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Category: Sports

  • BCCI pushes forward IPLT20 date to 15 April

    BCCI pushes forward IPLT20 date to 15 April

    MUMBAI: A lot of speculation was doing the rounds if the world’s most valued T20 league would be impacted by the novel corona virus scare. Some said it would, some said it would not. Well, now it has been confirmed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)  honorary secretary Jay Shah.

    The board issued a press release a short while ago, that the league was being suspended till 15 April as a “precautionary measure against the ongoing novel Corona virus situaition.”

    The press note further added: “The BCCI is concerned and sensitive about all its stakeholders, and public health in general, and it is taking all necessary steps to ensure that, all people related to IPL including fans have a safe cricketing experience.The BCCI will work closely with the Government of India along with the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and all other relevant Central and State Government departments in this regard.”

    Estimates are that close to  $1.5 billion is riding behind the IPL in terms of advertising, sponsorships, ticket sales.  

    With a truncated duration, it will have to be seen how the suspension will impact the revenue potential of the league.  And how the BCCI will compensate telecast rights holder Star India for the loss of telecast days, if such a need does arise. It was expected that Star would raise close to Rs 3,000 crore this year through the IPL in terms of partnerships, sponsorships and air time deals.

    Watch this space for further updates.

  • Coronavirus scare: Govt throws IPL ball back to organiser’s court

    Coronavirus scare: Govt throws IPL ball back to organiser’s court

    MUMBAI: The central government, in the backdrop of the coronavirus scare, has thrown the ball back to organiser’s court to decide on the future of the thirteenth edition of Indian Premier League (IPL), which is scheduled take place between 29 March and 24 April 2020.

    The eight-team franchise is termed to be the biggest sporting event in the country. And, it’s expected that at least 40,000 people will witness the game live from the stadiums during this season of IPL 2020.

    On the effect of coronavirus on IPL, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson had said: “It is for the organisers to decide whether to go ahead with it or not. Our advice would be to not do it at this time but if they want to go ahead, it is their decision.”

    However, the ministry clarified: “Some general observations were made on holding large sporting events in India. But no specific recommendations have been sought or made by MEA on hosting the IPL or any other sporting event in India.”

    It has been speculated that the tournament is likely to be postponed or will be hosted in a closed-door format without large gatherings. However, while confirming these speculations, the Maharashtra government has asked the IPL organisers to host close-door tournament or postpone it to a later date to curb the spread of the virus.

    In this regard, the Maharashtra health minister Rajesh Tope on Thursday said: “Cabinet discussed and we are of the view that big gatherings should be avoided. We have two options: IPL should be done without spectators or else matches should be postponed.”

    Asian News International, quoting sources, reported, “The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has invited all Indian Premier League team franchises for IPL Governing Council meeting on Saturday”.

    Earlier on Thursday, the Madras High Court ordered to issue notices to the BCCI and the union health ministry regarding a PIL against conducting IPL matches in view of the coronavirus outbreak.

    The virus that first appeared in the Wuhan city of China has spread to over 46 countries and entered India earlier this month. Around 100 positive cases have been confirmed in India as of Thursday. The first death in the country has been reported from Karnataka as a 76-year-old male was infected by the novel virus.

  • Corona impact on IPL: Brands take a wait-and-watch approach

    Corona impact on IPL: Brands take a wait-and-watch approach

    MUMBAI: Three weeks into India’s biggest cricketing event, Indian Premier League, brands and sponsors are re-looking their strategy amid the outbreak of coronavirus.

    The virus that first appeared in the Wuhan city of China has spread to over 46 countries and entered India earlier this month. Around 50 positive cases have been confirmed in India as of Tuesday, as per the union health ministry.

    Amid the pandemic, the global trade has taken a toll and affected countries have shut their borders. “From a brand perspective, the market has slowed down a bit. Everybody is putting things on hold and is on wait-and-watch mode”, says Havas Media’s chief executive officer Anita Nayyar.

    She believes that as the League approaches, everybody will take a call on the impact of the virus on IPL. “Since money is involved in this event, the virus scare will absolutely impact the overall business. The impact will be there, but to what extent? It’s something we will get to know as we approach the sporting event,” says Nayyar.

    Nayyar adds, “Change in on-ground viewership will open up the box of re-negotiation amid the virus outbreak. Except for broadcasters, events, stadia-ads, event-ticketing will get impacted as on-ground viewership leads to different hue and add tinge to the entertainment-sporting event.”  

