The Rise of Nepal’s Most Valuable Sports Platform

When the second edition
of the Nepal Premier
League (NPL) opened
under the floodlights of
the TU International Cricket Grounds in
Kirtipur, it marked more than the start
of a cricket tournament. It signaled the
arrival of a transformation that had
been gathering quietly. Thousands of
spectators streamed in long before the
toss, families walked through newly
lit concourses, and television cameras
followed the glow of a venue rebuilt
with a larger purpose.

What unfolded in the NPL this year
went beyond sport. It was the debut
of a new commercial pillar for Nepal
— a sporting project that brought
together corporate behavior, youth
culture, advertising markets, and the
rising ambitions of a country searching
for large-scale institutions capable
of working with consistency and
professionalism.

The NPL did not reach this moment
overnight. Its ascent is the culmination
of years of experimentation, missteps,
course corrections, and scattered
successes across domestic cricket.
What stands out in 2025 is not just
growth but the league’s new structural
weight and commercial profile. It
now ranks among Nepal’s most
consequential annual events. One can
no longer talk about the advertising
market, the entertainment economy,
or sports governance without the NPL
at the center. The league has become
a national platform, not just for cricket
but for commerce, branding, and
institutional signaling.

The journey began with a simple
recognition: Nepali cricket carried a
cultural energy that had never been
properly monetized. League cricket has
always flickered across the country.
The Dhangadhi Premier League (DPL)
electrified local communities. The
Pokhara Premier League (PPL) showed
how a franchise model could revive
an entire region. The Everest Premier
League (EPL) attracted international
players and lifted the profile of
domestic talent. But none of these
leagues had institutional backing or
commercial support needed to mature
into a stable national league.

Today, even as Nepal’s economy
struggles with weak consumer demand,
cautious investment, and fragile
private-sector confidence, the NPL
offers a counter-narrative. It shows
that Nepal can build systems that work,
create platforms that scale, and develop
events that lift entire commercial value
chains. With disciplined administration
and a focused commercial strategy,
the league has created a billion-rupee
ecosystem around sport — something
many believed was beyond Nepal’s
capacity.

THE REVENUE SIDE OF NPL

The Cricket Association of Nepal
(CAN), the organizers of the NPL, is in
the most lucrative phase in its history.
The NPL alone is expected to generate
around Rs 400 million for CAN this
year, nearly five times more than last
year.

The transformation began when CAN
broke from its traditional outsourcing
model. In 2024, it had handed over
the league’s entire commercial rights
to BrandLogiQ for Rs 59.2 million.
The deal brought predictability and
reduced administrative burden, but it
fundamentally capped CAN’s ability
to capture value from a fast-growing
cricket economy.

In 2025, CAN reversed the model.
Instead of selling the commercial
rights, it brought all major operations
in-house. Branding, marketing,
sponsorship sales, and broadcast
negotiations were handled directly. The
results have been dramatic.

Franchise licensing renewal fees alone
brought in Rs 94 million. Broadcast
income has jumped even higher.
Kantipur Max paid more than Rs 30
million for linear TV rights, while
DishHome GO purchased the OTT
rights (excluding India) for Rs 53 million
under a minimum-guarantee model.
The breakthrough, however, lies in the
revenue-sharing agreement: CAN is 
guaranteed 71% of all OTT earnings
once they exceed Rs 53 million — far
better than the previous contract.
Together, television and OTT rights
have grown to 1.5 times last year’s
value, placing cricket among Nepal’s
most commercially significant media
properties.

Sponsorship income is also at a record
level. CAN expects Rs 100–120 million
from direct sponsorships this season.
Corporate interest has surged as
brands view the league not only as
an advertising opportunity but as a
strategic way to reach Nepal’s young,
digital population. Cricket’s cultural
pull and national visibility have made
the NPL one of Nepal’s most attractive
brand platforms.

Ticketing revenue completes the final
leg of the commercial transformation.
With floodlights, expanded parapets,
and more evening matches, Kirtipur
has turned into a prime-time venue.
CAN expects Rs 80–120 million in
gate receipts this year, almost double
the revenue recorded last season.
Evening matches have expanded
the league’s audience base, drawing
working professionals, families, and
students, who could not attend day
time matches.

Together, these developments have
pushed the NPL into billion-rupee
territory. The league has now become
an institution that both reflects and
reshapes the economic and cultural
landscape of the country.

