India's Next 50 Million Football Fans Are Already Here. The Premier League Just Needs to Find Them

💌 Welcome to Game Plan India by The Fan Pulse

Game Plan India is a limited edition series of Fan Engagement topics, which are my commentary and opinions on how International Sports Rights Holders must approach fans in India. The articles are my reflections on how the market has evolved after 8 years of working with Chelsea FC, Arsenal FC, Manchester United, Real Madrid, Sevilla, MLB, and more, with their fan engagement in India.

PREMIER LEAGUE IN INDIA

Look, India isn't some sleeping football market waiting to wake up — it's already wide awake, scrolling through Reels at 2 AM, arguing about Haaland vs. Salah in WhatsApp groups, and secretly wearing Arsenal jerseys under their cricket ones. The fans are here—the passion's brewing. The Premier League needs to meet them where they actually are.

INTRODUCTION

Here's the thing: India has the biggest potential football audience on the planet just sitting there, ready to go. But here's what won't work anymore: fancy broadcast deals, a few highlight clips on Instagram, or setting up fan parks in Mumbai and calling it a day.

The real magic? It's in the partnerships. India already has these massive networks of trust. Creators who get millions of views, rappers whose songs become anthems, OTT platforms everyone's already using, fantasy apps people are addicted to. The Premier League needs to plug into what's already working, not try to build something new from scratch.

So here are 14 partnership ideas that could genuinely convert casual "yeah, I've heard of the Premier League" viewers into proper, committed fans. Because in India, you don't just buy fans with ads. You earn them through culture.

THE 14-PARTNERSHIP ROADMAP TO ACQUIRE NEW PL FANS IN INDIA

1. Football Creators (YouTube, IG, TikTok, Shorts)

Why it matters: Most young Indians don't learn about the Premier League from TV pundits. They learn it from that one creator who makes hilarious Reels about Arteta's tactics or explains why everyone hates Man City's spending in Hindi. Creators are putting out content every single day, not just on matchdays.

Tactical Activations:

• Creator Matchday Labs: Give creators the good stuff: real stats, raw footage, meme templates, and let them cook. We're talking 6-10 videos a week in different languages.

• Tier-2/3 Creator Roadshow: Take watch parties, quizzes, and mini-clinics to places like Indore, Surat, Guwahati, and Kochi. Not just the big metros.

• Club Spotlight Series: Get creators to explain "Why should an Indian care about Newcastle?" through stories that actually connect.

Who to target: Troll Football India, Sayan Saha, plus regional creators making content in Hindi, Malayalam, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, and those meme pages that somehow know everything.

KPI: Track how many fans sign up via creator codes; aim for 20M+ monthly views from creator content; and OTT subscriptions through referral links.

2. Indian Rappers & Hip-Hop Culture

Why it matters: Hip-hop is absolutely exploding in India right now. Rappers aren't just making music. They're setting trends, influencing what's cool, shaping how young people talk and dress. Sound familiar? That's exactly what football does globally.

Tactical Activations:

• PL x Rap Cyphers: Get local rappers to drop football bars during matchweeks. Imagine a cypher about Derby Day.

• Music Video Easter Eggs: Subtle Premier League jerseys or scarves in the background of music videos. If you know, you know.

• Rapper-led Watch Parties: Host PL screenings at rap festivals and college tours with actual artists.

Who to target: Seedhe Maut, KR$NA, Shahrule, Rawaland all the regional rap crews making waves.

KPI: Count music video mentions, track streaming numbers, measure youth brand recall, watch that 18-24 age group grow.

3. Telcos & Super-Apps (Jio, Airtel, PhonePe)

Why it matters: Telcos basically control India's internet. They're the reason everyone can stream stuff in the first place, and they've got payment systems people actually use.

Tactical Activations:

• Micro-subscriptions bundled with data plans — "Recharge for ₹299, get 2GB data + 1 month PL access"

• Match alerts + OTT trial bundles sent straight to people's phones

• Co-branded contests tied to mobile top-ups

KPI: Count incremental OTT subscriptions, calculate cost-per-acquisition for new fans.

4. Education & Grassroots (British Council, Schools, Universities)

Why it matters: The fan you create at age 10 is a fan for life. Simple as that.

Tactical Activations:

• Scale PL Primary Stars to 2,000+ schools across India

• Teacher certification programs — give teachers actual Premier League coaching badges

• Annual School Cup with live screening events for finals

KPI: Track schools onboarded, student participation numbers, and social media mentions from school events.

5. Cricket & IPL Crossover Activations

Why it matters: Cricket is basically a religion here. You don't fight it — you work with it. Any crossover goes instantly viral.