    Sharing the same view, Madison Media’s senior general manager Chirag Shah believes there will be a deep impact on on-ground revenue as the turnaround on stadiums could be lower, especially in regions like Delhi and Kerala where the virus spread is huge.

    “Though the co-sponsors and title sponsors may have been sold as the event nears there are inventories and spot-buys to be sold that will be impacted. Brands are somehow reluctant and discussions are happening within them and they definitely have doubts about it,” says Shah.

    Explaining as to why spot-buys will see an impact, Shah says, “Consumer durables are the major advertisers that buy inventories during IPL and are heavily dependent on the south-eastern countries like China, Japan and South Korea for the components or parts. And, as these countries are majorly being hit by the virus, there’s an impact on supply, and eventually, ad spends on such expensive property will be re-looked.”

    The virus being most contagious and its spread phenomenal, chances are that the stadium may see less number of turnout as people are worried about their lives.

    Trust Research Advisory CEO and brand expert N Chandramouli says, “Such sporting events draw the attention of large crowd gathering. Amid the virus outbreak, the crowd coming together is a big no-no. IPL not being that sacrosanct as Olympics can be held later. There would be viewership challenge if there’s no stadium crowd as they are the one who add drama, excitement, and passion to the tournament.”

    Says Chandramouli, “The virus’ impact is huge on the economy and all the other sectors. Similarly, don’t believe that IPL will be spared. The only thing is people are not sure about the intensity of that impact.”

    “Brands are re-looking their strategy very closely”, says Mouli, echoing Nayyar’s view. “Even brands themselves should pull back from the event and urge government for the postponement.” According to him, down the line if the situation worsens, the union government may step in and probably come up with the alternative of postponement or time cancellation of the event.

    On the other hand, Dentsu Aegis Network India’s chief executive officer Anand Bhadkamkar says, “At this point, nobody knows what will happen and postponement of the event won’t impact the brand value; however, there definitely will be a loss of viewership, and eventually revenue.” IPL during summer vacations garners maximum eyeballs.

    Adding further, the DAN India CEO says, “Every brand is going back to their drawing board and re-looking the strategy planned for the IPL. They are evaluating the options and scenarios considering a lot of money, manpower involved in the process.” How long this will go on? That is something we need to see, he adds.

    He says, “Anything that is changed or moved from the original format will certainly have ramifications; the only difference is that we are unaware of the impact and too early to predict loss. But the impact of the virus outspread will definitely be seen.”  

    Is the virus scare hyped?

    All the four industry experts are of the view that there is no hype regarding the outbreak, but people, of course, are overcautious and don’t wish to take risk as the virus is pandemic.

    Amid the concerns, the Maharashtra health minister Rajesh Tope had said the state government is thinking of postponing the 13 edition of IPL. The Board of Cricket Council of India president Sourav Ganguly has said the game will happen as planned and that the board will take as many precautions and measures as possible.

  • Technology and sports: Indian fans lead the change

    Technology and sports: Indian fans lead the change

    MUMBAI: The marriage of sports with technology is reaping rewards. Nearly 90 per cent of Indian fans believe that the use of emerging technologies in sports has enhanced their overall viewing experience, both inside and outside the stadium, according to a Capgemini research institute report on ‘Emerging technologies in sports: reimagining the fan experience'. Additionally, 70 per cent of sports fans across the world point out that technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) have changed their overall viewing experience.

    “The advent of the AI, AR, and VR age has added a new dimension to the sports genre. It has pushed the creative boundaries and sports broadcasters are lapping up the tech on offer,” says Sony Pictures Sports Networks, head – marketing & on-air promotions Neville Bastawalla. “The VR and AR setup, a part of Sony Sports studios, have constantly been used for marquee events like UEFA Champions League, India tour of Australia 2019, Commonwealth Games, UFC, etc. It has really added another layer of interest, intrigue and visual delight for sports fans, creating more immersive sports viewing experience.”

    Citing an example of technology that helps the sports broadcaster, Bastawalla says, “Imagine one studio catering to various sports but with a different look on a flick of a few buttons. One can start the day with an Australia theme studio in the morning and get a completely new set designed for European football at night – all this in one studio and through the magic of VR.”