A MARKETPLACE OF 86 BRANDS

Nothing captures the change in
corporate behavior more clearly than
the number of brands now tied to
the NPL. A total of 86 companies —
from telecoms and FMCGs to airlines,
banks, insurers, hotels, fintech firms,
electronics makers, and lifestyle brands
— have partnered with either CAN
or the eight franchises. No domestic
league in Nepal has ever drawn
such a broad, nationwide corporate
ecosystem.

Franchise sponsorships mirror the 
country’s economic geography.

Karnali Yaks have backing from Nebico,
Yak & Yeti, Asian Paints, Nepalviews,
Everrise, and Himalayan Builders &
Engineers.

Biratnagar Kings have roped in
industrial and lifestyle brands such
as Dolpo, Hyatt Centric, Subisu, and
Hulas. Pokhara Avengers, on the
other hand, have attracted aviation
and hospitality brands such Yeti
Airlines, The Soaltee, along with digital
and electronics companies eSewa,
Skyworth, and Apple Securities —
reflecting Pokhara’s tourism-driven
identity.

Janakpur Bolts are supported by
energy-sector brands like Nepal Lube
Oil and Gulf, along with insurers and
educational institutions. Kathmandu
Gorkhas, based in the country’s
advertising capital, boast one of the
deepest sponsor rosters: Xtreme
Energy Drink, Prabhu Helicopter,
Shikhar Insurance, IIMS College, KIEC,
Fonepay, and WorldLink.

Beyond franchises, 27 national
sponsors have partnered directly with
CAN. The group includes Arghakhanchi
Cement, Ashok Leyland, Red Bull, 
HP Lubricants, Nepal Mediciti, KFC,
Golden Oak, Vivo, NepalPay, Khalti,
inDrive, DishHome GO, and Ncell.
Their investment shows that the league
is no longer viewed as a one-off event
but a reliable platform with a growing
fan base and predictable returns.

The transformation is profound. For
years, sports sponsorship in Nepal
was treated as discretionary spending
— symbolic, goodwill-oriented, or
episodic. The NPL has changed that
mindset. Brands now see sports
sponsorship as strategic spending in
audience building, customer acquisition,
and long-term visibility. It marks a
structural reorientation of corporate
expenditure in Nepal. Sponsoring the
NPL is no longer a token gesture; it is a
statement of market ambition.

Upanga Dutta, Chief Consumer
Business Officer at Ncell, said a
significant share of the company’s
annual marketing budget now goes
to the NPL, and that the returns have
been strong.

Ncell has again signed on as NPL’s
“Powered By” sponsor.

“Cricket is Nepal’s biggest unifier
today,” Dutta said. “For us, the NPL is
more than a sponsorship. It reflects our
connection with youth, with sports,
and with Nepal itself. Our goal has
always been to keep Nepal and our
customers connected, and cricket
captures that spirit perfectly.”

Ncell has rolled out NPL Fan Packs
offering bonuses such as on-net
minutes, free TikTok and YouTube, and
750MB to 1GB of data, all valid for a
day, along with Spin & Win rewards on
the Ncell App and chances to get NPL
match tickets. On November 28, the
company also launched a new NPL Play
Pack priced at Rs 299, which includes
1GB of data valid for 28 days and
access to live NPL Season 2 matches on
the DishHome GO app.

Advertising professionals say major
sporting events deliver something
traditional advertising rarely can: real-time emotional connection.
Through fan zones, on-ground
activations, and shared experiences,
brands reach diverse audiences and
create multidimensional impact.
Nepali brands are now betting on
cricket not just because it is popular
but because it offers a rare blend of
entertainment, community, identity,
and mass digital exposure — a
combination difficult to replicate in
Nepal’s fragmented media landscape.

A NATIONAL FESTIVAL OF COMMERCE AND CULTURE

With more than 60 franchise sponsors
and dozens more at the national level,
the NPL has evolved into a national
festival — a recurring gathering that
extends far beyond sport. Former
national captain and current CAN
Secretary Paras Khadka has even
suggested that Nepalis should celebrate
the league the way they celebrate
Dashain or Tihar. The comparison is not
exaggerated. The league has become a
cultural moment: a time when families
gather, friends reconnect, regional
pride intensifies, and national attention
converges on a shared platform.

Sponsors consistently describe the NPL
as a catalyst for business confidence.
Many corporate leaders now argue
that it is difficult — even strategically
unwise — for large business houses to
sit outside the league. The NPL offers
a rare blend of scale and emotion. Its
audience is young, digital-first, and
deeply invested in match outcomes. In
a fragmented advertising environment,
where attention is splintered across
platforms, the NPL is one of the
few unifying events that cuts across
demographics.

