The Untapped Potential in Indian Sports Sponsorship & How We Are Bridging the Gap
Sponsorships are a goldmine in Indian sports. Not just for brands or events but for creating jobs, building stories, and fueling the ecosystem. But only if we can equip the people who want to be part of it. Sports sponsorships are exciting but also misunderstood. For many sports lovers, a job in sports sponsorship sounds like a dream, working with teams, brands, athletes, and leagues.
But it’s a strategic, execution-heavy role that demands solid business awareness, negotiation skills, performance measurement, and deep understanding of brand objectives. Yet, most young professionals entering this space aren’t taught how it really works. It’s not just about slapping a logo on a jersey or running ads during matches. Most professionals, even the passionate ones, never get the chance to experience how this works in real life.
Policy Risks & The Missing Metrics
Sponsorship in India isn’t just challenged by this gap; it’s also shaped by external risks and poor measurement. Take the recent ban on real-money online gaming: overnight, it ended Dream11’s ₹3.6 billion sponsorship deal with the BCCI, creating uncertainty for both brands and sports properties.
Equally concerning, a study published on ResearchGate found that over 70% of sponsors don’t even prioritize measuring the effectiveness of their sponsorships. Without clear frameworks to track ROI, many deals remain short-term visibility plays rather than structured, value-driven partnerships. This lack of measurement not only hurts brands but also prevents rights holders from proving their worth.
The Real Gaps We See at Kibi Sports
Having onboarded hundreds of athletes, partnered with brands across industries, and executed over 800+ brand campaigns, we keep noticing the same problem: a massive disconnect between theory and practice. Many fresh hires are familiar with marketing decks or event ideas, but they are unprepared for what modern sponsorship execution demands.
Key gaps include:
- Deal Negotiation & Closure – Structuring deliverables, aligning budgets, and driving mutual value
- Building Brand Relationships – Communicating effectively with brand managers and aligning with campaign goals
- Activation Planning – Executing ground activations and digital storytelling that genuinely engage fans
- ROI Measurement – Quantifying campaign success using real metrics like engagement, conversions, and brand lift
Simply put, most candidates know why sponsorship matters but don’t know how it works in practice.
Why the Education System Falls Short
The education ecosystem hasn’t kept pace with the industry’s needs. India has fewer than 30 full-time sports management faculty across IIMs and dedicated sports institutes.
Most students are taught by visiting lecturers or general management professors and not practitioners who’ve led sponsorship campaigns or built sports-tech startups. The result? Graduates arrive with passion but no playbook.
How We’re Bridging the Gap
In our conversation, something simple but sharp came up:
“We don’t lack opportunity in sponsorship. We lack people who know how to navigate it.”
Not talent. Not passion. But real skills. The kind that gets deals moving. That understands how brands think. That know how to communicate value in a language that converts. We’ve seen it up close. Some people know the theory but can’t translate it on a brand call. Some are full of energy but don’t know how to structure a pitch. Some are stuck because they never got the chance to actually do deals, only hear about them. This isn’t just a learning gap; it’s a visibility and exposure gap.
In collaboration with Khelaxy and Khelpreneurs, we at Kibi Sports are excited to announce our cohort: The Art & Science of Sports Sponsorship
This is a 2-month immersive program designed for students, freelancers, aspiring sports marketers, and industry professionals looking to close meaningful sponsorship deals with confidence.
What Makes It Different?
✔️ Learn from real-world live projects and direct mentorship from mentors like Sagar Rai (Founder & CEO, Kibi Sports).
✔️ 16 hands-on live sessions covering everything from fundamentals to advanced deal structures.
✔️ A paid internship where you’ll work directly on sponsorship deals using Kibi’s vast ecosystem of brands, athletes, leagues, and venues.
✔️ Build your own Sponsorship Strategy Deck under mentor guidance.
✔️ Access to masterclasses with industry leaders like brand managers and league owners.
What You’ll Learn
- Sponsorship Landscape: Trends across digital, OTT, and grassroots sports.
- Brand Strategy: Setting objectives, KPIs, and aligning with sports properties.
- Athlete & Team Deals: Talent scouting, contracts, partnerships, and negotiations.
- Venue Branding & Activations: Naming rights, signage, hospitality, CSR, and community programs.
- Digital & OTT Partnerships: Streaming rights, branded content, and modern sponsorship models.
- Pitching & ROI: Building compelling decks, pricing, negotiation, and tracking performance.
- Brand–Property Fit: Connecting the right brands with athletes, teams, or venues for maximum impact.
Key Outcomes for Participants
🔹 A practical portfolio of real proposals & campaign decks
🔹 Experience in managing sponsorship deals end-to-end
🔹 Networking with top industry professionals
🔹 Eligibility for Pre-Placement Offers (PPOs) and freelance roles
The sports sponsorship world is no longer for a select few; it’s for everyone who’s ready to learn the art and science behind it.
👉 Apply now & kickstart your journey in sports sponsorship today! https://community.khelaxy.com/course/687a71c99fa332e6d4441b73