    “However, the sports broadcasting industry has just scratched the surface as far as the power of VR and AR are concerned. Globally, tech partners are working around the clock to deliver the next big thing on this platform,” adds the marketing head of Sony Sports channels.

    Echoing the views of Bastawalla, Dentsu Aegis Network – South Asia director – data sciences, Abhinay Bhasin says, “Technologies like AR, AI-driven systems and VR have only spurred the growth of users and engagement of sports fans by offering ‘never seen before’ experiences. The future application of such technology is limitless. Imagine creating an experience where you are at the finish line just as Hima Das finishes her sprint or on the field just as MS Dhoni knocks a winning six!”

    More than 65 per cent of fans, across the globe, have increased the number of matches they watch on traditional TV channels, whereas 60 per cent of sports fans are watching matches on digital platforms. Over 91 per cent of fans across the globe have increased their spending on team or brand merchandise thanks to technological advancements.

    “Technology used in sports broadcast has helped advertisers in various ways in recent times,” says Bastawalla. “For example, during LIVE cricket broadcast, virtual reality is not only used for display statistics or player information as an immersive graphic component, but also has become a tool through which advertisers can get visibility on the playing field.”

    Meanwhile, Bhasin says, “Digital has propelled the movement of eyeballs from being glued to television sets to now being glued to mobile and digital screens on the go. The ubiquitous consumption of data fuelled by inexpensive smart phones and telco wars has only given momentum to a shift in the online behaviour of audiences.”

    There has also been a marginal rise in the way e-sports is being consumed across the globe. Topping the chart in watching and playing sport through e-sports, the report said, India has a fan base of over 70 per cent who have watched e-sports and 57 per cent have played it.

    Bhasin mentions, “With the present and future now being driven on an online world, for example Hotstar, which logged 300 million users and a 40 per cent market share of active users in April 2019, sports is being rapidly shifted to digital screens – requiring brands to follow audiences and engage in an online space.”

    The report says, “This research has laid out the benefits those organisations can reap by appropriately deploying emerging technologies to not only enhance the fan experience but also to attract more fans.”

    “The common drawback broadcasters and advertisers face is in keeping audience engagement levels at constant highs,” says the DAN data science director. “Every format of sport has moments where energy levels are at lows and there is a constant drop out the risk of audiences.”

    “As technology pushes the creative boundaries in terms of delivering information, it creates a new avenue to have more and new-age advertisers on board. However, it being an upcoming and nascent field, has high entry barriers and need deep investments,” concludes Bastawalla.

  • Sports media revenues to grow at 7 per cent CAGR IN 11 APAC markets over 2019-2024 to reach $7.2 bn

    Sports media revenues to grow at 7 per cent CAGR IN 11 APAC markets over 2019-2024 to reach $7.2 bn

    MUMBAI: Sports rights costs across 11 Asia Pacific markets grew 2.4 per cent in 2019 to reach $5.5 billion. in aggregate while sports revenues across TV & online video increased 7.8 per cent in 2019 to reach $5.2 billion in total, according to a new report published today by Media Partners Asia (MPA). MPA projections indicate sports rights costs will grow 3.8 per cent CAGR between 2019-24 to reach $6.6 billion by 2024 while sports revenues in TV & online video will grow at a 6.7 per cent CAGR to reach $7.2 billion by 2024. The report, entitled ASIA PACIFIC SPORTS MEDIA 2020, tracks the growth trajectory of sports rights and TV & online video sports revenues across 11 markets in Asia Pacific with historical data & projections as well as analysis of key players & sports properties by geography.

    OTT accounted for 21 per cent of sports media revenue generation in 2019 in the 11 Asia Pacific markets. This is likely to almost double over the next five years to reach 40 per cent by 2024. Excluding China, OTT will account for 23 per cent of sports media monetisation in 2024 across the measured markets, up from 12 per cent in 2019. The MPA report notes: (1) Sports rights costs & revenues are seasonal and lumpy; major global events typically occur every 2-4 years and can either inflate or adversely impact sports economics on a year on year basis and (2) Global sporting events in 2020 (i.e. the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and UEFA Euro 2020) are a key driver of value in Asia Pacific markets but are subject to risk given the global spread of the coronavirus.

