As cricket fandom expands beyond the live broadcast, social media platforms are becoming a parallel arena where fans discuss, react to and share content around matches for India’s 500 million fans.
Even as live rights remain concentrated with broadcasters and streaming platforms such as JioStar, digital platforms are increasingly capturing the conversation around the sport both alongside and beyond the live match.
Platforms such as YouTube and Snapchat are positioning themselves as arenas where fans watch highlights, follow creators and react to match moments during and after live games. The shift is opening new opportunities for brands as live cricket advertising becomes increasingly expensive.
The trend is particularly visible during the Indian Premier League (IPL) season, when highlights, memes, creator commentary and fan reactions proliferate across social platforms alongside the live broadcast. The IPL 2025 reached close to a billion viewers across television and digital platforms.
The rising cost of live cricket advertising also reflects the scale of spending around the sport. According to WPP Media, sports media spending rose 7% to Rs 7,989 crore in 2024. TV still commanded the largest share at Rs 4,396 crore, though revenues declined 5%. Digital spending, however, jumped 25% to Rs 3,588 crore. Cricket accounted for 94% of total media spends, with emerging sports making up the rest.
Rising smartphone and internet penetration means digital behaviour is now intertwined with sports viewing. Research commissioned by Google and conducted by Kantar in 2024 shows nearly 90% of fans use another screen while watching live sport. India has about 500 million cricket fans, according to TGI–ICUBE 2023-24.
Cricket-related digital video consumption has surged sharply in recent years. Total cricket video views on YouTube globally jumped from about 50 billion in mid-2024 to roughly 190 billion in 2025, reflecting the growing appetite for highlights, analysis and fan-led content.
According to YouTube, engagement around major cricket moments extends well beyond official clips. While highlights of India’s 2025 ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup win generated about 14 million views on the official clip, fan celebrations, behind-the-scenes footage and reaction videos together produced nearly 20 times more views across thousands of videos.
“The centre of gravity for cricket fandom has shifted in India. We have reached a milestone where 60% of cricket consumption is happening in non-live formats, proving that the digital ecosystem is where the sport’s scale meets deep, daily engagement," said Gunjan Soni, Managing Director, India, YouTube.
She added that beyond the match itself, commentary, analysis and fan reactions around the sport increasingly play out on YouTube.
While much of cricket viewing now happens in non-live formats such as highlights and creator commentary, real-time conversation during live matches continues to drive significant engagement on social platforms.
Messaging and conversation are also emerging as a key layer of digital fandom.
Snapchat, which has about 250 million users in India, largely in the 13-34 age group, has introduced a “Cricket in a Snap” initiative to help brands tap into younger fans discussing the sport in real time.
According to the platform, 55% of Snapchatters watch cricket live on TV and 54% via streaming, while more than 90% use a second screen during matches.
“Gen Z now makes up the largest population cohort in India. Research shows that about 85% of Gen Z actively follow cricket or cricket leagues,” said Yagnesh Ravi, Ad Solutions Lead, Snap Inc India.
Ravi said second-screen behaviour is often misunderstood, with about 80% of Snapchat users messaging friends and family while watching live matches. Gen Z drives $860 billion in collective consumer spending, according to a Snap Inc and Boston Consulting Group report titled "The $2 Trillion Opportunity: How Gen Z is Shaping the New India".
“The typical scenario is someone watching the game while using their phone at the same time. Instead of scrolling endlessly, they are chatting with others about what is happening in the match. It becomes a shared, real-time conversation,” he said.
He also said Snapchat acts as a parallel screen, complementing the viewing experience by adding real-time conversation and shared emotions around the game.
For brands, this evolving behaviour is opening new ways to reach cricket audiences beyond expensive broadcast slots.
The surge in online cricket discussion has fuelled a growing ecosystem of cricket-focused YouTube creators often referred to as “Crictubers”.
Shubha Pai, Head of Sales, YouTube India, said digital platforms allow brands to participate in the wider conversation around the sport rather than relying only on advertisements during live matches.
"For brands, this ecosystem moves beyond blink-and-you-miss-it broadcast spots to drive measurable action. To capture this, brands should marry the snackable reach of YouTube Shorts with high-impact storytelling on the big screen. By co-creating through Creator Partnership Ads and IPs, brands become an integrated part of the conversation, leveraging the trust of Crictubers to turn cultural momentum into business growth," she added.
