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Tag: IPL 2021

  • E-commerce dominates IPL 2021, followed by durables & auto industries: Report

    E-commerce dominates IPL 2021, followed by durables & auto industries: Report

    Mumbai: E-commerce brands were the biggest spenders before and during the IPL, with Vivo and Amazon Prime at the top of the recall hierarchy given their high media spends on the tournament. This was followed by the durables & automobile industries, according to the ‘Hi-Cricket’ study commissioned by Havas Media Group India and YouGov. 

    The research which was conducted between 2 April and 7 May during the first leg of IPL 2021, encompasses 4500 online respondents across ten cities in India and gives a deeper understanding of how a larger-than-life platform like the IPL helps move mind measures. The findings of the second phase of the study identify the most meaningful and impactful brands and categories of IPL 2021. 

    The study revealed that food delivery brands like Swiggy had a high recall, with close to 80 per cent of respondents having ordered food online at least once during the match time. Dream11 was the highest recalled main sponsor, followed by Byju’s and PhonePe, as per the study.

    An increase in the number of fantasy gaming apps was observed during the IPL, however, the majority used it for playing fantasy cricket only. The overall impressions went up by 15 per cent in the first week of the IPL which dropped back to similar levels during the last week of the IPL. The study said that defending champions Mumbai Indians emerged as the favourite team at the onset of the IPL, followed by RCB and CSK.

    “One of the pertinent questions that clients ask is the business outcome of high-impact properties. At Havas, keeping in line with our ‘Meaningful Brands’ philosophy, we wanted to understand the effect that IPL has on driving meaningfulness for brands across key high spending categories,” said Havas Media Group India head of strategy Sanchita Roy. “Across all the brands that we tracked as part of this study, interestingly we saw positive shifts across every stage of the consumer funnel when we compare the pre vs during tournament numbers. Personal parameters like value for money & convenience and collective perceptions of trust & respect saw the highest increase across brands.”

    Almost all the top brands saw an increased association with personal and collective benefits, said the study. Automobile brands such as Hyundai, Renault, and Kia witnessed an increased loyalty conversion. Durable brands such as Voltas, Signify (Philips) and Havells also managed to increase loyalty conversions.

    Havas Media Group India president and national head of investments R Venkatasubramanian said IPL 2021 will be bigger for advertisers than last year along with an estimated 20-25 per cent increase in ad spends over 2020. “The second phase of IPL 2021 is going to be equally big or supersede the first phase in terms of ratings and revenue. The entry cost is relatively very less considering it’s a high-impact property that is coinciding with the festival period once again,” he said.

    “Star Sports has renewed and signed five co-presenting sponsors and ten associate sponsors for the second phase of the IPL which includes categories like e-commerce, gaming, online education, telecom, FMCG and several others. The inventory is almost sold out,” he added.

  • Neeraj Chopra dons new avatar in Cred’s latest ad

    Neeraj Chopra dons new avatar in Cred’s latest ad

    Mumbai: Credit card bill payment platform Cred has unveiled the first ad of its IPL 2021 campaign featuring India’s Olympic hero Neeraj Chopra. The latest edition of the sports extravaganza resumed on Sunday.

    After the viral campaign with Rahul Dravid earlier this year, this new ad highlights Cred’s features and rewards system. In this new ad, the 23-year-old javelin gold medalist from Tokyo Olympics can be seen donning the hat of a reporter, a producer among others.

    The campaign was conceptualised by Tanmay Bhat, Devaiah Bopanna, Puneet Chadha, Deep Joshi, and Vishal Dayama and written by EarlyMan Film. Karan Malhotra lent his expertise to compose the music for the films. “With IPL coming back, we are excited to collaborate with India’s favorite heroes and make them do quirky things for Cred,” said EarlyMan Film director and co-founder Ayappa.

    “We are happy to continue our partnership with IPL as it returns this year,” said Cred founder and CEO Kunal Shah. “At Cred, our vision is to build a trustworthy community. In this campaign, we aim to solidify our message of financial literacy and educate the viewers on the benefits of practicing responsible financial behaviour,” he added.