    Commenting on the key findings, MPA Senior Analyst Srivathsan AR said, “The market for premium sports remains relatively healthy in Asia Pacific, in spite of uneven structural dynamics and the corrosive impact of piracy. Sports rights investments in China, India, Australia and Japan are driven by a strong domestic sports ecosystem, supported by premium international rights for football, basketball and baseball. Rights costs in China are driven by growing appetite for domestic and international football as well as basketball. Growth momentum, strong between 2016-19, will stabilise post 2021-22. Cricket continues to drive more 85 per cent of India’s costs. Rationalising of pay-TV spends on domestic rights in Australia will affect the overall market in the future while domestic baseball and football will drive growth in Japan’s sports rights market. Greater Southeast Asia, including Hong Kong, is dependent on growth in international football and basketball. Local football in markets such as Thailand, Indonesia and basketball in Philippines will continue to deliver additional growth.”

    MPA Executive Director Vivek Couto added: “A number of themes are emerging across the region. Investment in premium sports rights is often proving scalable and sustainable, when driven by: (1) Large scale internet players with pole position in a vast digital ecosystem, which helps subsidize investment in premium content (i.e. Tencent in China) or integrated pure play entertainment and sports OTTs with AVOD and SVOD business models (i.e. Hotstar in India and iQiyi in China); (2) Pay-TV operators investing to retain high-ARPU customers and grow a new OTT segment, anchored to product innovation with premium sports at the forefront (i.e. Foxtel, Sky Network TV, Astro and PCCW’s Now TV); and (3) Local & regional TV broadcasters that have a combination of mass reach and premium segmentation with branded sports networks (i.e. Star and Sony in India; select free TV players in Southeast Asia and regional pay network beIN Sports).”

    In 2019, football led the sports rights market across the 11 APAC territories with the Premier League topping the list of individual properties. The Premier League rights value is expected to moderate after 2022, particularly in China. Cricket is growing fast as Indian sports broadcasters continue to pay a premium for the IPL, the ICC and the India international (BCCI) rights. The IPL is the most valued domestic league in APAC currently. Cricket is growing its pie in Australia & New Zealand markets as well. Basketball is growing in demand regionally. Rugby World Cup 2019 drove Rugby’s share.

    China, India, Australia and Japan will contribute on average ~85 per cent to sports rights fees & sports media revenues over 2019-24. Greater Southeast Asia, including Hong Kong, will average ~15 per cent over the 2019-24 period. In terms of sports revenues across TV & online video, Japan led in 2019 with a 27 per cent contribution; by 2024, China will lead with a 33 per cent contribution.

  • IMPACT Wrestling Expands Indian Broadcast Footprint with DSPORT

    IMPACT Wrestling Expands Indian Broadcast Footprint with DSPORT

    MUMBAI: IMPACT Wrestling, a subsidiary of Anthem Sports & Entertainment Inc and one of the world’s largest professional wrestling organisations, announced today a new television distribution deal with Discovery India, expanding its audience reach in this important region of the world. As part of the agreement, Discovery will broadcast 12 monthly IMPACT Plus specials on DSPORT and DSPORT HD across Indian subcontinent. The exclusive deal will include monthly specials from IMPACT Wrestling’s IMPACT Plus service, including Sacrifice from February and Lockdown in March.

    “IMPACT Wrestling has always maintained a strong presence in India and the Indian sub-continent where our passionate fan base continues to grow,” said Anthem Sports & Entertainment CCO and IMPACT Wrestling president Ed Nordholm.

    “With our volume of events increasing over the last two years, there has been more demand for exclusive and original IMPACT Wrestling content in the market. We are excited to be partnering with Discovery India to launch our monthly IMPACT Plus specials on DSPORT and look forward to continued international growth and expansion opportunities,” he added

    “We are delighted to partner with Impact Wrestling in our attempt to showcase the best possible professional wrestling action for discerning fans in India,” said Discovery SVP affiliate sales and head of sports business – South Asia Vijay Rajput. “Wrestling as a sport continues to show positive uptake in the country and we are eager to grow it as a focus area in our programming mix.”

    IMPACT Wrestling is renowned for its world-class roster of athletes, led by IMPACT World Champion Tessa Blanchard, UFC Hall of Famer Ken Shamrock and legends Rob Van Dam and Rhino, high-flying X-Division stars such as Rich Swann and TJP, former NFL player Moose, Sami Callihan, Eddie Edwards, and Michael Elgin, plus the Knockouts, including Champion Jordynne Grace, Taya Valkyrie, Rosemary and Tenille Dashwood.

