Sponsorship Stories: How Brands Are Using Pro Kabaddi to Reach New Audiences

The Pro Kabaddi League has changed Indian sports and entertainment. Once a rural game, it has become a high-energy sport with millions of fans in India since its introduction in 2014. PKL gives brands a way to reach urban young people as well as rural areas. Fans watch the matches and also keep an eye on the Kabaddi odds on platforms like Stake.com—another way for brands to engage with them.

The league's mix of tradition and modernity has drawn sponsors eager to reach the league's growing fanbase. Brands use PKL to showcase campaigns, build customer relationships, and position themselves in an increasingly competitive market. Let’s understand how sponsorships in PKL are opening up new audiences for brands, including creative marketing strategies, real-world success stories, and the impact on consumer engagement and brand recognition.

Impact of Pro Kabaddi Sponsorship on Brand Visibility

Pro Kabaddi has quickly become one of India's most popular sports leagues, with millions of fans enjoying high-energy matches. It has grown rapidly since the start of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) in 2014. Reports say kabaddi interest has increased by 14% every year since 2015 and PKL viewership by 33%—the second-most-watched sports league in India after the cricket match.

A modern and exciting presentation that has attracted a younger, urban audience has helped the league succeed. About seven out of 10 viewers are under 40, and around 65% come from premium households. This has made kabaddi more appealing to brands targeting younger, aspirational audiences.

PKL also boasts a majority-male fanbase, giving brands an extra chance to reach this set. By creating campaigns relevant to their interests, brands have helped the league grow even more. Today, PKL is more than just sports: It's an excellent medium for entertainment and marketing.

How Brands Use Pro Kabaddi for Marketing?

Indian brands target sports enthusiasts through the Kabaddi League PKL. Profiting from the league's popularity and dedicated fans, companies use new ways to advertise and engage. How brands are using PKL to drive impactful marketing:

Advertising Opportunities

Pro Kabaddi League offers brands advertising opportunities with a large audience. Brands can target segments with television commercials, digital ads, stadium signage, and social media campaigns. This variety means that brands reach fans wherever they are - on TV, online, or at the matches. Besides, companies can sponsor teams or the league as a whole. This includes extensive logo placements on jerseys and merchandise for matches and events. 

Some brands also do integrated promotions - collaborating with teams or players to develop campaigns based on their popularity. For example, Roff has branded match highlights and key moments to tie in with the sport.

Targeting a Passionate Audience

It is a diverse and engaged platform for brands looking to build brand awareness and loyalty because Pro Kabaddi has a diverse fan base. The audience is broad but also passionate about the sport, with many following the league season after season. This kind of brand engagement in sports allows brands to engage potential customers directly. Broad television and digital coverage also ensure brand messages reach a wide demographic. PKL's reach in urban centers or rural areas opens up new markets for brands to target previously untapped regions.

Innovative Campaigns

For marketing, brands create campaigns around kabaddi themes like strength, teamwork, and resilience. For example, Star Sports, in its "Le Panga" campaign, pitched kabaddi as a fun, modern sport with humor and celebrity endorsements for a younger audience. These creative strategies promote the league and help brands reach emotional chords with fans. PKL has received celebrity endorsements. 

Famous faces, including Amitabh Bachchan and Salman Khan, have starred in promotional campaigns to introduce the league to new audiences that may not initially be fans of the sport. These endorsements make the brand more connected to the league and increase its visibility.

Enhanced Fan Engagement

Brands use Pro Kabaddi to engage fans more effectively than typical marketing techniques. So they organize contests, quizzes, and challenges related to the sport. Such interactive experiences increase fan interest and the sharing of social experiences. Fans - especially younger viewers - participate in these campaigns to help brand visibility because they spread the word in their networks. 

Brands also encourage a passion for the sport by providing behind-the-scenes content such as player interviews, team strategies, and training sessions. These exclusive clips build fan trust, affinity, and loyalty. Fans sharing and engaging with that content across social media further engage brands.

Utilizing Digital Platforms

Since digital platforms are now the central medium of media consumption, brands increasingly include their brand marketing in social media campaigns. With the Pro Kabaddi League's massive social media following, brands can reach Kabaddi enthusiasts where they spend most of their time—online. Fan-made memes, infographics, highlights, and short clips become viral and help brands get seen. 

Live streaming sponsorships are another trending topic, with digital viewership on the rise. Sponsoring live streams on sites like Disney + Hotstar allows brands to reach audiences who prefer PKL online over TV. This digital presence builds brand recognition, especially among social media-active young people.

Experiential Marketing

Brands participating in Pro Kabaddi have found experiential marketing a successful strategy. In fan zones at match venues, brands create experiences where fans can play games, interact with interactive displays, and win merchandise. These are activities that entertain while creating memorable brand experiences. 

Brands also run match-day promotions such as giveaways, contests, and challenges on match days to encourage fan participation and excitement at the live event. Those promotional activities keep brands in fans' minds and make their product synonymous with Pro Kabaddi.

Strategic Partnerships

Getting involved with influencers, sports figures, and sometimes the teams themselves can help a brand out there. Partnerships with established Kabaddi influencers connect brands with engaged and trusted community members. These influencers promote products or services in ways that fans find relatable. 

Other brands partner with specific teams and offer co-branded merchandise or promotions. Limited edition products with team logos or colors create exclusive offerings for fans and build customer loyalty.

Data-Driven Marketing

Brands using Pro Kabaddi for marketing can use data analytics to their advantage. Viewer data from PKL broadcasts gives brands insight into audience demographics, interests, and behavior. This data helps brands optimize their marketing to reach the right consumer segments better. 

