A brand revolution: Women cricketers to lead India’s next big endorsement wave

The Indian women’s cricket team’s historic World Cup triumph has triggered a seismic shift in India’s sports marketing landscape, with brands and advertisers scrambling to associate themselves with the new champions.“The most immediate and tangible impact of this victory is expected from advertisers,” said Vinit Karnik, Managing Director - Content, Entertainment and Sports, WPP Media South Asia. “Marketers will now aggressively look to sign up our women cricketers as brand endorsers.”

“For too long, endorsement deals for female athletes were token gestures — reserved for a few individual stars and often priced at a fraction of their male counterparts.

This is now history,” he added.

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According to Sporting Nation: Building a Legacy (2024 edition), only 5% of India’s total athlete endorsement pie came from female athletes and cricketers. Karnik believes the 2025 World Cup victory will dramatically change that equation.“With this win, that number is expected to get a significant boost. The 2025 edition’s data should tell a vastly different story,” he said.“The financial windfall is not limited to the winning team — the victory acts as a massive proof of concept for investment in women’s sports infrastructure and professional leagues across the board.”

Karnik credited the BCCI’s groundwork over the past few years, including the introduction of equal match fees for men and women, the expansion of central contracts, and the launch of the Women’s Premier League (WPL), as the structural foundation for this moment.“The World Cup win is the catalytic event,” he noted. “The success of the WPL — with fans thronging stadiums and record franchise bids — demonstrated a sustainable domestic ecosystem. Now, with this World Cup win, the movement has truly arrived.”