  • IPL 2020: From the brands’ lens

    IPL 2020: From the brands’ lens

    MUMBAI: For audiences and TV viewers, the Indian Premier League (IPL) is all about the action on the field – the ball being belted for fours and sixes on all sides of the pitch. The leather striking the stumps with the bails being lit up as they leap up in the air. The superhuman lunge that lands the ball in the fielder’s hand. The IPL is about the edge-of-the-seat finishes to the matches. That’s what viewers thrive on; that’s what they can’t get enough of.

    But there’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes to make the IPL a possibility every year. Humungous amounts have been invested to acquire the rights. And who is it that helps the broadcaster recover the investment? It is the brands that consumers so desire and lap up in the supermarkets and kiranawala stores.

    For brands, it is all about that standout moment throughout the tournament so that the investment turns out as money well spent. IPL has transformed cricket and it has seen a noticeable increase in family viewing. It has also democratised sports as a medium for advertisers. An FMCG brand like Fortune has come on board as a broadcast associate sponsor while there is a notion that these brands don’t look at sports traditionally.

    Adani Wilmar Ltd media & strategy head Sanjay Adesara denies the claim that FMCGs do not consider sports as a crucial part of their communication mix and media plan. According to him, FMCG brands have been putting their ad dollars in premium sports events like the World Cup or the IPL for long now. And he adds that the percentage has only been increasing year-on-year.

    “Now, you cannot consider IPL as a cricketing event only. For the Indian households, IPL has become an entertainment show. It’s a short-format of cricket T-20; entertainment happens around IPL. IPL as a property or event transcends genders and markets. It reaches out to both males and females. IPL is a perfect platform to launch any new communication, positioning or campaign. Currently, we have revamped our brand, look and feel. We will capitalise on IPL as an event,” he says.

    Asian Paints, which has possibly hopped on to the IPL sponsorship bandwagon for the umpteenth time, is a die-hard fan of the format. Asian Paints COO Amit Syngle expresses that it is associating with the league once again as it wants to create mass appeal for the brand. “It cuts across genders, age group. Brand association plays a critical role in influencing consumers’ purchase decisions. Not only does it make a memorable impression on consumers, but it also allows customers to connect with the brand and the company,” he adds.

    Considerably, IPL 2019 brought more viewers across age groups and genders to television.  The twelfth edition of the IPL saw the highest growth of viewership among kids (2-14 years), an increase of 25 per cent compared to the last session. Even female viewership grew by 14 per cent during the last year.

    IPL has acted as the ideal platform to launch new communications as well as products. Fortune has recently launched a brand new logo and a wide range of product offerings and featured Akshay Kumar in its TVCs. As the 1999-born brand revamps its identity, Adesara admits that recent activities are co-related.

    “In the past four-five years, Fortune has expanded beyond edible oils which is into basmati rice, atta, soya, nuggets. We have also upgraded our local feel. We are establishing the fact that Fortune is no more an edible oil company or a brand. It’s a range of food products which are available. The new campaign and entire activity is a continuation,” he comments.

    “We believe our association with IPL has helped us to engage and connect with consumers in a great way in tier 2 and 3 markets and develop omnipresence for the brand. Our prime objective with this association was to create several effective touch points to attain maximum reach, generate top-of- mind recall and strengthen the brand image,” Asian Paint’s Syngle adds.

    PhonePe, the digital payment startup which raised Rs 743.5 crore fresh funding from Walmart before the last IPL, is now a second-time sponsor of the league. A PhonePe spokesperson says that the focus of last year’s brand campaign was on building awareness around digital payments for both rural and urban audiences. A mass media platform such as TV offered it the perfect opportunity to do so as it is the medium with the largest reach in the country.

    “We have continued the association this year as well. We are the official co-presenting sponsor for the television broadcast of VIVO IPL 2020 and will be launching a series of TV ads during this IPL season. Alia Bhatt has joined Aamir Khan as our brand ambassadors this year,” the spokesperson adds.

    Fortune’s Adesara says width and depth are the strength of IPL. According to him, one can expect both. In past seasons also, IPL has delivered reach but he mentions that the addition of regional feeds has strengthened the reach more. IPL is a great property to associate with. 

    It seems Star’s bet on regionalisation has paid rich dividends for the broadcaster. Last year, there were dedicated Telugu, Kannada and Bangla sports channels for matches. According to BARC data, while viewing minutes in Hindi increased by 18 per cent, other regional languages including Tamil, Telugu,  Malayalam, Kannada, Bengali and Marathi saw 10 per cent growth.

