Page 357 - IMDR JOURNAL 2023-24

IMDR’s Journal of Management Development & Research 2023-24
writer in a Financial Express interview. Numerous more professional leagues are ready to take off

despite the "hardship" factor. But the fundamental question is: Will professional arm-wrestling,

Kho-Kho, Handball, and other leagues really benefit the nation? Can these be a fantastic sport to
watch? Will encouraging these sports ever bring honors to the nation? Or are these only being done

to appease the desires of a small group of people who might be able to profit from them alone in a

dubious way?
Sports leagues must consider and respect the interests of both fans and potential players if they are

to help India become a sporting nation. This cannot happen just by watching television.
Transparency and accountability must also be incorporated into the Indian sports governance

framework.
2. Major Leagues Covered

2.1 Prime Volleyball League

India's professional men's indoor volleyball league, RuPay

Prime Volleyball League backed by A23, made its debut in
February 2022. It is India’s first and only private sports league

where team owners are also stakeholders in the league. The
league features franchises from 9 cities across India. The

teams participating in the league are: The following teams:

Hyderabad Black Hawks, Kochi Blue Spikers, Kolkata Thunderbolts, Ahmedabad Defenders,
Bengaluru Torpedoes, Calicut Heroes, Chennai Blitz, Delhi Toofans, and Mumbai Meteors.

The league is co-owned & exclusively marketed by Baseline Ventures. Sony Pictures Networks
India serves as the league's official broadcaster in India and internationally the league is being

streamed on Volleyball World. The league features top volleyball players from India and across the

world. Kolkata Thunderbolts became the first champions while Ahmedabad Defenders took the
crown in the second season. With simultaneous broadcasts in English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, and

Malayalam on Sony Sports Network, the league's second season attracted 206 million cumulative
TV viewers, compared to 133 million for Season 1. The sport experienced strong social media

traction as well, with the second season of the league recording over 371 million impressions, 113.9
million views, 92 million reach, and 5 million fan engagements across multiple digital platforms.

2.2 Ultimate Kho-Kho League

In partnership with the Kho-Kho Federation of India

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