Economically, the league is expected
to generate more than Rs 1 billion
in transactions this year — including
spending by franchises, event
managers, broadcasters, hotels,
restaurants, transportation providers,
and local vendors.

THE LEAGUE AS AN ECONOMIC STIMULUS

The NPL has become one of the most
significant stimulants of domestic
spending at a time when national
consumption is sluggish. By generating
over a billion rupees in direct and
indirect transactions, the NPL injects
liquidity into sectors that have
struggled recently — hospitality, travel,
catering, logistics, merchandising,
digital services, transportation, and
event management. Hotels in and
around Kathmandu routinely report
elevated occupancy during tournament
weeks.

Franchises are major drivers of this
activity. Each team is expected to
spend Rs 80–100 million this season,
similar to last year. Because franchises
did not have to repurchase their rights
this year, more of that spending has
gone into team strengthening and
operations. On average, teams are
spending about Rs 10 million on Nepali
players and around Rs 20 million on
foreign players. Nepal-based marquee
players are earning up to Rs 2.2 million,
while top foreign signings command
up to $50,000 per season. Additional
expenses — accommodation, nutrition,
coaching staff, physios, digital teams,
social media contractors, and analysts
— complete the financial structure of a
modern franchise.

Biratnagar Kings operator Suyesh
Pyakurel said the league’s economic
footprint extends far beyond the
stadium gates, with merchandise sales
rising alongside the arrival of global
stars such as Faf du Plessis, Martin
Guptill, and Gulbadin Naib.
Pokhara Avengers representative
Subodh Tripathi explains the economics
from the franchise side and the
patience required for profitability. “The
first three seasons are expected to be
investment-heavy with no direct profit.
Operational breakeven is expected only
from the fourth season,” he said. “The
trend is consistent with global franchise
leagues, where teams typically do not
become profitable in the early years.”
Costs have evolved since the inaugural
season, especially with lower renewal
fees. “Last season we paid Rs 35 million
to acquire the franchise; this year the
renewal cost is only Rs 13 million,”
Tripathi said. “Expenditure on foreign
players, however, has sharply increased.
However, CAN has raised central-pool
distributions, helping some teams
move closer to breakeven earlier than
expected.”

The financial scale of the NPL becomes
clearer in light of its first edition. In
the league’s first season, CAN spent
roughly Rs 200 million on branding,
promotion, and infrastructure.
Franchises invested another Rs 80–100
million each, pushing total transactions
close to Rs 1 billion. This year is
expected to mirror that figure, with
CAN estimating an overall economic
footprint between Rs 800 million and
Rs 1 billion.

These numbers matter because
the NPL is one of the few recurring
events in Nepal capable of generating
sustained, multi-sector business
activity at scale. In a country with
few large commercial events, the
league stands out and may serve as a
model for future sports, cultural, and
entertainment ventures.

THE POWER OF SPECTACLE

The transformation of the TU
International Cricket Grounds is
fundamental to understanding the
league’s commercial ascent. Just a year
ago, the venue was an improvised mix
of grassy slopes and makeshift parapets
and fencing. That image is gone.
The stadium has now been rebuilt
into a professional venue equipped
with floodlights, expanded seating,
controlled entry points, and upgraded
broadcast infrastructure. These
improvements have turned the stadium
into a prime-time entertainment
venue. The floodlights were the most
significant change. For the first, Nepal
could host evening cricket matches.
This helped reshape both the spectator
economy and the broadcast market.
The stadium’s 10,000-seat capacity
is expected to be filled far more
frequently than in previous seasons.
CAN anticipates more than 300,000
in-person attendees this year which is
double last year's figure.

Pyakurel described the transformation
as both infrastructural and
psychological. “Last year TU was
basically an open ground,” he said.
“But this year we took a step in
infrastructure — better seating,
floodlights. People now see this as a
real venue.”

Online, NPL broadcasts amassed more
than 150 million combined views on
official platforms by November 29.
This year, with improved production
quality and heightened interest, digital
viewership is expected to surpass 300
million streams.

The result: the NPL is now one of
Nepal’s most broadcast-friendly sports
properties. High-quality production
has increased advertiser confidence
and elevated the NPL’s commercial
credibility.

