The Prime Volleyball League (PVL) has witnessed significant financial and commercial momentum in the ongoing season, helping it cement its status as a premier non-cricket sporting league in India. The league’s strategic focus on digital distribution, inclusivity, and sponsor value has propelled its growth.
The PVL’s decision to partner with YouTube as its exclusive global OTT partner for Season 4 has resulted in an unprecedented digital growth. "This has been the first year when we've actually tied up with Google at a global level where YouTube is an exclusive OTT partner, and what we have seen is the results have been tremendous," said Tuhin Mishra, MD and Co-Founder of Baseline Venture, in an exclusive interaction with Moneycontrol. Baseline are looking after the marketing and promotion of the tournament.
"We've already surpassed the whole season's viewership that we had got in the previous season already in the first four days on YouTube, and that's been an amazing development. We've got almost close to around 25 million views on YouTube alone in the first four days."
This massive viewership is attracting a desirable demographic, with a notable concentration in the 20 to 35 age group, and demonstrates significant gender balance. "Volleyball is a very inclusive sport and we are seeing a great mix of male and female viewership as well," Mishra added.
The league’s expanding reach has translated directly into a robust and returning sponsorship base. For Season 4, the PVL secured approximately 12 main sponsors, including title sponsor RR Kabel and powered by sponsor Skapia, along with a host of other partners like Amul and Bank of Baroda.
The league's value proposition for sponsors is centred on a strong Return on Investment (ROI) derived from cross-platform exposure across television and digital. Mishra highlighted that sponsors who have returned repeatedly, like Costco (since Season 1), believe "the value for money that they get and the ROI for the investment is probably one of the best that they get in this league."
This value comes from exposure not only on the ground but also on-air through their principal television partner, Sony Sports Network, and now globally via YouTube. "It is almost a paisa vasool kind of an association for the sponsors who come on board," he concluded.
The PVL continues to expand its competitive structure, recently adding its tenth franchise, the Goa Guardians. The team's principal owner is Mr Raju Chakuri, founder of a cybersecurity company, who has partnered with one of India's prominent cricketers, KL Rahul.
PVL CEO Joy Bhattacharjya emphasised the crucial role of such high-profile associations in overcoming the dominance of cricket. "The question is always how do we get across to enough people for them to actually want to come and watch the sport," he stated. "I think that's where people like a KL Rahul does a great job because cricket has a far wider reach and if him being there can convince people that wow this is interesting... I think there's a chance of really converting them."
Bhattacharjya stressed the core strengths of the sport itself, calling volleyball an "Olympic sport" that is "a very good-looking sport in the sense of how it's played in terms of the kind of action. It's like aerial combat." He believes that by consistently increasing awareness, the PVL has a "real chance of doing something with volleyball" and capitalising on the huge opportunity for non-cricket sports in India.
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