When cricket returns to the Olympics at the Los Angeles 2028 Games, the International Olympic Committee is banking on a massive audience boost. Absent since 1900, the sport offers the Olympic movement a direct gateway to more than two billion fans, primarily across the Indian subcontinent.
The return of cricket to the Olympic programme is much more than a sporting novelty. According to Reuters, Olympic leaders view the inclusion as a calculated strategic bet that the surest path to billions of fresh viewers runs straight through India, which serves as the sport’s commercial heartland.
While the sport featured at the Paris Games in 1900, it spent more than a century away from the Olympic stage. Now, it arrives with a massive demographic prize attached, offering immediate access to a market the Olympic movement has historically struggled to penetrate deeply.
Reaching Underserved Markets Through T20 Cricket
The breakthrough that brought cricket back to the Olympic fold relied entirely on format. Traditional five-day Test matches and eight-hour one-day internationals proved completely impractical for the Games. The solution emerged with the rise of Twenty20, a fast-paced, three-hour format.
“It is very strong in markets where maybe you could say the Olympic Games today may not have penetrated as much as they have in other markets.”
Pierre Ducrey, IOC Sports Director
Ducrey described the addition as a win-win compromise that brings in dedicated sports fans who might not otherwise tune in regularly to watch the Olympics. International Cricket Council Chief Executive Sanjog Gupta echoed that sentiment, noting that T20 format maximizes the unpredictability and jeopardy that live sports thrive on.
“Avenues of participation have been expanded significantly to really position this format as cricket’s handshake with the world. It’s global, more accessible and representative. T20 ticks all the right boxes.”
Sanjog Gupta, ICC Chief Executive
Broadcasting Interest and Subcontinent Commercial Value
The commercial appetite for Olympic cricket is already showing up in media negotiations. An IOC spokesperson confirmed strong market interest in broadcasting rights for the Indian subcontinent for the 2028 Games.
That projected value stands in sharp contrast to past contracts. IOC Television and Marketing Services Managing Director Anne-Sophie Voumard indicated that the subcontinent contract could reach a multiple of the value secured for the Paris 2024 Games contract, which was estimated to be worth around $30 million.
Media ties in the region are already deeply established. Billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s Indian broadcaster JioStar—formed via a 2024 merger of Reliance Industries and Walt Disney media assets—previously held rights for the Paris 2024 Games and the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Games, alongside broadcasting rights for the Indian Premier League. Furthermore, Nita Ambani serves as an IOC member and hosted the 2023 IOC session in Mumbai.
A Decades-Long Alignment for Los Angeles 2028
The road to Los Angeles took 21 years, starting when the IOC granted provisional recognition to the International Cricket Council in 2007. Although the IOC fully recognised the ICC in 2010, the integration waited for further structural changes.
The process finally accelerated after reforms in 2014 allowed host cities to propose additional sports for their specific editions. When Los Angeles stepped forward for 2028, the pieces fell into place.
When competition begins in Southern California, the tournament will remain relatively compact, featuring six teams in both the men’s and women’s events. With nearly half of cricket’s global following under the age of 35, the IOC hopes this slender six-team tournament will successfully hook a massive new demographic of young fans.
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