The stadium’s symbolic value is equally
important. It represents a break from
a past defined by infrastructural
limitations. For decades, Nepali cricket
struggled under the constraints of
basic facilities and limited government
investment. The modernization of
Kirtipur signals a new phase — one
where cricket is treated as a serious
commercial and cultural asset.

Franchise owners warn that while
the transformation was impressive, it
cannot stagnate. “If we repeat the same
thing next year, it won’t be enough,”
Pyakurel argued. “Next year we need
home-and-away matches. At least one
or two provinces should build stadiums. If that happens, instead of us paying
Star Sports, Star Sports will pay us to
broadcast.”

Pyakurel has rightly captured the
league’s broader commercial logic.
True monetization will begin only
when the NPL decentralizes, activates
regional fan bases, and turns stadium
attendance into sustained economic
activity.

THE GROWING BROADCAST AND MEDIA ECONOMY

NPL's success shows that Nepal’s
sports broadcast economy is maturing.
Only a year ago, the league lived on
YouTube, freely available to anyone
with internet access. The audience
came in waves, millions of views rolling
in like an open-border tide — yet the
commercial return remained thin. It was
a model built for reach, not revenue,
and it achieved that purpose. But it also
exposed the ceiling of a platform where
everything is free.

This season, the league stepped into a
different arena. DishHome GO secured
the OTT rights, except for the Indian
region, with a Rs 53 million minimum
guarantee, while Kantipur Max claimed
the linear TV window for over Rs 30
million. For the Indian region, FanCode
got the OTT streaming rights while
Star Sports has carried NPL into the
televisions far beyond the Himalayas,
signaling the early architecture of
cross-border monetization.

Moving from free YouTube streams
to paid OTT access was more than a
business decision; it was a behavioral
bet. And early signs show it is paying
off. Tens of thousands of Nepalis are
now paying to watch domestic cricket
— a small revolution in a country long
conditioned to free digital content.
DishHome Go launched three NPL
streaming packages – targeting Nepali
cricket fans. In Nepal, one can get the
whole NPL 2 streaming package for Rs
300 while those in the Middle-East can
get it for Rs 500. The price for watching
the league through the app has been
set at $10 for the rest of the region.

If this shift holds, it could power new
revenue streams for future leagues and
reshape the economics of Nepali sport.
Around the NPL, a buzzing media
ecosystem is taking shape: OTT
platforms investing aggressively,
TV networks jostling for premium
evening slots, creators flooding feeds
with match-day content, and brands
underwriting analytics shows and
commentary panels. The result is a
richer, louder digital universe — one
where cricket is not just watched, but
woven into Nepal’s everyday online
rhythms.

THE ADVERTISING BOOST AND CORPORATE PSYCHOLOGY

The NPL’s commercial rise comes at a
delicate moment for Nepal’s advertising
market. Over the past year, economic
uncertainty tightened marketing
budgets, consumer demand softened,
and the recent Gen Z protests injected
an extra dose of volatility. Many brands
retreated, unsure where — or whether
— to spend.

Then came the NPL, offering rare
stability. At a time when traditional
channels feel unpredictable, the league
delivered mass reach, emotional pull,
digital momentum, and a youth-heavy
audience. Its schedule is reliable,
its visibility international, and its
appeal crosses sectors. For several
corporate groups, the league’s presence
has become as important as the
Dashain–Tihar cycle — a structural
fixture in the annual advertising
calendar rather than a speculative
add-on.

Bishal Purush Dhakal of Avani
Advertising said the NPL has now
emerged as a festival of its own.
“Clients are beginning to carve out
a dedicated budget specifically for
the NPL,” he said. “The first season
created momentum; the second season
triggered formal pre-allocation in
annual marketing plans.”

Spending has cut across every format
— television, digital campaigns, BTL
activities, and matchday activations.
Some brands ran national contests tied
to watching the NPL, while others built
league-themed promotions directly into
their product sales.

“The market was stagnant; the NPL has
injected fresh energy,” Dhakal said.
The numbers show why. Industry
executives estimate that Rs 720 million
to Rs 1 billion in advertising value will
be generated around the league this
year — through sponsorships, digital
campaigns, television buys, influencer
content, match day activations,
merchandising pushes, and cross-brand
promotions. For a media industry wrestling with shrinking revenues and
changing consumer habits, this infusion
of capital functions like a circulatory
boost, keeping the system warm and
moving.

Sudip Thapa, President of the
Advertising Association of Nepal,
echoed this sentiment. “Around Rs 720
million to Rs 1 billion — directly and
indirectly — has gone into advertising
in the NPL,” Thapa estimated. “It was
probably about half this amount in the
first season.”

