In Indian sport, marketing leaders now play as crucial a role as coaches when it comes to shaping leagues and building loyal fan bases. Within kabaddi, one of the country fastest growing televised sports, that responsibility has increasingly fallen on specialised teams that understand both sport and storytelling. It is against this backdrop that Vishal Kaul JioStar marketing lead for Pro Kabaddi League has been elevated to a larger leadership role at Mashal Sports.

Kaul has been promoted to senior director and head of marketing for the Pro Kabaddi League, after serving as associate director and head of marketing for more than two years. He shared news of the move on his professional network, signalling a continuation rather than a reset of the league branding and fan engagement strategy.

How experience across networks shaped Kaul new role

Before joining Mashal Sports, Kaul spent nearly eight years with Disney Star in various marketing roles tied to Star Sports. Those years coincided with a period when sports broadcasting in India expanded beyond cricket into kabaddi, football and international properties, demanding sharper positioning and differentiated communication for each league.

Earlier stints at Channel V, Times Network, Ogilvy and Mather and Percept H gave him exposure to youth programming, news formats and agency side thinking. Across these roles he built skills in brand communication, media planning, cross platform campaigns and project leadership, all of which now feed into the current mandate.

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At Mashal Sports, his work has involved building multi channel campaigns for the league, aligning broadcast, digital and on ground plans, and coordinating with sponsors to create integrated properties rather than isolated activations. That foundation now sets the stage for his expanded responsibilities.

What should brands expect from Pro Kabaddi League marketing now

For advertisers and partners, continuity in leadership often translates into steady evolution rather than dramatic shifts. With Kaul stepping up, brands can expect a focus on

  • Maintaining kabaddi position as a high energy, family friendly prime time property

  • Deepening regional and local engagement, given the sport roots beyond metros

  • Building long term platforms that live across seasons, not just during tournament weeks

  • Integrating digital storytelling with broadcast and stadium experiences

The league has increasingly relied on layered communication, from team specific narratives to fan challenges and behind the scenes content, to keep viewers invested beyond the matches themselves.

How does this elevation reflect the league broader ambitions

Pro Kabaddi League has moved from being an experimental format to an established part of India sports calendar. With that comes greater pressure to sustain ratings, innovate in presentation and retain sponsors in a crowded ecosystem. Elevating a leader who already understands the league inner workings suggests an intent to double down on what is working while opening room for new ideas.

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The increase in responsibility also reflects the complexity of modern sports marketing. Campaigns now have to account for streaming platforms, short video formats, social communities and emerging fan behaviours, all while keeping the core sport narrative clear and accessible.

By promoting Vishal Kaul JioStar marketing lead for Pro Kabaddi League to senior director and head of marketing, Mashal Sports is signalling confidence in a leader who has grown with the property and is well placed to guide its next phase of fan engagement, brand partnerships and multi platform storytelling.

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