GroupM ESP, the entertainment, e-sports and sports division of GroupM India, says in a sports sponsorship report that Indian sports in 2020 is an estimated ₹5,894-crore industry. This report takes into consideration sponsorship spends, celebrity endorsement and media spends on sports properties. Ad spends on TV, digital and print media accounted for 62 per cent of total spends while on-ground sponsorships, team sponsorships and franchise fee made up 28 per cent. Of the 377 endorsement deals last year, 275 involved cricketers. The year also saw female athletes pulling in brands. The absence of live sports due to the pandemic, led to a shift towards gaming — an 11 per cent rise in users per week in April 2020. Is India becoming a virtual sporting nation?

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