Kabaddi Champions League targets 1,000 million viewers for Season 2

The Kabaddi Champions League (KCL) has set a target of more than 1,000 million viewers for its second season, a mark that would comfortably surpass the 614.3 million global viewership its organisers reported for the inaugural edition.

The ambition was laid out by KCL chairman Balwan Singh, who wants the league to grow into a property with national and international reach. Season 2 arrives with two new franchises, a freshly assembled set of squads from the auction on Saturday, 17 October, and organisers who see audience growth as the key to wider commercial interest in the competition.

Season one set a 614.3 million benchmark

According to data collected by the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) and the Zee network, the first KCL season registered a total global viewership of 614.3 million across television and OTT platforms. Organisers regarded that debut season as a major success, and the new target asks for growth of well over 60 per cent on that figure.

The league plans to widen its audience base by boosting franchise participation and creating new commercial avenues for sponsors, broadcasters and other stakeholders. The stated aim is to raise the profile of kabaddi as a whole, not just the league itself.

Balwan Singh links the target to sponsors and players

Balwan Singh framed the viewership goal as part of a broader plan for the league’s commercial future.

“Our vision is to take the Kabaddi Champions League to new heights and establish it as a strong sporting property with national and international appeal. The ambition to cross 1,000 million in viewership reach reflects our commitment to expanding kabaddi’s audience, strengthening its commercial ecosystem and creating meaningful opportunities for players, franchises and brand partners,” Balwan Singh said.

The emphasis on players and franchises matters for a league of this size. Bigger audiences give franchises a stronger case with sponsors, and that in turn shapes how much money flows into player purses at future auctions.

A Rs 5 crore auction reshaped the squads

The Season 2 auction featured a total purse of Rs 5 crore and a pool of more than 300 players, with 10 franchises bidding to build their squads. Ayan Lochab was the most expensive player, bought by newcomers Jhajjar Jaguars for Rs 17.4 lakh.

Bharat Hooda was the second-highest buy, joining Karnal Kings for Rs 16.6 lakh, while the other new franchise, Kurukshetra Knights, signed Naveen Goyat for Rs 15.2 lakh. Faridabad Fighters were among the busiest buyers at the top end, landing Rakesh Singroha for Rs 11 lakh, India’s Asian Games captain Sunil Malik for Rs 10 lakh and Yogesh Dahiya for Rs 9.2 lakh.

The rest of the top 10 buys were:

• Sumit Sangwan: Sonipat Stars, Rs 10.2 lakh
• Neeraj Narwal: Rohtak Royals, Rs 8.6 lakh
• Mohit Goyat: Sonipat Stars, Rs 8.4 lakh
• Jaideep Dahiya: Sonipat Stars, Rs 8.2 lakh

Ten franchises line up for the second edition

The arrival of Jhajjar Jaguars and Kurukshetra Knights took the league to 10 teams for Season 2. The full list is Karnal Kings, Gurugram Gurus, Kurukshetra Knights, Sonipat Stars, Faridabad Fighters, Bhiwani Bulls, Rohtak Royals, Hisar Heroes, Panipat Panthers and Jhajjar Jaguars.

With squads now settled after the auction, the franchises turn their attention to the upcoming season, where the league will find out whether a larger field and a stronger roster of recognisable names can deliver the audience its chairman is chasing. The organisers have not yet announced the opening fixture in the reporting available.