    “I am very happy to be associated with Cred, which aims at building a community of disciplined, trustworthy, and creditworthy people,” said Chopra. “Playing the part in this ad-film was a totally different and entertaining  experience and I hope the audiences enjoy this side of me!”

  • IPL 2021 set to welcome fans back to the stadiums

    IPL 2021 set to welcome fans back to the stadiums

    Mumbai: The Vivo Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 resumes on 19 September with the five-time champions and current title holders Mumbai Indians taking on three-time IPL champions Chennai Super Kings at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. 

    The spectators will be allowed back to the stadiums after a brief hiatus owing to Covid-19, the league announced on Wednesday. Fans can buy tickets starting 16 September for the remainder of the tournament on the IPL website and PlatinumList.net.

    The IPL, which was suspended in early May, will now be played at three venues in the UAE: Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah with limited seating available keeping in mind the Covid-19 protocols and UAE government regulations.

    This is the second edition of the IPL to be played during the pandemic. In 2020, too, the BCCI had shifted the IPL to the UAE where the entire tournament was played behind closed doors.

    This year’s IPL which started in India on 9 April, also behind closed doors, was suspended indefinitely on 3 May after several members from four different franchises at two different venues tested positive for Covid-19. Twenty-nine matches were played in the first phase before IPL 2021 went into a Covid-forced postponement.

  • Disney reports 174 million paid subscribers at the end of third quarter 2021

    Disney reports 174 million paid subscribers at the end of third quarter 2021

    Mumbai: The Walt Disney Company reported 174 million paid subscribers across Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ at the end of the third quarter 2021. Direct-to-consumer revenues for the quarter increased 57 per cent to $4.3 billion, the entertainment conglomerate said.

    The company noted that the average monthly revenue per paid subscriber for Disney+ decreased from $4.62 to $4.16 due to a higher mix of Disney+ Hotstar subscribers in the current quarter compared to the same quarter last year.

    Disney+ reported a higher operating loss due to programming, production, marketing and technology costs which was offset by the increase in subscription revenue. The higher subscription revenue reflected subscriber growth and increases in retail pricing. The increases in costs and subscribers reflected the ongoing expansion of Disney+ including launches in additional markets.

    The international channel revenues for the quarter increased by 29 per cent to $1.4 billion and operating income decreased 23 per cent to $169 million. The decrease in operating income was due to higher programming and production costs which were offset by advertising revenue growth due to increases in average viewership and rates. The return of live sports events, primarily Indian Premier League cricket matches, drove increases in average viewership, programming, and production costs.

    “We ended the third quarter in a strong position, and are pleased with the company’s trajectory as we grow our businesses amidst the ongoing challenges of the pandemic,” said The Walt Disney Company, chief executive officer, Bob Chapek. “Our direct-to-consumer business is performing very well, with a total of nearly 174 million subscriptions across Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu at the end of the quarter, and a host of new content coming to the platforms.”

    “Although most film and television production resumed beginning in the fourth quarter of 2020, we continue to see disruption of film and television production,” Chapek added.

  • IPL 2021 to resume on 19 September, final on 15 October : report

    Mumbai: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has decided to resume the remainder of the suspended edition of the 14th Indian Premier League (IPL) on 19 September in the United Arab Emirates. According to a media report, the final match will be played on 15 October- the day India will be celebrating Dussehra this year.

    BCCI had earlier announced that the IPL 2021 will be scheduled in Dubai, Sharjah, and Abu Dhabi, in wake of the ongoing health crisis in the country.  The 14th edition of the immensely popular cricket league that began on 9 April was suspended mid-way on 4 May after several cricketers including team staff tested positive for Covid-19. Total 29 out of the 60 games have been played so far, while 31 matches remain in the current season. 

    “The discussions went well, and with the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) already giving us the oral nod to host the event ahead of the BCCI SGM, it was about closing the deal over the last week. The first game after the season resumes will be held on 19 September, while we have the final on 15 October. The BCCI was always keen on a 25-day window to finish the remaining matches,” reported ANI quoting a senior BCCI official.

    The officials also added that discussions are progressing steadily to ensure the availability of foreign players for the tournament.