The spending spans team sponsorships,
CAN’s own outlays, media investments,
ground branding, and a surge of
independent digital promotions.

THE FRANCHISE ECONOMY

The league’s rise is not only commercial
— it is organizational. The eight
franchises are now operating like
a modern enterprise. What once
resembled enthusiastic clubs has
evolved into structured institutions
employing coaches, analysts,
conditioning experts, physiotherapists,
nutritionists, logistics teams, digital
creators, and merchandising strategists.
The professionalization runs deeper
than match preparation. Franchises
have begun shaping community
identity and building long-term fan
loyalty through digital engagement,
regional outreach, and off-season
visibility. Youth-development camps,
mentorship programs, and coaching
clinics are now part of their operational
calendar. These initiatives root
franchises in their home regions and
cultivate future players before they
break into domestic cricket.
The presence of foreign players has
quickened the pace of this evolution.

International professionals — carrying
the habits of advanced cricketing
systems — raise performance standards
and lend the league a credibility that
resonates beyond Nepal’s borders.
Coaches from Sri Lanka, the West
Indies and India have brought tactical
discipline, structured planning,
and data-driven decision-making,
effectively transferring institutional
cricketing knowledge into the domestic
landscape.

For Nepali players, the NPL is more
than a tournament; it is a career
accelerator. Exceptional performances
translate into income, visibility, and
opportunity — influencing national
selection, attracting endorsements,
and opening doors to international
franchise leagues. The NPL is not
just entertaining a nation; it is
professionalizing a generation.

Tripathi of Pokhara Avengers explains
how the league has reshaped players’
livelihoods. “The money franchises are
paying has reached a point where many
cricketers can now sustain themselves
solely through the sport,” he said.
Even the newest domestic players,
selected through talent hunts, earn a
minimum of Rs 100,000 for a season
— a tournament that lasts less than a
month.

THE GLOBALIZATION OF NEPALI CRICKET

The arrival of foreign players has
reshaped the competitive and
commercial life of NPL, pushing
Nepali cricket into a more confident,
outward-facing era. Earlier franchise
experiments in the DPL, PPL, and EPL
flirted with international participation,
but the reality was uneven. Scheduling
conflicts, inconsistent governance, and
uncertainty over payments kept many
overseas players at arm’s length.

The NPL has changed that perception
dramatically. This season, cricketers
from England, Australia, South Africa,
the United States, New Zealand,
Namibia, Afghanistan, India, Italy,
Scotland, and Uganda travelled to
Nepal under structured contracts.

Franchises now recruit globally with
purpose. They seek players who can
deliver on the field — specialist batters,
all-rounders, power play bowlers,
death-overs experts — while also
considering the commercial ripple
effects of recognizable international names. Foreign players are reportedly
earning up to $50,000 this season.
Their presence lifts playing standards
instantly. Nepali players must adjust
to faster bowlers, sharper tactical
decisions, and more sophisticated
match scenarios, and the exposure
enhances the league’s global visibility
as overseas stars share highlights of
their Nepal experience with millions
of followers. Corporate confidence
rises too, because foreign participation
signals professionalism and
predictability.

Franchises have used this moment
well. Biratnagar Kings secured Faf du
Plessis, Martin Guptill and Marchant
de Lange, Sudurpaschim Royals
brought in Chris Lynn, and other teams
added dependable technicians like
George Munsey, Gulbadin Naib and
Dawid Malan. Their storylines — from
cross-border rivalries to unexpected
partnerships — have expanded the
emotional range of the league. Still,
the NPL’s requirement that seven
Nepali players must feature in every
playing XI remains crucial. It ensures
the league remains an engine of
domestic development rather than an
import-heavy spectacle.

Coaching imports have accelerated
this professionalization even further.
The signing of Pubudu Dassanayake
for Biratnagar Kings reconnects Nepali
cricket with the strategist who guided
the country to its first T20 World Cups.
Monty Desai, now with Kathmandu
Gorkhas, brings the charisma and
methodical clarity that transformed the
national team’s temperament. Chitwan
Rhinos’ mentorship under Robin
Singh adds the experience of global
T20 circuits. While Pokhara Avengers
have appointed Rajiv Kumar, Janakpur
Bolts delivered the most eye-catching
acquisition in Shivnarine Chanderpaul,
the West Indies legend with 11,867
Test runs including 30 centuries.
Their presence introduces systems
rarely found in local sport — structured
nets, video analysis, sports science
routines, injury-prevention schedules,
and mental-conditioning sessions. For
emerging players, sharing dressing
rooms and training environments
with such figures is transformative. It
accelerates skill development, builds
confidence, and embeds the habits that
define professional athletes worldwide.