    The PhonePe spokesperson points out that customer acquisition and brand recall among the target audience are a few of the metrics that it looks at while measuring the effectiveness of the association and the brand campaign.

    “We aim to grow the pie of digital transactors in the country, especially from tier 2 and 3 markets and beyond. We aim to drive greater awareness and preference for PhonePe's features and services. The key theme will be to catalyse progress for everyone through our brand platform of 'Karte Ja. Badhte Ja',” the spokesperson adds. PhonePe has earmarked Rs 800 crore for marketing in this calendar year. It can be predicted that a major chunk of it will go for IPL as it has already roped in a B-town brand ambassador and will launch many TVCs during the tournament.

    While Asian Paints also has an association with KKR, it plans to boost the brand presence with consumers across key markets like West Bengal. With the growing popularity of the IPL especially on digital, the brand also intends to continue its strategy with regards to shorter edits and higher frequency of spots along with content partnerships to maximise the reach. With IPL 2020, Asian Paints seeks to further boost visibility for its key brands, in addition to enhancing mind recall among consumers, Syngle adds.

    Last year, along with regular advertisements, brands relied on innovative communication strategies to drive more engagement. With the spectacle of cricket, we can hope to see new types of marketing campaigns too from 29 March.

  • Women power behind the willow

    Women power behind the willow

    MUMBAI: Cricket has for a long time been labelled a man’s game. But, recently, eves have been wielding the willow with equal ease, smashing the ball in all parts of the ground, and out of it – drawing even the most die-hard chauvinists to switch on their TVs and flock to the stadiums.

    As a result, the sport has been gaining prominence in terms of audience reach and advertisers’ interest. Being a popular game that unites the nation, cricket is now performing one lofty duty, the duty of transcending gender boundaries!

    Cricket-hungry Indians are by now known for their alacrity in lapping up sports events in various formats. The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2020 which is being held Down Under has been covered by 16 broadcasters worldwide.

    In India, fans had the opportunity of watching the matches live either on TV or on digital platforms such as Hotstar, thanks to Star Sports, which is the global broadcast partner of the ICC.  Star’s live coverage is available to the rest of the sub-continent including Sri Lanka, and in languages such as Hindi, English, Telugu, Kannada and Tamil.

    A crowd of 13,432 watched the opening game between India and Australia at Sydney Showground Stadium on 24 February, the highest for a women’s international cricket match in Australia. That was three times the  4,131 who thronged to watch the Women’s Ashes T20I at Manuka Oval, Canberra in 2017. TV viewership syrocketed five times for the opener in 2020 as against that reported in 2018 when the last T20 World Cup was held. (source: BARC, TVR M15+ ABU).

    It was money and time well spent by them: top-order batswomen, the in-form 16-year-old Shafali Varma, scored aggressively to give the Indian team a fighting chance in the game, even as the more experienced players did not do well with the bat. Despite a relatively low score to defend, it was leggie Poonam Yadav who struck four Aussie batswomen out to seal the match for India.

    The Indian team, led by Harmanpreet Kaur, has been winning hearts and matches, courtesy great bowling performances. And it appears to be the favourite to bring home the trophy. Expectations are high and the excitement has been building up and, at the time of writing, more than 50,000 tickets had been sold for the final which is to be held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground scheduled on 8 March, Women’s Day.

    Though brand associations and sponsorships are a fraction of men’s tournaments, it won’t be too long when women’s cricket will assume the same status as men’s cricket. The T20 women’s World Cup has found Nissan, Oppo and Booking.com as its main backers. And a slew of other brands which believe in its ability to deliver. Sportswear brand Puma has a lot of campaigns lined up with women cricket players. Coca-Cola India’s #PowerHasNoGender is an ode to women cricket players who sweat it out across the country to make it big.

    Going by the popularity that women’s cricket matches have generated, media planners and advertisers are certain that the T20 Women’s World Cup is going to make history. They vouch for the ability of the game in bringing gender parity and creating interesting conversational points for brands.  

    Says Lodestar CEO Nandini Dias: “I am delighted that India has reached the semi-finals. We had the last winner, Australia, in our group. As soon as we won against them the interest has heightened. Tourism Australia has been actively promoting the final at the MCG, to be played under lights on Sunday, 8 March 2020, which presents a ground-breaking opportunity to set a new world record for attendance at a women's sporting fixture. Women stalwarts like Indra Nooyi have tweeted about it. I would be surprised if Star Sports would not get record viewing.”