    “BCCI will talk to the foreign boards and check on the availability of foreign cricketers. We are confident that BCCI will find the best possible solution. And honestly, it is a matter of the BCCI officials speaking to the respective board officials. So we have to wait to hear from the board on this,” added the official.

    IPL 2020 was played in the United Arab Emirates last September when the world braved the first onslaught of the deadly pandemic.

    The apex cricket body in India had earlier revealed that the governing body will incur a loss of Rs 2,500 crore if the suspended IPL 2021 is called off for this year. “If we fail to complete the IPL, the loss will be close to Rs 2500 crore ($340 million approximately). That is going by early estimates,” BCCI president Sourav Ganguly had told The Telegraph. 

  • IPL 2021 set to resume, come September

    IPL 2021 set to resume, come September

    Kolkata: In what could be good news to many in business, Indian Premier League (IPL 2021) is likely to resume on 18 or 19 September in UAE, as per media reports.

    The final game may be played on 9 or 10 October. The three-week window will see many power packed matches if played with as many as 10 double header matches.

    The league was postponed earlier this month after the bio bubble security was breached. Four team members, including staffers tested positive for the COVID-19 infection even as the number of cases started picking up across India. Moreover, it was also called out for being ‘tone deaf’ in the middle of an ongoing pandemic crisis.

    “The BCCI has spoken to all the stakeholders and the likely start could be between September 18th to 20th. Since September 18 is a Saturday and 19 a Sunday, it is more likely that you would want to re-start it on a weekend date,” a BCCI official was quoted in a PTI report.

    It would be a big relief for the advertising industry as well with huge amounts of money committed to the IPL sports calendar.

    As per reports, BCCI will not ask the England Cricket Board to change dates for the India-England series. After the last match, players will be flown to UAE in a chaterd flight in a bio bubble transfer.

  • Brands respond with optimism, as pandemic throws up new challenges

    Brands respond with optimism, as pandemic throws up new challenges

    KOLKATA: The absence of live sports during the pandemic has not only been felt by fans, but by brands and advertisers alike. Even when the games returned, they remained restricted to empty stadiums with players inside a bio-bubble. Despite the challenges, sport is not losing its charm even during these uncertain times, especially cricket.

    So it was no surprise, when the much-awaited Indian Premier League (IPL) broke all viewership records after its return last September. The 13th edition of the cash-rich league breathed life into the distressed advertising sector which was hit hard by the extended lockdowns. Eventually when the tournament returned this year in April, the hopes were high. But they came crashing down, when the league had to be suspended midway amid the worsening situation in the country, battling it’s worst ever health crisis.

    While the Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI) is still looking for another window to finish the rest of the tournaments, advertisers remain optimistic. If the next window is in September later this year, the consumer sentiment will be at its peak, opined DDB Mudra Group Integrated Media country head, managing partner Rammohan Sundaram. The chances of reaching out to a bigger audience will increase as more people are expected to watch. So, it would be more positive for business compared to March, Sundaram added.

    He was speaking at ‘Brands and live sports in the pandemic times’ organised by Indiantelevision.com, moderated by founder, CEO and editor-in-chief Anil Wanvari and attended by Havas Media Group India CEO Mohit Joshi, upGrad India CEO, Arjun Mohan, Mobile Premier League (MPL) corporate development, investors relation SVP Joe Wadakethalakal and DDB Mudra Group Integrated Media country head, managing partner Rammohan Sundaram.

    “It was the right decision to not run IPL 2021 that time, as it would have appeared very tone-deaf,” said upGrad India CEO Arjun Mohan. “By the time it returns, the mood of the nation will change. upGrad can look forward to creating campaigns around it.”

    “Keeping aside the economic situation and the mood of the country in the pandemic, I think the big breach was in regards to the bubble which should not have ideally happened. IPL is not ready to handle the pandemic situation in India,” Sundaram added.

    Havas Media Group India CEO Mohit Joshi also agreed it was a good decision to take off IPL while bio bubble security was already broken. However, he noted that IPL is a very big component of P&L, it builds a strategy for the entire year. Overall, the sports genre is itself important for the agency.