The NPL is also rewriting Nepal’s
cricket labor market. For decades,
domestic players navigated a
fragmented landscape of district
tournaments, sporadic camps, and
uncertain match fees. The franchise
system introduces structure: formal
contracts, reliable payments,
performance incentives, proper
nutrition, and access to elite coaching.
Even newly scouted talents earn a
minimum of Rs 100,000 for a season,
while senior players build meaningful
annual incomes. Beyond the field, the
league now employs hundreds — from
production crews, photographers,
videographers, commentators,
statisticians, and graphic designers to
physiotherapists, logistics coordinators,
security teams, and digital content
specialists. This ecosystem simply
did not exist five years ago; today
it is one of Nepal’s fastest-growing
seasonal labor markets. As the league
expands into multiple provinces, those
opportunities will spread beyond
Kathmandu.

Infrastructure is the next frontier.
The TU International Cricket Grounds
has served as the league’s beating
heart, but a multi-city model would
broaden regional fan bases, deepen
franchise identity, and distribute
economic benefits more evenly
across provinces. Franchise owners,
including Pyakurel and Tripathi, argue
that a home-and-away system must
begin by the next season. Even if
only Pokhara and Biratnagar meet
initial ground requirements, the shift
would be transformative. Provincial
governments have a central role,
from land acquisition and regulatory
clearance to partial co-investment
and maintenance frameworks. Global
franchise leagues offer clear precedent:
the IPL reshaped cities like Mohali and
Dharamshala, the Big Bash expanded
the reach of Perth and Hobart, and the
Caribbean Premier League revitalized
tourism across multiple islands. Nepal’s
provincial cities — Janakpur, Surkhet,
Dhangadhi, Biratnagar, Pokhara —
possess the passion; what they lack
is infrastructure. The NPL could be
the spark that catalyzes long-term
provincial sports development.
All of this unfolds against the backdrop
of Nepal’s exploding digital culture.
The modern fan experience extends
far beyond the stadium. TikTok,
Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and
creator-driven content ecosystems now define how Nepalis consume sport.
Match reactions, player interviews,
behind-the-scenes vlogs, tactical
breakdowns, comedic summaries, and
merchandise unboxings dominate feeds
throughout the season. Some content
creators report earning more during the
NPL than in several months of routine
posting. High-quality production —
drone visuals, multi-camera setups, LED
branding — fuels this digital engine,
turning each match into a content
factory with thousands of creators
amplifying the league in real time.

The result is a sporting product born
for the digital age. The NPL has become
Nepal’s first truly digital-native league
— a fusion of global talent, modern
coaching, structured employment,
emerging tourism, and hyperactive
online engagement. Its impact is
no longer confined to cricket. It is
reshaping how Nepalis work, travel,
create, and imagine the future of sport
in the country.

THE CHALLENGE OF GOVERNANCE

For all its visible success, the NPL
operates within Nepali cricket’s
oldest vulnerability: governance.
The institutional history of sport in
Nepal is marked by internal disputes,
inconsistent leadership, political
interference, and the bruising episode
when the ICC suspended Nepal for
administrative failures. These issues
rarely disappear; they pause when
results improve or when public
sentiment shifts. The NPL’s commercial
momentum has temporarily subdued
the turbulence, but the underlying risks
remain.

Franchise owners have invested
heavily, often stretching internal
budgets to meet operational costs,
player salaries, foreign signings, and
logistics. Their expectation is not
immediate profitability but predictable
management. They need stable
calendars, timely communication,
transparent revenue sharing, and
consistent enforcement of rules.
When administrators make decisions
impulsively or without consultation, the
ripple effects reach every layer of the
league’s ecosystem.

So far, CAN’s management of the
NPL has been more disciplined
than past attempts at domestic
T20 competitions. Contracts are
clearer, financial disclosures are more
substantial, and coordination with
franchises is more regular. But the
next phase will test whether CAN can
graduate from functional management
to genuine institutional maturity. This
will require a legal framework that
protects the league from political
shifts, multi-year franchise agreements
insulated from leadership turnover,
enforceable financial obligations,
and an operational environment that
franchises can trust over a decade, not
a season.

