In an exclusive interaction with MediaBrief, Anup Govindan, Head, Sports Sales, JioStar, speaks about how India’s World Cup win has accelerated momentum for women’s cricket, reshaped brand perceptions, expanded the advertiser base for WPL 2026, and boosted viewership. He also outlines how franchises and broadcasters are capitalising on this surge and why 2026 may mark a defining commercial tipping point.
India’s Women’s World Cup victory has triggered national celebration, and the commercial effects are just as significant, especially for the Women’s Premier League (WPL). On how the win has reshaped the marketplace, Anup Govindan, Head, Sports Sales, JioStar explains that the excitement has translated into real structural shifts for WPL 2026. “In recent years, the conversation around women’s cricket has evolved significantly with the advent of WPL. For us at JioStar, the WPL represents one of the biggest opportunities in the sporting ecosystem today, not just as a commercial platform, but as a powerful catalyst for cultural change,” he says.
He adds that the World Cup has accelerated this curve. “The recent Women’s Cricket World Cup in India has significantly accelerated this shift, with women cricketers gaining acceptance as mainstream brand ambassadors, with brands increasingly recognizing their appeal and influence. Advertisers now view women’s cricket as a high-impact property with demonstrable ROI.”’
This shift is visible in market behaviour, “We are seeing earlier commitments, larger outlays, and a clear willingness to build multi-event partnerships,” says Govindan. “The conversations have shifted from tactical buys to strategic associations, which is a strong indicator of structural change. Brands today want to build with the WPL, not just ride the wave. We are seeing high intent across categories like BFSI, FMCG, Auto, etc. for the upcoming edition.”
Women’s Premiere League (WPL) 2026 is not just a post-victory spike, but a catalyst for enduring growth, and Brands today want to build with the WPL, not just ride the wave.
This momentum, Govindan says, validates a long-held conviction: “The momentum we have seen through both the WPL and the ICC Women’s World Cup has validated what we have believed from the start, that women’s cricket is not a niche vertical; it is one of the most consequential growth avenues in Indian sport.”
How 2026 could redefine women’s sports in India
Many believe 2026 could be a breakthrough year for women’s sports in India–commercially, culturally, and in fan engagement. Govindan agrees, he says, “We are committed to shaping the ecosystem, elevating visibility, and ensuring women’s sports gets the scale and stature it deserves. 2026 has all the ingredients of a true inflection point for women’s sports.
He continues, “When you combine the national pride of a World Cup victory with rising franchise affinity in WPL, packed stadiums, and cross-platform reach, you create a perfect foundation for accelerated growth. Advertiser confidence is at an all-time high and categories that were once cautious now see WPL as a high-value, scalable opportunity.”
Also read: Exclusive | Game changers – Inside the commercial and cultural impact of India’s women’s World Cup win
Advertisers now see women’s cricket as a scaled, ROI-driven platform
On whether women’s cricket is still viewed as nascent, Govindan says, “Women’s cricket has evolved into a powerful, scaled platform, with the WPL playing a central role in driving both reach and relevance. Since the inception of TATA WPL, JioStar has scaled the tournament to incredible heights and the World Cup win has only accelerated that momentum.”
Govindan says that the recognition is now widespread: “Women’s cricket has been recognized as mainstream property among advertisers for some time now and the confidence has only grown across the board – from reach to brand impact to the belief that investments in women’s cricket can drive tangible ROI.”
Record-breaking engagement signals deeper fan intent
Early data from 2025’s marquee events further strengthens this belief. Govindan says, “Both the marquee women’s cricket events in 2025 — the WPL and Women’s Cricket World Cup broke all previous viewership records across TV and Digital. The Women’s World Cup Final was the most watched and most consumed women’s cricket match of all time.
He continues, “Both tournaments reached 300+ million viewers respectively across screens. Viewer enthusiasm is at an all-time high and with WPL 2026 following so closely after the World Cup, we are seeing clear tailwinds that point to higher intent, deeper engagement and sustained growth in viewership.”