    Mohan also agreed that any brand that is advertising in India cannot ignore sports. Fundamentally, the way upGrad looks at live sports is the reach and width it offers, so it prefers Cricket. The brand has tried multiple other sports too like the English Premier League (EPL) which has very loyal committed fans.

    However, the scale of those sports does not give many reasons for the brand to invest now. When a brand’s objective is to achieve reach through various campaigns, cricket qualifies for now. He also noted that Kabaddi may reach there in the future.

    Mobile Premier League (MPL) corporate development, investors relation SVP Joe Wadakethalakal shared the increasing interest among the e-sports platform to engage with sports that have the broadest reach. So it focuses primarily on cricket for brand-building activities. It also finds value in international cricket if team India is involved.

    Joshi said that he has been fortunate enough to have clients who go beyond Cricket. For example, Tata Motors associated with Kabaddi for its trucks. However, ROI and investment were very different indeed. But even brands invest in other sports, the spends are largely skewed towards cricket.

    “We are planning to launch a sports marketing division. There is a holistic approach that one needs to take to understand what sporting events can deliver,” Sundaram added.

    However, all the experts agreed that brands should be agile in these uncertain times. Rather than planning for the entire year, the agencies and brands should look at a month or even for two weeks. “One has to be short-term focused with a long-term strategy,” Joshi summed up.

  • IPL residual season may catch virtual flight to Emirates

    IPL residual season may catch virtual flight to Emirates

    Mumbai: Sporting fans will return to spectator stands after more than a year of a forced hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic, as India faces off with New Zealand in the World Test Cricket finals.

    Just over 4000 fans will cheer the two teams, for the first time, after 16 months of cricket sans spectators becoming the new normal in the world of cricket since the pandemic struck. Star Sports will bring live actions of the world test championship finals for Indian audiences. 

    As per (new normal) the standard protocols and practising Covid-19 appropriate behaviour, the Indian team is currently observing the harsh conditions of quarantine in Mumbai, before they depart for the UK on 2 June.

    Once there, they will stay ensconced within the imaginary bubble and hope it doesn’t burst before their Kiwi test challenge to decide top honours of the sport, at the Southampton stadium grounds on 18 June.

    The inclusion of spectators at the stadium will enthuse the cricketers, since most International matches over the last 16 months played out to empty stadiums over fears of infection of the contagion. 

    The United Kingdom sets an example

    The decision to include spectators in the test championship final was made as the Covid-19 situation in the United Kingdom has markedly improved. Recently, 1,500 spectators watched the match between Hampshire and Leicestershire at the Rose Bowl in Southampton, the same venue that will host the test championship final, come 18 June.

    According to a senior official formerly attached with the Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI), “India was always preparing to play in a foreign venue in respect of the T20 World Cup that has been rescheduled to be held in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). India was supposed to host the tournament but the decision to shift the venue to the UAE was taken last year after the pandemic situation broke out over reluctance by other cricketing nations to visit India even as the pandemic’s footprint grew larger upon us in India. Now, even the remainder of the IPL is likely to be shifted to the UAE,”

    In another recent interaction, with Cricbuzz, the Hampshire cricket county club head Rod Bransgrove confirmed that upcoming county games and the world test championship final will be played with a reasonable number of spectators in the gallery. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), and the International Cricket Council (ICC) have also given a green signal to permit 4,000 spectators for the much-awaited clash between India and New Zealand. 

    After reaching Southampton, the Indian cricket team will undergo quarantine for ten days. However, the team will be allowed to participate in training sessions during this period. 

    Will India witness packed cricket galleries in near future?

    Even though England has permitted a limited number of spectators in cricket matches in the country, the current scenario in India indicates that the likelihood of people enjoying matches from galleries is still unlikely. The second wave of Covid-19 is expected to be followed by a third wave of the same that has the potential to wreak havoc in India. 