The cautionary example of the Nepal
Super League (NSL), once heralded as
the future of Nepali football, is often
cited by stakeholders. NSL began
with high excitement, strong crowds,
and credible sponsorships. But gaps
in governance, calendar uncertainty,
and misalignment between the
governing body and the private sector
weakened its base. The experience
serves as a reminder that strong fan
support cannot compensate for weak
administration. Cricket, unlike football,
benefits from CAN’s institutional
authority and the national team’s
international relevance, but that
advantage lasts only as long as the
governing body maintains consistency.
Another regional lesson revolves
around scalability. South Asia, despite
its deep sporting passion, has produced
few successful football franchises.
India’s ISL continues to struggle
financially. Bangladesh’s franchise
experiments failed to attract sustained
investment. Bhutan’s football economy
remains negligible. Across the region,
cricket dominates the commercial
landscape because the sport is
inherently built for monetization:
frequent breaks for advertising,
fast-paced formats, long broadcast
windows, and a deeply rooted fan
culture.

Nepal is no different. Bidhan
Rajbhandari, Managing Creative
Director at MAKEWAYS Pvt Ltd,
who has studied both leagues, said
advertisers globally, especially in India,
prefer cricket. “In cricket, every over,
every small break gives you five to ten
seconds to run ads. In football, except
for halftime, there is no ad space,” he
said.

The NPL is riding this structural
advantage. Its broadcast structure
generates more advertising inventory
and visibility than almost any other
entertainment product in the country.
“Private entities can’t carry such a big
project alone,” added Sekhar Chhetri,
Managing Director, V-Chitra Pvt Ltd
“There is too much politics in ANFA,
the football governing body. But CAN
today has leadership that can actually
sustain something like the NPL.”

However, the NPL’s governance future
will be measured not by dramatic
decisions but by reliability. The league
will require standardized contracts for
domestic and foreign players, clear
dispute-resolution mechanisms, defined
revenue pools, multi-year broadcast
strategies, and greater transparency
around spending. As revenues grow,
scrutiny will intensify. With every
new sponsor and broadcaster that
enters the ecosystem, expectations for
professionalism rise. In a commercial
environment as compressed as Nepal’s,
a single governance misstep can
dampen investor confidence across
multiple sectors simultaneously.

The league’s success so far shows that
CAN can manage a large event with
logistical discipline. The more difficult
task is building a system that remains
functional regardless of personalities.
Nepal’s sports institutions have
historically revolved around individuals
rather than frameworks. The NPL will
only sustain itself if it can reverse that
pattern. The commercial stakes are now
too high for improvisation.

This season, the NPL has also
come under scrutiny over alleged
irregularities in the tender process for
OTT and television broadcast rights.
Another persistent concern is illegal
betting — an issue that has plagued
cricket leagues across South Asia.
Police arrested eight Indian nationals
in Kathmandu during the first week
of the second season for their alleged
involvement in online betting linked to
the league.

Earlier, police had detained one
Indian and one Nepali national for
allegedly attempting to fix matches by
approaching players from participating
teams. Investigators said the duo
contacted players via WhatsApp and
met them at their hotel, offering up to
Rs 10 million to influence match results.
Even as police intensify action against
those involved in betting and attempted
match-fixing, CAN has faced criticism
for allowing surrogate advertisements
of online gambling platforms and
alcohol.

CAN faced similar allegations last
season. The Advertising Board imposed
a three-month ban and a Rs 10,000
fine on BrandLogiQ and Twenty First
Century Media (TCM) Sports — the
official event strategy and marketing
consultant for the first NPL season
— for placing surrogate ads of a
banned gambling company during the
tournament.

THE SHIFT TOWARD PAID
CONTENT

One of the NPL’s most striking
developments is the change in
broadcast value. For years, domestic
cricket in Nepal relied on livestreams
that were free to the public, with
broadcasters treating cricket more as
a goodwill gesture than a commodity
that can be monetized. This model
limited the growth of the sports
economy, constrained production
quality, and prevented rights holders
from developing a long-term strategy.
Rights fees were nominal; broadcasters
earned little and spent minimally.
Stadium branding was sporadic, and the
digital experience was designed more
for exposure than revenue.

The NPL has broken that pattern. Last
year, Action Sports purchased the
rights for Rs 7.5 million and streamed
matches freely, which was a necessary
introductory step for a league still
trying to establish its identity. This
season, the rights ecosystem matured.
DishHome acquired exclusive OTT
rights for Nepal and the diaspora
(excluding India) for Rs 53 million,
with a revenue-share mechanism
that guarantees CAN 71% of income
beyond the minimum threshold.
FanCode purchased the Indian
streaming rights for approximately Rs
20 million, marking the first significant rights sale into a foreign market for
Nepali cricket.

