Hero Indian Super League Emerges as Second Most Searched Sports League in Nation According to Google

The 2022-23 season of the Hero Indian Super League (Hero ISL) has already taken the fans by storm with some thrilling and edge-of-the-seat action on the pitch. There have been goals galore and last-minute results aplenty with rivalries brewing into the second half of the season. Off-the-pitch, the excitement has not been any less with fans displaying their passion, with increasing engagement and interest around the league.

From featuring in the top 10 searches on Google in India to roping in a bigger audience on social media platforms, the Hero ISL has registered impressive engagement numbers offering a variety of content over the past year. As noted by Google in its year-end report for 2022, Hero ISL featured in the top 10 searches on Google in India amongst all categories and sixth in the overall sports category – second amongst all Indian sports leagues in the country after the Indian Premier League. These numbers have been achieved with marquee global tournaments being hosted during the same time, including the recently concluded FIFA World Cup. This is a testament to the country’s growing engagement with Indian football.

The Hero ISL digital platforms have also reaffirmed these trends. At the halfway point of the 2022-23 season of the Hero Indian Super League (ISL), the league has recorded a rapid spike of 2x in digital engagements as compared to previous years. Across social media, the Hero ISL is now followed by 8.73 million fans with video views and social engagements in comparison to a similar point in the 2021-22 season have grown by 2x clocking 343 million views and 107 million respectively.

Commenting on the trend, Hero Indian Super League Spokesperson said, “We are humbled by the increasing interest and excitement shown by our Hero ISL fans. The social media numbers further re-iterate the wide landscape of fans supporting Indian Football and the Hero ISL. We are committed towards creating the best experiences for our fans and continue to evolve with our digital platforms to engage with our audience.”

There have been several contributing factors behind this significant spike, the most significant one being the new weekend-centric format of the 2022-23 edition. This switch has enabled fans to engage more freely with the Hero ISL’s digital properties as well as stadium experiences. Fans have had the opportunity to enjoy high-quality moments both at the stadium as well as on Hero ISL’s various digital channels, which has been in line with the FSDL’s commitment of taking Indian football to newer audiences and building a passionate base to grow the game in the country.

A social media matchday feed that powers both the official league and club handles has been providing fans a different and immediate pitch-side perspective of big moments in the game. The league’s Unfiltered series, which offers a sideline perspective of big games has enthralled digital audiences with immersive footage that includes team arrivals, warm-up sessions, player and fan reactions, as well as touchline footage of breathtaking moments to capture the stadium experience.