Tactical Activations:

• PL booths during IPL matchdays — catch people when they're already in sports mode

• IPL players' PL club fandom features — get Virat or Rohit talking about their favourite teams

• Short-form crossover content during IPL off-season, when cricket fans need something to watch

Who to target: Mumbai Indians, CSK, RCB players and their massive fanbases, IPL auction events.

KPI: Social media reach, clickthrough rates to PL content.

6. Consumer Brands (FMCG, Fintech, Travel, Fantasy Apps)

Why it matters: Big brands are already throwing money at youth engagement. Why not ride that wave together?

Tactical Activations:

• Co-branded PL matchweek campaigns with Pepsi, Paytm, whoever

• Buy-product → win PL watch party tickets — gamify it

• Fantasy app PL trivia challenges with actual prizes

KPI: Activation conversion rates, brand partner media value generated.

7. Music & Festival Partners (NH7, Sunburn, Spotify)

Why it matters: Music festivals are packed with exactly the people the Premier League wants — energetic 18-30 year-olds looking for the next thing to be passionate about.

Tactical Activations:

• Half-time virtual concerts during big matches

• PL x Indian artist playlists on Spotify — "Songs for Derby Day" vibes

• Club-themed fan nights at major festivals

KPI: Playlist streams, festival attendance numbers, and new follower growth.

8. Regional Influencers (Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, Bengali, Telugu)

Why it matters: English content only gets you so far. Real emotional connection happens in people's first language.

Tactical Activations:

• Local-language club explainers — why should someone from Kerala care about Liverpool's history?

• Tier-2/3 match screenings with local creators as hosts

• Micro-influencer affiliate system — small creators, big collective impact

KPI: Cost-per-acquisition per influencer channel, engagement and share metrics.

9. Retail & Licensing (Pop-ups, Indian Designers)

Why it matters: Merch isn't just clothing — it's identity. Indians love showing what they're into, whether it's through a jersey, a phone case, or limited-edition drops.

Tactical Activations:

• Mall fan stores + match screening zones in high-traffic areas

• PL x Indian designer limited drops — make it exclusive, make it cool

• Digital merch tied to payment wallets like Paytm, PhonePe

KPI: Merchandise sales numbers, sell-through rates.

10. Government & City Partnerships (Tourism + Youth Sport)

Why it matters: Public-private partnerships can unlock mass visibility and resources that brands alone can't touch.

Tactical Activations:

• City-wide public screening licenses for major matches

• Youth coaching grants funded through government sport initiatives

• Football carnivals tied to state tourism promotion weeks

KPI: Permits secured, participation numbers, and local government co-funding.

11. Esports & Gaming (Mobile + Console)

Why it matters: A huge chunk of India's youth discovers sports through gaming first, not TV first. That's just reality now.

Tactical Activations:

• India's first official PL esports tournament with actual prizes

• Broadcaster-integrated mini-games during half-time

• Digital collectibles tied to match predictions and outcomes

KPI: Monthly active users, tournament registrations, and in-game engagement.

12. Travel Partners (Visit Britain, Airlines, Student Travel)

Why it matters: More young Indians than ever are travelling abroad, and watching a live Premier League match is becoming a bucket-list item.

Tactical Activations:

• PL "matchday travel" package deals — flights, hotel, tickets, the works

• Student exchange programs + stadium tours for Indian universities

• Airline loyalty tie-ins — earn miles, win PL tickets

KPI: Booking numbers, loyalty program enrollments.

13. Quick-Commerce & Food Delivery Apps (Swiggy, Zomato)

Why it matters: Premier League matches = weekends = ordering food. It's the perfect co-marketing opportunity hiding in plain sight.

Tactical Activations:

• Matchday meal combos — "Order the Arsenal Combo and predict the score"

• PL club-themed food packaging during big games

• Order meals → unlock predictor games with prizes

KPI: Orders placed during matchdays, coupon redemption rates.

14. Merch Collectibles & Toy Ecosystem

Why it matters: Kids and teens love physical stuff they can collect, trade, and show off. Collectibles = long-term fan retention.

Tactical Activations:

• Mini-figures released during key matchweeks — derby specials, title race editions

• Blind-box collectibles sold through OTT apps and retail stores

• School and mall pop-up collectible zones for launches

KPI: Units sold, repeat purchasing behaviour.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

If the Premier League really wants to win in India, it can't just show up and expect attention. It has to earn relevance — and relevance today comes from partnerships that actually tap into everyday youth culture.

That means creators making content in Malayalam and Bengali. Rappers dropping bars about derby days. OTT platforms are making it stupid-easy to watch your first match. Grassroots programs building fandom when kids are 10, not 20.

None of this is theoretical. Every single idea here is doable, measurable, and capable of unlocking millions of new fans. India doesn't need another global sports league showing up with a marketing budget. It needs a league willing to actually build with and inside Indian culture.

The opportunity is massive. The playbook is sitting right here.

Now it's just a matter of pressing start.