    The BCCI was compelled to temporarily suspend the remainder of the 2021 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) after some players tested positive for Coronavirus infection. Even though the tournament played out with all stakeholders abiding by safety protocols and viewer galleries bereft of spectators, the bio-bubble was still invaded by the virus. BCCI president Sourav Ganguly, while suspending the tournament revealed that the cricket board would incur a loss of Rs 2,500 crores if the 2021edition of IPL was not completed. 

    India was similarly expected to host the ICC T20 Men’s cricket world cup in October that will most likely now shift to the UAE. As the current wave of the pandemic in India is showing no signs of slowing down, it appears likely that this tournament will also be outsourced to a neutral venue such as the UAE.

    Both the ICC and BCCI have thought of a backup plan if a third wave hits India. Last month, ICC had revealed that Sri Lanka and the United Arab Emirates were being considered as alternatives if the pandemic situation in India worsened. 

    Dhiraj Malhotra of BCCI had also recently confirmed that the UAE would be used as a contingency if the pandemic in India continues to get worse. 

    The recent developments strongly indicate that the future of cricket in India will be directly dependent on the pandemic situation, and it is highly unlikely that matches in the country will be played out to packed galleries, or even moderately populated stadiums until the pandemic curve flattens. 

  • Remaining IPL matches to be played outside India: BCCI prez Sourav Ganguly

    Remaining IPL matches to be played outside India: BCCI prez Sourav Ganguly

    New Delhi: The remainder of the suspended Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 will be played outside the country, said Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI) head Sourav Ganguly, putting to rest a lot of speculations about the league.

    While it remains unclear if a window will be available this year to play the outstanding 31 games of the tournament, Ganguly said he is sure that it will not happen in India in the present scenario.

    The 14th edition of the immensely popular cricket league that began on 9 April was suspended mid-way last week after several cricketers including team staff tested positive for Covid-19.

    “There are lots of organisational hazards like 14-day quarantine. It can’t happen in India,” Ganguly told Sportstar magazine in an exclusive interview, expressing reservations over holding rest of the league matches in India due to the Covid-19 restrictions .”This quarantine is tough to handle. Too early to say how we can find a slot to complete the IPL.”

    Warwickshire, Surrey and the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) are keen to host the remaining matches in September. But according to a Reuters report, BCCI is yet to discuss the offer.

    IPL 2020 was played in the United Arab Emirates last September when the world braved the first onslaught of the deadly pandemic.

    The BCCI head had earlier revealed that the governing body will incur a loss of Rs 2,500 crore if the suspended IPL 2021 is called off for this year. “If we fail to complete the IPL, the loss will be close to Rs 2500 crore ($340 million approximately). That is going by early estimates,” he had told The Telegraph. 

    Meanwhile, India would play three one-dayers and five Twenty20 Internationals in Sri Lanka in July.

    The Indian team is expected to leave for England in early June for the World Test Championship final in Southampton against New Zealand. They will play a five-test series against England.

  • IPL 2021: Advertisers will have to pay only for matches played

    IPL 2021: Advertisers will have to pay only for matches played

    KOLKATA: The Indian Premier League (IPL) going into limbo due to the current Covid2019 crisis has thrown up a whole host of problems for the stakeholders involved. With only 29 games played and nearly an equal number of matches still in hand, advertisers who had struck ad deals well in advance or for the entire duration of the league were in a fix. Now, it has emerged that official broadcaster Star Sports has asked advertisers who had slots for the tournament airtime to pay only for the matches that have been played.

    Star Sports has also reached out to title sponsors and advertisers which had bought airtimes with an option to continue the deals when BCCI orders resumption of the tournament.

    “Given the unprecedented times, Star India has reached out to all their advertisers informing them and their agencies to only bill for the inventory consumed so far. The contingency plan gives brands the first preference to continue the ad deals if and when BCCI decides to resume the league at a later stage,” a PTI report stated quoting a source.

    The source added that this option will enable brands to capitalise on the second leg and the transparency will ensure a minimum adverse impact on their business objectives.

    Last Tuesday, BCCI decided to “postpone” the ongoing IPL season with immediate effect after several players and support staff tested Covid positive. For the first 26 matches played in IPL 2021, Star India network has garnered a cumulative reach of 352 million, as against the 349 million reach for IPL 2020.