    She feels that brands, which claim to be promoting gender equality, should look beyond just creating emotional films but should participate and help grow the sport.

    According to Madison Sigma CEO Vanita Keswani, the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup has showcased equality through sport on the global stage. “With the recent Indian cricket team wins, the buzz has certainly increased. Furthermore, the Final match this time being scheduled on International Women's Day gives a great topical opportunity for brands to celebrate and amplify women empowerment and success,” she said.

    Brands too have similar confidence in women’s cricket and the fact that it will only grow. “We see the fabric of Indian sport changing in the next 20 years and various sporting fields, including women’s cricket will become mainstream in this country,” Puma India managing director Abhishekh Ganguly was quoted as saying to a publication. “I do believe the next few years will see a colossal transformation in the dynamics around women’s cricket and brand associations…cricket is a game that’s owned by passion.”

    May the passion only increase!

  • Sports, IPL and the game of advertising

    Sports, IPL and the game of advertising

    MUMBAI: Follow social conversations and you will be led to believe that it is politicians, Bollywood stars, movies, Indian fictional television shows and characters that create the most buzz online and offline. Clearly, fans are in abundance, and many go as far as to imitate their heroes and heroines on screen and TV. But that’s only on the surface.

    Dig deeper and you will discover that there’s another genre that draws as many conversations as all of them combined, and that is sports. Yes, arguments can be varied that we are not a sports-loving country; look at our decades-long abysmal performance in most competitive running sports the world over. Look at how we go overboard and celebrate when we win just a bronze medal at the Olympics by showering all kinds of national awards on the medal winner!

    And in sports, there’s one segment that occupies around 90 per cent of all social media chatter. And that is cricket. Love the game or not, you are instantly prompted to the online noise; there’s so much of it out there. Ignore it at your own peril.

    It is difficult to deny that sports properties are extremely vital for advertisers. Media spend in sports has bloomed over the years, having been boosted by major cricket tournaments. IPL undoubtedly has transformed the business forever. On the other hand, non-cricket tournaments like Pro Kabaddi League, ISL, and Premier Badminton League are also witnessing slow but steady change.

    According to a report from ESP properties, over the three years from 2015 to 2018, advertising spends on TV have more than doubled on sports properties, from Rs crore ($270 million) to Rs crore ($556 million), at a CAGR of 29 percent. Although numbers are not available for 2019, industry experts have stated ad spends on sports grew thanks to ICC Cricket World Cup and the IPL.

    The report also added that 85 per cent of all adex in sports happened on TV in 2018. Hence, the winning combination of TV and live sports is prompting media planners to prefer sports compared to GEC, movie or news. One of the prime reasons here is definitely the high reach and the immediate impact. Although sports as a segment is an expensive proposition, the high viewership attracts the brands. Special product launches and brand campaigns around sport events are also critical for them. Multiple brand associations during IPL indicate advertisers’ love for premium sports events. 

    For IPL 2020, a large array of brands such as Vivo, Altroz, fbb, Dream11, Paytm, PhonePe, Amazon Prime, CocaCola, Asian Paints, Fortune, Maruti Suzuki, CEAT, KAMLA PASAND and Royal Challenge have jumped on the ‘brand wagon’. The variety in various categories of brands also breaks the myth that only deep-pocket players afford to buy premium sporting properties. Depending on their budget, brands can place their ads either on television or digital media platforms and associate in several ways.

    According to Pitch Madison Advertising Report 2020, total Adex is expected to move up to Rs 74,650 crore, an increase of Rs 7,048 crore. The report reaffirms the ability of pole events to attract advertisers even during a “not-so-high growth” year. The report expects IPL and ICC T20 World Cup to pull in substantial monies this year, too.

    Uncertainties still remain at the ecosystem level given the changes in new tariff order, overall economic condition which is likely to pick up in H2. The report adds as pole properties like the IPL, ICC T20 Cricket World Cup and Hindi GECs’ premium shows are likely to get a fair amount of advertiser attention even in difficult times; these programmes will command higher rates than last year.

