wall Street Journal reports Saban talked about NIL deals with Trump during their meeting, and the former Alabama head football coach shared he felt it damaged college athletics.
Saban has been outspoken about his thoughts on name, image and likeness and the impact it has had on college athletics.
“All the things that I believed in for all these years, 50 years of coaching, no longer exist in college athletics,” Saban previously said at a roundtable in Washington D.C. “It was always about developing players. It was always about helping people be more successful in life.”
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Softball Battles St. Bonaventure in Final Regular Season Series
Next Game: at St. Bonaventure 5/3/2025 | 1:30 PM
May. 03 (Sat) / 1:30 PM
at St. Bonaventure
History
OLEAN, N.Y. – On a raw and rainy day in Western New York, the Sint Joseph’s softball team dropped the first game of a doubleheader, 2-1 at St. Bonaventure before game […]
OLEAN, N.Y. – On a raw and rainy day in Western New York, the Sint Joseph’s softball team dropped the first game of a doubleheader, 2-1 at St. Bonaventure before game two was suspended due to weather in the top of the fourth inning with the Hawks leading 4-0.
St. Bonaventure got on the board with single runs each in the third and fourth innings. The Hawks cracked the scoreboard in the seventh. Hailey Peterson walked with one out the frame. Kasi Loser came up next and split the left-centerfield gap for a double, bringing in Peterson, cutting the lead to 2-1.
Taylor Trowbridge gave up just two runs in her 10th complete game of the season. She scattered four hits and struck out two. Her second punchout of the day made her the 16th pitcher in program history with 200 career K’s.
UP NEXT
The teams will complete the suspended game on Sunday, May 4 at 11:00 a.m. with game three of the series to follow
Cricket contributed around Rs 7,509 crore (vs. 7,074 in 2023) to the overall media adex, whilst emerging sports stood at Rs 479 crore (vs. 420 crore in 2023). “Sports media spends on the verge of crossing the $ 1 bn. mark. TV media spends on sports stayed stagnant because of lesser number of matches that India played in 2024 as against 2023,” the report said.
