Mint Explainer | Why new-age sports padel and pickleball are turning into a magnet for consumer brands

Zomato’s parent company, Eternal Ltd, book courts and grass pitches for premium sports through its Zone vertical, months after its rival Swiggy became a brand Co-owner of Mumbai team In the World Pickleball League, it is becoming one of the fastest growing recreational sports worldwide. In November, ITC Foods entered into a five-year agreement partnership He is with the All India Pickleball Association to promote the sport in India.

From fitness companies supporting community leagues to start-ups sponsoring niche tournaments, there’s a shift in companies’ efforts to reach younger, lifestyle-focused users. Mint explains why these partnerships are increasing and what companies should consider when turning to sports as a strategic marketing channel.

Why are sports partnerships important?

Sport offers emotional intensity, cultural appeal and established communities; all of which make them powerful tools for engagement.

“Sports is the new Bollywood in the marketing world,” said Ankur Bisen, a senior partner at market intelligence firm The Knowledge Company. “Sports brings together not only spectators but also participants, giving brands multiple points to take action.”

In India, this appeal is now strengthened by the rise of recreation formats such as padel and pickleball that are easy to learn, social in nature, and rapidly creating urban micro-communities.

One of the key factors in recent years has been the emergence of world-class sports ecosystems. Up-and-coming sports such as pickleball, padel and tecball not only mark a shift in India’s recreational sports culture but also present a significant opportunity in the fitness and entertainment market, opening the door to new investments and infrastructure development across the country.

of the country pickle market It alone is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 26% from 2024 to 2029, according to market research firm Bonafide Research. Pickleball, one of the world’s fastest-growing sports, has attracted more than 5 million players in 84 countries, with 40% of participants being women.

There has been a 275% increase in the number of active gamers in India in the last three years, and participation is expected to exceed 1 million by 2028. By late 2024, it was estimated that there were 1,000 pickleball courts in India and 10,000 players competing at the professional level.

Increasing sports fandom, athletes’ increased social media reach, as well as increased interest in niche role models, have led companies to enlist athletes as brand ambassadors. Support for athletes in India touched us ₹1,224 crore in 2024, thanks to support for emerging sports such as cricket and the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, according to a report by global marketing firm GroupM (part of WPP).

Retail digitization platform KiranaPro has brought on board Indian badminton icon PV Sindhu as an ambassador and strategic investor in 2024.

How do companies benefit from engaging with sports?

In addition to increasing loyalty and repeat interactions, these partnerships help restructure a company’s marketing strategy and shift it from traditional advertising to people-driven marketing, according to The Knowledge Company’s Bisen.

Premium and new generation sports, which are popular among young users, provide sharper reach on digital channels due to the sharper target audience. Although partnerships represent only a small portion of a company’s overall revenue mix, they have longer-term benefits such as better brand recall.

But success depends on thoughtful application. The first challenge is clarity of return on investment. Sports partnerships create excitement, but companies need to translate this into tangible results such as increased app effectiveness, higher retention, deeper loyalty or improved brand perception.

“Without clear metrics, there is a risk that spending becomes vanity-oriented,” Bisen said.