At 12, Pro Kabaddi League finds its growth in Gen Z and women

That kabaddi is rooted in India’s hinterland is no exaggeration. Fathers and uncles recall playing it in their youth; grandfathers often competed in dusty district leagues. City dwellers, by contrast, rarely played the game and hardly ever saw a girl attempt it.

But things have changed. Twelve years have passed since Star Sports turned kabaddi into a professional national contest, the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL). Since then, the audience has broadened. “Gen Z forms a big part of the base, as the fast-paced, high-intensity nature of kabaddi really appeals to them,” says Siddharth Sharma, head of audience engagement, viewership and monetisation initiative for sports at JioStar.

It is a striking revelation, given that many young sports fans in India are hooked on the English Premier League, cricket, or even Formula 1. More surprising is Sharma’s admission about women viewers. “Women have also been a very important part of the viewership from the early seasons, with their engagement index in PKL higher than even the IPL.”

As the league matures, JioStar is trying to make the sport easier for newcomers to follow. “Commentary is tailored to explain strategies and the rules of the game clearly,” says Sharma. Add predictive graphics and in-match analysis, and the company hopes viewers will find it easier to keep up. He adds that “tournament tentpole events such as Rivalry Week or Revenge Week help new viewers keep track of season-long narratives.”

For those streaming the PKL on JioHotstar, new features aim to make the experience richer. A multi-cam option this year lets viewers switch to player dugouts on demand. Ref Cam and split-screen revival sequences simplify the action and offer fans fresh perspectives.

All these efforts tie into JioStar’s ambition “to take kabaddi from being seen as a rural pastime to being celebrated as a modern, aspirational sport,” says Sharma. World-class production, high-quality broadcast and cinematic storytelling are central to this push. Techniques such as amplified mat sounds and the Ref Cam are part of the package.

For JioStar, the PKL is central to its mission to prove that “India is not a one-sport nation.” Alongside cricket and football, “PKL helps JioStar Sports offer a wider ecosystem of sporting experiences. It not only diversifies our portfolio but also deepens our engagement with audiences across regions and demographics,” says Sharma.

Asked where he sees the PKL in three to five years, Sharma highlights two pillars. One is to build a stronger regional connect. The other is to create heroes and stories that resonate with younger audiences. Initiatives such as KBD Juniors and Super Fan programmes are examples of this effort.

The new PKL season begins today (August 29th 2025) in Vizag, with matches also scheduled in Jaipur, Chennai and Delhi. It will be streamed on JioHotstar and broadcast live on Star Sports.

Whether these efforts can push kabaddi closer to cricket’s scale is uncertain, but JioStar is betting that the league’s next 12 years will look very different from its first.