Even as live rights remain concentrated with broadcasters and streaming platforms such as JioStar, digital platforms are increasingly capturing the conversation around the sport both alongside and beyond the live match.
Platforms such as YouTube and Snapchat are positioning themselves as arenas where fans watch highlights, follow creators and react to match moments during and after live games. The shift is opening new opportunities for brands as live cricket advertising becomes increasingly expensive.
The trend is particularly visible during the Indian Premier League (IPL) season, when highlights, memes, creator commentary and fan reactions proliferate across social platforms alongside the live broadcast. The IPL 2025 reached close to a billion viewers across television and digital platforms.
The rising cost of live cricket advertising also reflects the scale of spending around the sport. According to WPP Media, sports media spending rose 7% to Rs 7,989 crore in 2024. TV still commanded the largest share at Rs 4,396 crore, though revenues declined 5%. Digital spending, however, jumped 25% to Rs 3,588 crore. Cricket accounted for 94% of total media spends, with emerging sports making up the rest.
Rising smartphone and internet penetration means digital behaviour is now intertwined with sports viewing. Research commissioned by Google and conducted by Kantar in 2024 shows nearly 90% of fans use another screen while watching live sport. India has about 500 million cricket fans, according to TGI–ICUBE 2023-24.
Cricket-related digital video consumption has surged sharply in recent years. Total cricket video views on YouTube globally jumped from about 50 billion in mid-2024 to roughly 190 billion in 2025, reflecting the growing appetite for highlights, analysis and fan-led content.
According to YouTube, engagement around major cricket moments extends well beyond official clips. While highlights of India’s 2025 ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup win generated about 14 million views on the official clip, fan celebrations, behind-the-scenes footage and reaction videos together produced nearly 20 times more views across thousands of videos.
“The centre of gravity for cricket fandom has shifted in India. We have reached a milestone where 60% of cricket consumption is happening in non-live formats, proving that the digital ecosystem is where the sport’s scale meets deep, daily engagement," said Gunjan Soni, Managing Director, India, YouTube.
She added that beyond the match itself, commentary, analysis and fan reactions around the sport increasingly play out on YouTube.
While much of cricket viewing now happens in non-live formats such as highlights and creator commentary, real-time conversation during live matches continues to drive significant engagement on social platforms.
Messaging and conversation are also emerging as a key layer of digital fandom.
Snapchat, which has about 250 million users in India, largely in the 13-34 age group, has introduced a “Cricket in a Snap” initiative to help brands tap into younger fans discussing the sport in real time.
According to the platform, 55% of Snapchatters watch cricket live on TV and 54% via streaming, while more than 90% use a second screen during matches.
“Gen Z now makes up the largest population cohort in India. Research shows that about 85% of Gen Z actively follow cricket or cricket leagues,” said Yagnesh Ravi, Ad Solutions Lead, Snap Inc India.
Ravi said second-screen behaviour is often misunderstood, with about 80% of Snapchat users messaging friends and family while watching live matches. Gen Z drives $860 billion in collective consumer spending, according to a Snap Inc and Boston Consulting Group report titled "The $2 Trillion Opportunity: How Gen Z is Shaping the New India".
“The typical scenario is someone watching the game while using their phone at the same time. Instead of scrolling endlessly, they are chatting with others about what is happening in the match. It becomes a shared, real-time conversation,” he said.
He also said Snapchat acts as a parallel screen, complementing the viewing experience by adding real-time conversation and shared emotions around the game.
For brands, this evolving behaviour is opening new ways to reach cricket audiences beyond expensive broadcast slots.
The surge in online cricket discussion has fuelled a growing ecosystem of cricket-focused YouTube creators often referred to as “Crictubers”.
Shubha Pai, Head of Sales, YouTube India, said digital platforms allow brands to participate in the wider conversation around the sport rather than relying only on advertisements during live matches.
"For brands, this ecosystem moves beyond blink-and-you-miss-it broadcast spots to drive measurable action. To capture this, brands should marry the snackable reach of YouTube Shorts with high-impact storytelling on the big screen. By co-creating through Creator Partnership Ads and IPs, brands become an integrated part of the conversation, leveraging the trust of Crictubers to turn cultural momentum into business growth," she added.
