Asia Pacific sports economy valuation and growth slowdown
According to research from Media Partners Asia (MPA) detailed in the report “APAC’s Sports Economy and Where Value Goes Next,” the Asia Pacific commercial sports economy is valued at $16.2 billion in 2026. MPA projects that the wider sports economy will expand by about 5% annually to reach approximately $19.5 billion by 2030, driven largely by sponsorship and ticket sales.
However, growth in sports rights fees across the region is expected to slow to between 1% and 2% a year through 2030, down from an average of about 10% annually since 2021. MPA reported that media rights currently form the largest category of the sports economy at $6.1 billion, followed by sponsorship at $4.7 billion, ticketing and hospitality at $3.9 billion, and merchandise at $1.5 billion. Over a five-year period, rights fees rose 58% to reach $5.7 billion.
The dominance of the Indian Premier League
The research outlines that the Indian Premier League (IPL) remains the sole sports property in the Asia Pacific region priced at the top of the global market. The cricket league commands about $12.4 million per match, matching the Premier League, whereas Korea’s KBO baseball league generates approximately $100,000 per match. MPA noted that India accounted for over half of the increase in regional rights fees since 2021, with 64% of all fees currently concentrated inside the 12 most valuable rights packages.
Vivek Couto, CEO and executive director of MPA, commented on the market evolution during the APOS Sports Edge forum in Singapore. “This is not the end of sport’s boom in Asia Pacific. It is the end of the easy part,” Couto stated, pointing out that the region generates roughly $4 in commercial sports revenue per person compared to more than $200 in North America.
Streaming influence and fan engagement trends
Streaming platforms accounted for 50% of sports rights fees in 2026, marking an increase from 36% in 2021, and now dictate pricing in most markets according to MPA data. Concurrently, a companion study by MPA analytics arm ampd—which surveyed 10,249 fans across Indonesia, Japan, Korea, the Philippines, Thailand, and Australia—found that personal connections heavily influence new fan acquisition. Personal recommendations accounted for 35% of first-time sports entries, compared to 14% via major events. Furthermore, 63% of fans who spent money on sport over the prior year purchased no subscription.
MPA’s findings highlight potential areas for future expansion, including Japan’s subscription streaming market, women’s competitions such as the Women’s Premier League, and engagement driven by local stars and independent digital creators.
