New Delhi [India], August 10 (ANI): Football viewership in India reached a milestone as total watch-time for the Premier League crossed 9.04 billion minutes across the JioStar network during the 2025/26 season. A joint study titled ‘The Beautiful Game’s Indian Decade’ conducted by JioStar and Nielsen using BARC data, highlighted a 2.4-fold expansion in combined linear television and digital reach over the last five years.
The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system, contested by 20 clubs.
According to the JioStar report, watch-time on linear television for the league stands at three times that of the UEFA Champions League, with total league followers in India hitting 144.5 million.
Viewership has increasingly shifted toward regional markets. States including Rajasthan, Bihar, Jharkhand, and Uttar Pradesh, which accounted for 12 per cent of total views five years ago, now represent nearly 25 per cent of the audience, driven by a growth rate exceeding 200 per cent.
Non-metro centers with populations over one million contribute 55 per cent of mobile and web views and 63 per cent of Connected TV viewing.
“The story of the Premier League in India today is one of integration where football has become part of the daily routine of millions of fans,” said Anup Govindan, Head of Sales, Sports at JioStar. “This report reaffirms that the audience growth is not just in scale, but in affluence, engagement and diversity and the next growth phase will be driven by young, metro, and non-metro audiences that seek experiences beyond live matches.”
Audience profiling shows high discretionary spending among viewers, with 70 per cent paying monthly credit card bills above Rs 40,000, 67 per cent holding CIBIL scores of 751 or higher, and 87 per cent holding paid subscriptions across streaming services. Viewing patterns show sustained late-night engagement, with 27 per cent of total watch-time logged between 12:00 a.m. and 3:00 a.m.. International tournaments also drive domestic club viewership, as league interest rose 58 per cent in the season following the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Premier League Chief Media Officer Paul Molnar noted that India harbors one of the competition’s fastest-growing bases.
“We are delighted to see more Indian supporters connecting with the League, our clubs and players than ever before – and how this is reflected in the amount of Premier League football they are watching,” Molnar stated. “As we look ahead to another exciting season, we remain committed to working closely with JioStar to bring fans in India closer to the Premier League and deliver the best possible viewing experience.”
“Based on a global Nielsen report, Football is India’s second-most popular sport among adults, trailing only to cricket,” stated Hemant Kewalya, India Lead for Audience Measurement at Nielsen. He noted that the study provides clarity on cross-platform media engagement to support strategic industry decision-making. (ANI)
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