Ormax launches sports tracker to measure marketing punch

MUMBAI: Ormax Media has unveiled Ormax Sports Track, a syndicated research tool that measures how well sports tournaments perform among India’s digital audience. The Mumbai-based media research firm already tracks theatrical films, streaming originals and television launches—now it is turning its attention to the lucrative world of sports content.

The timing is shrewd. Streaming platforms are splashing serious cash on sports rights, treating them as tentpole content to drive subscriptions and advertising revenue. With 678.2m sports fans in India, the prize is substantial. At any given moment, 25-30 sports properties are either live or preparing to launch across various over-the-top (OTT) platforms, spanning cricket, football, kabaddi, tennis and wrestling.

Ormax Sports Track measures four key parameters on a 0-100 scale. “Buzz” captures unaided recall—how many viewers spontaneously remember a tournament when asked about current or upcoming sports events. “Reach” tracks aided awareness—the percentage who recognise a tournament’s name when prompted. “Appeal” measures definite viewing intent among those aware of the property. “Potency” gauges how many would subscribe to a paid platform specifically to watch the tournament.

The tool is powered by weekly online surveys of 600-plus regular OTT sports viewers. The sample mirrors demographics from Ormax’s Sports Audience Report 2024, split equally between metros (Mumbai, Delhi NCR, southern metros and Kolkata) and non-metros (west-central, north and south regions).

Subscribers receive reports twice weekly: a mid-week update every Tuesday and an end-of-week summary every Friday, complete with target group trends for properties on their platforms. Each tournament is tracked from launch announcement through to the final whistle.

For sports marketers and streaming executives, the service promises to decode which campaigns cut through the noise in India’s crowded digital sports arena. With millions riding on rights deals, knowing what resonates with audiences could prove invaluable.