    It may intrigue us why the industry is being so bullish on sports. For most of the Indians, sports, especially cricket events, bring the entire family and peer groups together in front of TV. The battle of remote within the family stops when an exciting match comes live on TV. There may be ten GEC channels with a number of shows and a large number of movie channels offering exciting content, making the risk of audience fragmentation higher. The audience is much more cluttered for premium sports events like IPL which unifies the fragmented demographic of the country.

    “In India, around 80 to 85 percent of money spent on sports is spent on cricket while many other leagues have come in a larger scheme that adds up to the other 15 per cent. So, their relevance is less. Therefore, in India when you say sports, unfortunately even now everything equals to cricket. And that’s a very high engagement medium which has got very huge involvement of the audience making it a great platform,” Dentsu Aegis Network APAC CEO and India chairman Ashish Bhasin says.

    With turns and twists in scripts, change in characters, the audience retention may become a challenge in the case of long-running shows on GEC. But live sports concentrates attention on exciting twists happening during a match in a limited time. During a long-running cricket match, as the audience are less diverted to elsewhere, brands are provided with more integration opportunities, a luxury no other sport event can offer. The 45-second, but frequent, breaks are bonanzas for brands as viewers don’t skip channels typically.

    “In India, sports, fortunately or unfortunately, is almost equal to cricket. Something like IPL stays with the nation for 40 days. It is probably the biggest property on Indian television. Brands that do great are those who manage to integrate various touch points with consumers together. It is not only about putting ad spots on television but having a digital strategy. You cannot expect people to have activities only on pubs or restaurants or bars. So, whoever does it in a well-synchronised manner sells best,” Bhasin adds. One of the senior executives from a leading brand also comments that awareness, audience engagement and brand recall go up immediately after IPL match.

    Asked about the properties they plan to buy in 2020, a media planner from a well-known media agency names IPL. While he mentions about a few reality shows like Big Boss and KBC, he also talks about other sporting tournaments such as ICC Women's T20 World Cup and Pro Kabaddi League. According to him, there is another reason to look at the sports genre than others. He asserts that media planners prefer sports for male target group as it garners higher men’s viewership compared to other genres. In addition to that, he adds, TV will be preferred while buying a sports property. 

    Another executive from a leading advertising agency also mentions ICC T20 World Cup and ICC Women's T20 World Cup while talking about the properties they are looking at for 2020. He also adds that other niche games like badminton and Kabaddi are emerging but cricket takes up most of the advertisers’ budget till now.

    “IPL particularly is a format which gets audiences across age groups, geographies and sectors. Earlier, sports mainly used to be male-dominated fiefdom. Now, IPL, because of its entertainment factor, has converted itself as a family programme. So, it is a great way for a brand to get national recognition overnight. That is why it is a good platform if you want a quick reach,” Bhasin adds.

    The year 2020 looks more exciting for marketers looking at sports. Cricket tournaments like IPL, Asia Cup, Women's World Cup and T20 Men's World Cup are leading the chart along with Olympics and Pro Kabaddi. 

  • Star Sports launches #KhelBolega campaign around IPL 2020

    Star Sports launches #KhelBolega campaign around IPL 2020

    MUMBAI: Amid the heightened social media chatter within fans, Star Sports along with the Board of Cricket Council of India launched Khel Bolega, a television commercial (TVC) ahead of IPL 2020.

    Khel Bolega indicates that the coming season will clearly end the response to all the chatter (#BolBakar) surrounding the IPL when the player performances will speak for themselves – with the hashtag #KhelBolega, translated in English as – “The Game will do the Talking”.

    The TVC has been conceptualised by the in-house creative team of Star India and it highlights the non-stop fan chatter and features plenty of colorful motifs and pop culture references symbolising the pan India nature of the domestic league.

    The film is also released in multiple regional languages such as Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, Telugu, Bengali across TV and digital platforms and it is the beginning of an integrated marketing communications campaign to the season.

    This year, both non-live and franchise-based shows have been planned in the run-up to the season, with special programming during the length of the tournament. 

    Super Funday will also be back for IPL’s thirteenth edition with the show’s spotlight on kids’ who will have entertaining interactions with cricket experts and Bollywood celebrity guests.

    The campaign raises various questions on the team and star players of each franchise in the form of a meme. Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) fans have waited for 12 seasons to end the drought and bring home the elusive trophy of IPL. Whereas, the Chennai Super Kings’ fans have waited long enough to watch their captain Thala or MS Dhoni on the cricket pitch again and hopefully lift the trophy this year.