Sports Without Guarantees

From Niche Product to Mass Demand

Between 2010 and 2015, sports insurance in Russia remained a narrow segment of the insurance market. Policies were purchased primarily by professional athletes, children's sports schools (at the initiative of parents or as required by sports federations and competition organizers), and participants in official competitions. Mass demand was limited, and the product was poorly differentiated. Market participants note that dynamics remained moderate until 2020.

The situation changed dramatically during the pandemic years. In 2020–2021, the cancellation of competitions and training sessions led to a decline in sales. However, starting in 2022, the market entered a recovery phase, followed by active growth. As noted by the press service of Ingosstrakh, driven by digitalization, expanded product lines, and growing interest in sports:

 "The approximate growth of the sports insurance market from 2010 to 2025 is 300%."

International estimates help gauge the current scale of the segment: in 2025, the global sports insurance market is valued at $14–15 billion and is growing at 5–6% annually.

Which Sports Are Most Frequently Insured

Demand structure is directly linked to the popularity and injury risk of various sports. In the amateur insurance segment, disciplines with broad audiences lead the way. Director of Projects at SberInsurance Elena Kosheleva emphasizes:

"Policies are most often purchased for running, swimming, martial arts—such as judo, sambo, and karate—and team sports like football, basketball, and volleyball."

Other insurers are also seeing steady demand for hockey, rhythmic gymnastics, competitive dance, and skiing disciplines. At the same time, the market is clearly segmented by risk level, which is reflected in policy pricing. Insurance House VSK emphasized:

"Insurance for dangerous sports such as mountaineering, hang gliding, canyoning, heli-skiing, or freeriding is significantly more expensive than for less risky activities."

According to RESO-Garantia, the most expensive remain combat sports, auto and motorsports, as well as aerial sports. The most affordable policies are for amateurs who train occasionally and don't participate in competitions.

Training versus competitions

By 2025, the market has shifted toward comprehensive products. Separate policies covering only competitions are becoming increasingly rare. Insurers prefer annual programs that include both the training process and participation in competitions. Head of Product for the Personal Insurance and Outbound Travel Insurance Department at RESO-Garantia Nadezhda Grishina notes:

"Typically, a policy is purchased for a year and covers both the training process and participation in competitions."

Thus, the share of "training" and "competition" insurance has effectively been consolidated into a single product where combined coverage dominates.

Rising claims and payouts

The increase in the number of insured athletes naturally leads to more claims. According to SberInsurance, in 2025 the company settled over 6,400 incidents under athlete insurance policies.

Other market players are recording similar trends. At Ingosstrakh, claims under sports policies increased 13% in 2025 compared to 2024. The claims frequency per insured person remains relatively stable, however, which suggests not so much a rise in injuries as an expansion of the market itself.

Mandatory Coverage as a Growth Driver

Despite market growth, a key problem remains unresolved: sports insurance is not mandatory for mass sporting events. This means liability for risks is often shifted to participants themselves, while protection remains fragmented.

At the same time, as SOGAZ notes, the market is gradually moving toward a new model:

"A new, modern culture of sports recreation and entertainment is gradually taking shape. Companies are betting on long-term relationships with clients."

Projects where insurance is included in the ticket or ski-pass price without any additional action required from the client are becoming examples of this trend.

However, such solutions remain the initiative of individual players rather than an industry standard. Against the backdrop of growing numbers of events and participants, the question of mandatory insurance protection is increasingly becoming a subject of discussion and, likely, the next stage in the market's evolution.