New categories coming to WPL
“The advertiser mix for WPL is expanding meaningfully,” says Govindan. “Traditional categories -like FMCG, beverages, consumer tech remain strong, but we are also seeing early interest from BFSI, fintech & payments, auto (including EV), beauty & personal care, fashion & D2C lifestyle, travel and hospitality. Many of these sectors now see WPL as a property that delivers both scale and a progressive brand halo.”
The OTT growth story is equally compelling, with new fan cohorts entering the fold. Elaborating on this shift, Govindan says, “Women’s cricket on OTT has broken through in a big way with the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025. The tournament emerged as the biggest women’s cricket event ever, delivering an 8X jump in live engagement vs. 2024 – clear proof of mass adoption.”
This expansion, Govindan explains, is demographic as well as geographic: “We are seeing viewership surge across mobile-first audiences as well as on shared, living-room screens, indicating stronger participation from families and older cohorts. The audience is no longer niche – we see new fan segments emerging in females, GenZs and audiences from Tier-2/3 markets.”
Set for a storytelling reset
Speaking about how broadcasters and franchises are planning on leveraging this momentum from India’s win in their marketing narratives, Govindan says,
“At JioStar, we have been deeply committed to elevating women’s sports long before it became a mass conversation, and the WPL and Women’s World Cup only validate that long-term vision.”
The current environment, he explains, is ideal for a storytelling reset. “The recent Women’s World Cup has ignited an unprecedented wave of reach, attention, and fan fervour and has opened a powerful storytelling window, one that celebrates performance, inspires aspiration, and reinforces women’s cricket as a mainstream cultural force. The visibility of international women players who performed during the World Cup has enhanced familiarity among fans driving stronger recall and engagement.”
Govindan adds, “Advertisers who were previously hesitant have moved swiftly to capitalize on the phenomenon, eager to tap into the women’s cricket narrative and high-impact visibility.”
The auction results, Govindan says, underscore this shift, adding, “The momentum was also echoed in the 2026 WPL auction, where standout World Cup performers like Deepti Sharma and Amelia Kerr garnered record-breaking bids, a resounding testament to the market’s confidence in women athletes as long-term brand assets.”
He continues, “New partners such as ChatGPT and Kingfisher Packaged Drinking Water further demonstrates the widening sponsor ecosystem and the premium positioning the WPL now commands.
“The visibility of international women players who performed during the World Cup has enhanced familiarity among fans. This growing recognition is driving stronger recall and engagement,” Govindan adds.
Monetisation grows across innovations, regions, and fan-tech
With the sport’s reach and popularity rising, the monetisation avenues are expanding rapidly too, outlining the opportunities emerging across platforms, Govindan says, “The rapid growth across both linear TV and digital platforms is unlocking significant new avenues for monetisation. At JioStar, we are leading this transformation by building innovative, future-ready advertising solutions that tap into the full potential of women’s cricket. Our expanding suite of ad innovations, branded content formats and fan-engagement ideas offers advertisers fresh, differentiated ways to integrate with the sport and create high-impact associations.”
He adds that emerging markets are opening up further growth. “At the same time, the strong adoption across Tier-2 and Tier-3 markets has opened up meaningful opportunities in regional commentary, and regional content formats. These emerging touchpoints provide advertisers with compelling ways to reach new audiences, drive relevance, and build deeper regional penetration making women’s cricket one of the most versatile and scalable media properties today.”
Growth catalyst
On whether this momentum is a surge or a structural recalibration. Govindan expresses confidence in the long-term arc. “JioStar’s long-term commitment to women’s cricket; from the WPL to the World Cup has helped build a strong foundation. With growing advertiser confidence, expanding audiences, and structural shifts in how women’s cricket is perceived, we believe WPL 2026 is not just a post-victory spike, but a catalyst for enduring growth in both viewership and commercial partnerships.”
So the heightened advertiser interest in the Women’s Premiere League (WPL) 2026 is not just a post-World-Cup-victory spike, but apparently a catalyst for enduring growth, because, as Govindan says, brands today want to build with the WPL, not just ride the wave.
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