For example, brands can adjust messaging for urban or rural viewers or tailor promotions for younger or older demographics. Feedback mechanisms like surveys or social media polls also help brands measure how audiences respond to and adjust for future campaigns. This data-driven approach keeps brands relevant to the preferences of PKL fans.

Sponsorship Benefits for Brands in Pro Kabaddi

Brands that sponsor the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) get many benefits, including increased exposure, direct exposure to a targeted market, and longer-term engagement. And here's how brands benefit from PKL sponsorship:

Increased Brand Visibility

The most important benefit for brands through PKL sponsorship is increased exposure. Sponsors across India see the matches on national television and digital platforms. Brands are displayed on team jerseys, stadium signage, and live broadcasts. PKL's reach from urban centers to rural areas allows sponsors to expand their market presence and brand recall.

Targeted Audience Engagement

Pro Kabaddi has a unique fan base that brands can easily target. The league draws primarily young male viewers; nearly one in four are under 40. This demographic is very attractive to brands that target youth, ranging from sportswear to tech gadgets. The vast viewership in rural and urban India also lets sponsors create customized brand marketing strategies to target different segments and convert viewers into customers.

Exclusive Content and Experiences.

Brands sponsoring PKL can offer fan content, interviews, and behind-the-scenes training sessions. Unique content for fans allows the brand to feel more personal to them - like they are a part of the action. Sponsoring live events or fan zones during matches will also enable brands to create immersive experiences where fans can interact with the brand more personally, thereby creating positive brand associations and loyalty.

Long-Term Brand Loyalty

Brands can build loyalty with PKL fans through consistent exposure across multiple platforms and engaging marketing strategies. Fan interactions with brands at PKL events are more likely to lead to a lasting relationship. Eventually, this loyalty can drive continued customer base growth and added lifetime value.

Successful Brand Campaigns in the Pro Kabaddi 

Many brands have executed creative campaigns using the Pro Kabaddi sensation to create memorable consumer engagements. Below are some of the best brand campaigns that are reaching new audiences through Pro Kabaddi:

1. Le Panga Campaign by Star Sports

The Star Sports' Le Panga campaign is among the most memorable marketing campaigns of PKL. Initially launched in Season 1 under the slogan "Life is Kabaddi," the campaign launched teaser videos showing the sport's physicality without revealing its name. This caused some suspense and anticipation.

The campaign evolved over subsequent seasons, with Bollywood megastars Amitabh Bachchan and Salman Khan supporting it. The slogan "Le Panga - accept challenges" made kabaddi relatable to the audience. The campaign's humorous tone and dramatic moments positioned kabaddi as an exciting sport, helping it gain popularity among fans outside of traditional kabaddi enthusiasts.

2. Title Sponsorship and Brand Integration with Vivo

As Vivo's sponsor, the league has injected its brand in several ways. One such strategy involved Vivo experimenting with innovative broadcast integrations such as advertising on jumbotrons during crucial match moments. This allowed for continued brand exposure while keeping the game running.

Vivo added "King Seats," where select fans could watch the game from premium seats while participating in on-screen promotions. These engaging, interactive fan experiences also increased viewer engagement, brand recall, and visibility throughout the season.

3. Thums Up's Toofani Super Raids

Thums Up, a leading soft drink brand, used its sponsorship to rebrand powerful in-game moments as "Toofani Super Raids." By linking its brand to high-energy moments like super raids, the game tied its brand to the action of the game.

This branding strategy was reflected in broadcast graphics, commentary, and on-ground promotions, which helped Thums Up become more visible and relatable to fans. Integration into key game moments kept the brand in mind throughout the season.

4. Pidilite's Roff Collaboration

With the help of Pidilite Industries' tile adhesive brand Roff, PKL capitalized on themes of strength and durability. The campaign featured placements of Roff's branding on LED perimeter boards and at key moments, including award ceremonies and post-match presentations.

The campaign also used the tagline "Magar ki Jakad" in commentary at key game events to further associate Roff with kabaddi's competitive, high-energy nature. This helped Pidilite connect with viewers as the product was based on the sports themes of resilience and power.

5. Gillette: Targeting Male Audiences

Gillette used its PKL sponsorship for campaigns targeting young men. Their “Break the Beard” campaign used kabaddi excitement to promote grooming products like razors. Gillette reached its market and increased brand recognition by connecting the brand with fast-paced, thrilling matches and well-known players.

6. Honda's Product Launches

Honda launched its new X-Blade motorcycle at the Pro Kabaddi League. The brand promoted the product at pre-game shows, incorporating the launch with the kabaddi season anthem.

The brand's choice to promote its motorcycle alongside a high-energy sporting event like PKL reached a kabaddi- and motorcycle-cultured audience well. On-ground and TV visibility gave Honda more exposure and drew interest from potential buyers.

7. Dream11's Fantasy League Engagement

Fantasy sports platform Dream11 promoted its platform during PKL broadcasts to capitalize on the popularity of fantasy gaming. Dream11 also encouraged fan-created fantasy teams with kabaddi players.

Integrating fantasy gaming into live viewing helped Dream11 reach a younger demographic interested in sports and gaming. Such sports marketing in India helped fans connect with the league and increase engagement on the platform.

Conclusion

Pro Kabaddi League gives brands a unique and impactful platform to reach diverse audiences through campaigns and partnerships. A brand that aligns with the league's popularity can boost visibility, create loyalty, and reach urban and rural markets. Targeted marketing, interactive fan experiences, and digital integration allow long-term brand growth and deeper connections with consumers. The rise of Pro Kabaddi League as a mainstream sporting event highlights its potential as a marketing tool for brands looking to make an impression in India's competitive market.