Cricket Podcasts: the next big thing for Indian Cricketers?

September 23, 2023—Ravichandran Ashwin announces 'Kutti Stories with Ash', with the first episode live on his YouTube page.

With over ~7 lac views and more than 735 comments to date, it was (as expected) an instant hit. R. Ashwin and Harsha Bhogle combined to set a base for capturing the audience—the first step to building a revenue-making funnel through Cricket Podcast.

But this is not the only podcast on his YouTube page. There are, in total, 9 podcasts which he has shot to date.

Why Cricket Podcast?

Cricketers generally have a playing age till 36-37 years, albeit some (Tendulkar, Anderson and Ashwin) can stretch till 40s. But the professional life of post-playing active Cricket gives you minimal options. One is the commentary stint, which we discussed in one of the previous editions. Another is the coaching stint. Barring this, there may be other 2-3 options that use their cricketing brains.

However, one big opportunity that has not been explored much in India is the Cricket Podcast. India worships Cricket - everyone knows that. Cricket superstars are worshipped in India, especially after the extravagant Indian Premier League India has scaled the popularity of Cricket to unforeseen levels.

Using cricket popularity, trending topics and some of the smartest cricket brains to host them - this possibly has the highest chance of gaining traction.

Sports Podcast - the Numbers

There are innumerable sports podcasts available today. But talk about active (or retired) sportspersons hosting it - there are hardly a few.

Take the example of the Kelce Brothers - the National Football League (NFL) stars, namely Jason and Travis Kelce.

After their active playing days, both of them started their podcast "New Heights" to provide insider access to what it takes to play in the league. The two brothers and Super Bowl champions drop weekly insights about their games and share unique perspectives on trending NFL news and sports headlines. Plus, entertaining stories from a combined 21 years in the league, off-field interests, and engaging conversations with special guests.

Now, do you understand the connection and similarities between 'Kutti Stories with Ashwin' and 'New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce'?

What is the big picture?

While the sports podcast segment is slowly but surely growing in India, this has already picked up in other Western countries. Some of the biggest deals have happened because the media companies know what it takes to gain traction and an audience.

Let us talk about the Kelce Brothers and their podcast. After releasing their 2 very successful seasons, the media companies could see the audience engagement on their podcasts.

For comparison, let us use a time frame similar to the one we used for Ashwin. Episode no. 55, released on September 27, 2023, has a total view count of ~25 Lacs (approximately 3.5x of Kutti Stories). The game's popularity is surely one of the reasons, but this is undoubtedly an opportunity.

August 27, 2024

The Kelce Brothers signed a deal worth $100 Million (~INR 800 Cr) with Wondery - Amazon 's podcast studio. The agreement gives Wondery exclusive ad-sales and distribution rights for all audio and video episodes and includes the entire back catalogue.

That is some number for sure.

A mere speculation runs in my mind that a mind as sharp as Ashwin may have realised this opportunity, which may be encashed in the future. But I have a strong reason behind my speculation.

Finishing It Off

A rapid rise in digital media consumption and India’s unending passion for cricket - these are perfect recipes to encash the potential for cricket podcasts. If Kutti Stories with Ash continues to gain traction, it could mirror the success stories of Western sports podcasts like ‘New Heights.’ The question isn’t whether there’s an audience - it’s how well cricketers like Ashwin leverage this medium.

You never know, but we might see the next big media deal involving Indian cricketing icons. For now, the groundwork is being laid, and it’s only a matter of time before this untapped opportunity takes off.