While the Premier League Chases Instagram Likes, 250 Million Indian Fans Are Building Their Lives on Snapchat

💌 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

Why the Premier League Is Missing Out on India's Snapchat Generation

Introduction

Here's the thing about the Premier League's digital strategy in India: it's working, but it's also kind of predictable. You've got your YouTube highlight reels, your Instagram memes, maybe a viral tweet during a derby. It reaches millions, sure. But here's what it doesn't do: it doesn't become part of someone's daily routine. And in a country where 250 million people are opening Snapchat multiple times a day (yes, every single day), that's a massive blind spot. While the Premier League is busy perfecting its Instagram carousel posts, an entire generation of potential superfans is building their digital lives somewhere else entirely. And honestly? The clock's ticking.

The India–Snapchat Reality Nobody's Talking About

Let's be real about how young Indians actually consume football now. It's mobile-first, bite-sized, and it happens while they're supposed to be doing something else. Over 90% of sports content in India is watched on phones, and Gen Z fans aren't just watching matches. They're second-screening like crazy, bouncing between the broadcast and whatever app feels most natural in that moment.

That app is increasingly Snapchat. Not because it's trendy, but because of how it works. Everything's vertical, everything's quick, and nothing feels like you're performing for an audience. You're just there, sharing a moment with your close friends, reacting in real time, moving on.

Instagram shows you football. Snapchat sits next to you while you watch it. That's the difference.

Why This Actually Matters

Snapchat isn't about racking up millions of views on a highlight reel posted at midnight. It's about becoming a reflex. Here's what makes it different for the Premier League in India:

Getting to Fans Before They Pick Their Team

Most Indian Gen Z users are on Snapchat daily, not weekly, not whenever they remember. Daily. And these are exactly the fans who haven't locked in their "forever club" yet. They're more into players than history, they follow culture over tradition, and they engage through humour and creators, not official channels.

If you wait until they've moved on to Instagram or settled into YouTube, you've already lost them. They'll have found their team elsewhere, through someone else's narrative.

Private Fandom Is Real Fandom

Not everyone wants to broadcast their football takes to the world. Indian fans especially value small-group conversations and private reactions. Snapchat thrives on that. The quick message to three friends after a late goal, the reaction nobody else sees, the inside joke that only makes sense in your group chat.

That's where actual fandom lives. Not in comment sections trying to go viral, but in those unfiltered, 2 am "did you SEE that?" moments.

AR Isn't a Gimmick Here

Over 80% of Indian Snapchat users regularly play with AR features. Not occasionally. Regularly. Now imagine dropping club jersey lenses on matchday, player celebration filters after big goals, or India-exclusive lenses during festivals like Diwali. This isn't just fun tech. It's how young people signal identity. It's digital fandom made visible.

What the Premier League Could Actually Do

Here's where it gets interesting. Snapchat shouldn't just be "Instagram but vertical." It needs its own purpose.

Create an India Matchday Experience

Instead of recycling global content, build something specifically for Indian fans watching at odd hours. Share fan reactions from across India, work with local creators doing watch-alongs, drop 10-second clips that capture the vibe (that 2:30 am goal hit different). Focus on the feeling, not just the footage.

Let Indian Creators Be the Bridge

The Premier League doesn't need another official account saying official things. It needs cultural translators. Indian Snap Stars, college football creators, meme accounts, lifestyle creators who happen to love football. Let them react, joke, remix, and explain in ways that feel natural. Make football conversational, not corporate.

Make AR Reactive, Not Planned

Most sports AR fails because it's tied to big campaigns with long lead times. Instead, be fast. Drop a player celebration filter right after they score. Release rivalry lenses for derbies. Run quick polls during matches. Speed beats polish on Snapchat every time.

Own the Second Screen

Explicitly position Snapchat as "what you open while watching the match." Run live polls during games, prediction stickers at half-time, fan Q&As between halves. This complements the broadcast rather than competing with it. Broadcasters should love this, actually.

Learning from Indian Sports

Indian cricket is already going hard on platforms like WhatsApp Channels for match updates and exclusive news. The lesson here isn't to copy them, but to understand the intent behind them. WhatsApp handles the information side of fandom. Snapchat can own the emotional, cultural side.

Think of it as building a full ecosystem: WhatsApp for info, Snapchat for identity, Instagram for reach, YouTube for depth. Each platform plays its role.

Building Habits, Not Moments

The real opportunity isn't about going viral in India. It's about showing up consistently. Fandom isn't built in highlight reels. It's built in small, repeatable, personal interactions. That's exactly what Snapchat does better than any other platform.

Here's a rough roadmap:

Months 1 to 2: Launch a dedicated India presence, onboard local creators, figure out what content formats work.

Months 2 to 3: Build matchday habits with weekly Stories, AR lenses for big fixtures, and creator reactions.

Months 3 to 6: Go cultural with festival-led content, player-fan interactions, and expansion into smaller cities.

Months 6 to 12: Start exploring brand partnerships and sponsored lenses once the habit's established.

Simple, but intentional.

Look, the Premier League already has a massive reach in India. That's not the problem. The problem is that reach doesn't automatically translate to daily relevance, especially with a generation that's building their digital identities on platforms most brands still treat as afterthoughts. Snapchat isn't about replacing what's working on Instagram or YouTube. It's about filling a gap that most people haven't even noticed yet. It's about being there in those quiet, personal moments when someone's actually falling in love with the game, not just consuming content about it. And in a market as young, mobile-obsessed, and emotionally invested as India, those moments are where the next decade of fandom gets built. The question isn't whether Snapchat matters. It's whether the Premier League wants to be part of those moments, or keep perfecting strategies for fans it already has.