Playo’s ₹300 crore GTV signals a bigger digital play for India’s sports venues

District by Zomato is entering a sports-booking market led by Playo and a growing set of platforms. Playo says bookings and revenue are up about 70% year on year, with nearly ₹300 crore in annualised GTV across 125+ cities.

— Source publishedWed, 5 Aug, 2026, 08:41 IST·First seen Wed, 5 Aug, 2026, 09:43 IST·Source ET Brand Equity

What happened

India's digital sports-booking market is attracting District by Zomato alongside Playo and other startups. Playo reports roughly 70% annual growth and nearly Rs

Key facts

  • 60-70% of Urban Sports bookings occur online
  • Pickleball and padel bookings are almost entirely digital
  • Cricket and football turfs rent for Rs 1,500-3,000 per hour
  • Pickleball courts rent for Rs 400-1,200 per hour
  • Premium padel courts rent for Rs 2,000-3,000 per hour
  • India has more than 400 million young people
  • Ahmedabad has over 250 cricket turfs
  • Playo bookings and revenue have grown about 70% year over year
  • Playo annualised GTV is nearly Rs 300 crore
  • Playo operates in more than 125 cities
  • Playo enabled over 600,000 new connections in June
  • Nearly 5 million direct messages are exchanged monthly

Why this matters

District by Zomato’s move makes sports booking a credible adjacency for consumer platforms, raising partnership or acquisition value for regional venue networks, booking software and community-led sports operators.

What to watch

  • District launches a dedicated sports category, city rollout or venue-partnership announcement.
  • Changes in Playo's reported active users, repeat-booking rate, city coverage, GTV growth or take rate.
  • Exclusive agreements with large turf, padel, badminton, pickleball or multi-sport venue chains.
  • Introduction of membership passes, corporate booking products, tournament management or venue SaaS offerings.
  • Evidence of discounting, commission reductions or multi-platform inventory by venue operators.
  • Growth in newer racket-sport supply, especially padel and pickleball, which can create higher-frequency booking inventory.
  • District is likely to launch sports discovery in major metros first, using local event and dining audiences for cross-sell.
  • Playo is likely to deepen venue partnerships through SaaS tools, memberships, leagues and corporate-wellness packages rather than rely only on booking commissions.
  • Sports-booking platforms may add dynamic pricing for off-peak slots, subscription passes and group-payment features to improve utilization.
  • Venue chains and premium academies may negotiate exclusive inventory, preferred placement and lower commissions as platforms compete for supply.
  • Zomato could bundle sports bookings into District loyalty, event-ticketing and dining offers, increasing customer acquisition pressure on specialist apps.

Also reported by