Archive · 1 Oct 2025
Indian Cricket's Transformation into a Financial Powerhouse
In the 1980s, cricket in India began its journey towards becoming a big business.
Sunil Gavaskar helped start the first sports management company, PMG, which led to sponsorships and TV deals.
The 1983 World Cup win and the arrival of color TV boosted interest, with VST being the first to sponsor the BCCI.
Sachin Tendulkar signed a big contract, showing how valuable cricketers were becoming.
Economic changes in 1991 allowed BCCI to discover that they had a ‘goldmine’ with the TV rights.
This included the Star TV network broadcasting matches live and with expert commentary, further increasing cricket's reach and commercial value.
Sunil Gavaskar co-founded PMG, India's first sports event and sponsorship company.
The first major sports sponsorship deal was between VST and BCCI in 1983.
Sachin Tendulkar signed a large contract with WorldTel in 1995.
The liberalization of the Indian economy in 1991 was a major turning point.
The BCCI realized the value of TV rights, marking cricket as a 'goldmine'.
- Who
- Sunil Gavaskar, Sachin Tendulkar, BCCI
- What
- The commercialization and professionalization of Indian cricket.
- When
- From 1980s to early 1990s
- Where
- India
- Why
- Economic liberalization, professional management, and the advent of television.
- First Sports Sponsorship in India
- VST with BCCI in 1983
- First Sports Event Management Company
- Professional Management Group (PMG) in 1985
- Sachin Tendulkar's 1995 Contract
- ₹31.5 crore for 5 years
- 1991 Economic Liberalization
- Catalyst for change
- BCCI's TV Rights Discovery
- Realized Cricket was a Goldmine
- First Live Cricket TV Broadcast
- Star TV Network, 1992-93