India’s Sports Booking Market Draws Zomato’s District

The Story in Brief

District by Zomato has entered India’s digital sports-booking market, a space built by startups including Playo, KheloMore, Hudle and GameTheory. Apps now handle venue bookings, teammate discovery, games and communities. Urban Sports CEO Dharmendra Shah says 60% to 70% of bookings are online, while pickleball and padel bookings are almost entirely digital. Cricket and football turfs typically cost Rs 1,500 to Rs 3,000 an hour, while pickleball courts cost Rs 400 to Rs 1,200.

Playo says its bookings and revenue have grown about 70% annually in recent years. The platform reports an annualised gross transaction value of nearly Rs 300 crore across more than 125 cities. It enabled over 600,000 new connections through Pay & Join in June. Operators expect competition and possible consolidation as platforms compete to build sports communities, not just venue listings.

The Indian Opinion

The lazy story is that a large consumer-tech company entering automatically proves a runaway market. The opposite exaggeration is that paid sports are merely an urban fad. The available evidence points to a real habit, but one tied to city incomes, venue supply and repeat participation. High booking prices and the need for facilities can limit reach beyond affluent neighbourhoods. The useful test is whether platforms retain players and fill off-peak slots, not how many venues they list.

Source: brandequity.economictimes.indiatimes.com

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