The Rise of Nepal’s Most Valuable Sports Platform

When the second edition  of the Nepal Premier  League (NPL) opened under  the floodlights of onal 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.)