Kantipur Max became the linear TV
partner, reportedly paying over Rs
30 million, a figure unprecedented in
domestic Nepali sports broadcasting.
These deals reflect not only the
league’s growing popularity but also
a changing media market where
audiences are willing to pay for content
they value. For the first time, viewers
paid subscription fees specifically
to watch a Nepali domestic league,
signaling a shift from free-to-air
culture toward pay-per-view and
subscription-based consumption.

This behavioral shift carries
long-term implications. When fans
pay for content, the entire media
economy becomes more predictable.
Broadcasters can invest in production
knowing they have revenue streams
beyond advertising. The league can
negotiate multi-year deals with greater
confidence. Sponsors can rely on
consistent viewership numbers. A
subscription-based audience forms
a stable base on which digital sports
products can grow.

The investment in Star Sports highlights
Nepal’s strategic approach to global
visibility. Although CAN pays between
Rs 80 million and Rs 120 million
annually to have NPL highlights and
segments featured on Star Sports India,
the expenditure functions as a branding
investment rather than a profit line.
International exposure helps raise the
profile of Nepali cricket, increases
opportunities for domestic players in
foreign leagues, and strengthens the
league’s credibility among sponsors
who crave cross-border visibility.

However, the broadcast economy is
fragile. Nepal’s media market is still
small, and the ecosystem for digital
rights is developing. Rights valuations
must grow gradually, aligned with
audience metrics and advertiser
capacity. Several South Asian
leagues collapsed or struggled after
prematurely inflating rights valuations
beyond market capacity. Nepal must avoid that pattern. Sustainable growth
depends on data-driven pricing, realistic
expectations, and a broadcast strategy
that balances ambition with prudence.
The NPL’s transformation is one of the
clearest indicators of a maturing sports
economy. The move has forced the
entire broadcast industry to reevaluate
how Nepali sports content is produced,
consumed, and valued.

A SPORTS ECONOMY EMERGES

Nepal has long viewed sports as a
recreational or sentimental activity
rather than an economic sector. The
NPL disrupts that perception. The
league has already demonstrated that
sports can: generate billions of rupees
in economic activity, stimulate tourism,
create employment, attract corporate
investment, drive media innovation,
support digital content industries, and
enhance national branding.

The emergence of this sports economy
coincides with Nepal’s demographic
and technological transformation. A
young population, rising smartphone penetration, expanding digital
payments, and increased access to
global content have created favorable
conditions for a sports-driven
consumer market. The NPL is taking
advantage of these conditions by
offering a product that aligns with
modern audience behavior.

The league’s ability to integrate
commerce, identity, and entertainment
gives it a unique position. It is not
simply a cricket tournament but a
platform where multiple sectors
intersect — media, technology,
hospitality, retail, tourism, and digital
services. Few national initiatives create
this level of cross-sectoral engagement.
It is evolving from a seasonal event
into a national institution capable
of shaping economic behavior,
influencing investment decisions,
and redefining the role of sports in
Nepal’s narrative. This shift is visible
in the investments made by brands,
the stability sought by franchises, the
ambition of broadcasters, the rise of
sports professionals, and the growing
engagement of fans.

The NPL has already proven that
Nepal can build a large, credible sports
product. The question now is whether
the country can sustain that product and expand it into a fully developed
sports industry. The story of the Nepal
Premier League is ultimately a story
about possibility. It illustrates what
happens when institutional clarity
coincides with private-sector ambition
and public enthusiasm. It demonstrates
how sports can generate not just
entertainment but economic activity,
employment, tourism, and national
pride. It reveals how a well-managed
league can become a catalyst for
broader economic confidence.

Cricket has long been one of Nepal’s
most beloved sports, but the NPL has
shown that love alone is not enough.
What transforms passion into an
industry is structure, investment, and
coordination. The league brings these
elements together in a way no other
domestic event has achieved.

The NPL’s greatest contribution is
not the money it generates or the
players it elevates, but the belief it
restores: the belief that Nepal can
build large systems, manage them
with competence, and turn them
into engines of national progress. As
long as that belief holds, the NPL will
remain one of the most significant
developments in Nepal’s contemporary
economic and cultural landscape.

(The cover stroy of the December 2025 issue of New Business Age magazine.)