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Tag: IPL matches

  • Users want interactive, social experiences on smartphones during IPL: Study

    Users want interactive, social experiences on smartphones during IPL: Study

    Mumbai: The mobile users now look for more interactive, social experiences on their smartphones during live IPL matches, according to the report titled ‘IPL and the Second Screen’ released by Glance on Tuesday. 70 per cent of IPL viewers use smartphones during the matches, with the majority consuming cricket-themed content parallelly on various platforms, revealed the study.

    Expert commentary, live watch-along, polls and quizzes, contests, cricket games, and fantasy cricket were amongst top choices for content consumption on phones during the matches. Content-led marketing on the second screen emerged as one of the key strategies for brands to cut through the IPL media clutter, the report stated.

    Close to 70 per cent of respondents identified themselves as ‘die-hard fans’ of IPL, and 72 per cent said that they will be watching every IPL match. Findings further revealed that while 69 per cent watch IPL on television, 61 per cent said that they also watch matches on their smartphones. The study found that content themes that are gaining popularity include live reaction videos of celebrities watching matches, behind-the-scenes snippets, unknown facts about favourite players, and expert match analyses.

    The survey further asked these respondents about the types of content they would like to interact with during the IPL matches. 56 per cent said they would like to take part in live watch parties with celebrities, and 53 per cent said they would participate in social media polls and quizzes on the match. 49 per cent opted for cricket games or fantasy cricket on various apps, while an equal percentage of them said they would bet on live matches. For brands and advertisers, this showed that interactive content formats will be one of the biggest engagement drivers to connect with audiences during the IPL.

    The Glance report outlined strategies that brands can leverage to tap into this growing trend of consuming second screen content during the IPL. These included using branded storytelling around cricket, launching customized polls and quizzes, designing watch parties with celebrities, and more, on popular platforms.

    When asked about ads that audiences would not mind engaging with, 54 per cent of respondents chose branded polls and quizzes that test their cricket knowledge, closely followed by ads that involved winning a contest. 48 per cent of users preferred influencer and celebrity-led ads, with an equal percentage voting for ads that lead to good shopping or dine-out deals.

    “IPL is a social phenomenon, both in the offline and the virtual world. People not just love watching cricket, but also love engaging with mobile content that gives them a 360-degree experience of the IPL and allows them to become a part of a community,” said InMobi Group co-founder and president and Glance COO Piyush Shah.“The evolving nature of IPL and the rise of interactive cricket content consumption on second screens, led by smartphones, allows brands to cut through the clutter of IPL, and connect with their audiences in a meaningful and impactful way.”

  • IPL 2021 in limbo, will it get a follow-on?

    IPL 2021 in limbo, will it get a follow-on?

    KERALA: With the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 suspended indefinitely due to the devastating second wave of Covid2019, the fate of the rest of the tournament now hangs in the balance. 29 out of the 60 games have been played so far, while 31 matches still remain in the current season. 

    The decision to postpone the IPL comes at a time when a host of brands bank on the tournament for their marketing initiatives and many were already in the process of launching new promotional campaigns. 

    With the bio-secure bubble pierced by the Coronavirus, several players and support staff contracting the infection and the country in the throes of a full-fledged Covid crisis, it is anybody’s guess whether the IPL 2021 will be back for a second innings.

    Possibilities of rescheduling the IPL 

    Last year, due to the Covid outbreak, the IPL was played in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with no in-stadia audience. Even though all the games were played in empty stadiums, the 2020 edition was a great success in terms of television viewership. With a total of 400 billion viewing minutes on TV, IPL 2020 clocked a substantial jump in total consumption over IPL 2019, which witnessed 326 billion viewing minutes. 

    As India is a country where cricket is considered an emotion among millions, BCCI may think to adopt the same strategy to resume the suspended 2021 edition of the league. It should be noted that June and July are monsoon months in India, and it will be practically impossible to host cricket tournaments during these months. Moreover, the possibility of a Covid third wave is also compelling the BCCI to consider other venues like the UAE. 

    “The suspension of IPL within four weeks is an indicator that it’s not really safe to host a global event of that magnitude at a time when the country is fighting its worst health crisis in the last 70 years. There is a chance of a third wave hitting the Indian shores in November. So while BCCI will remain the hosts, the tournament will probably shift to the UAE,” a top BCCI official told PTI. 

    BCCI vice-president Rajiv Shukla said, “We will see if we can get any suitable time for the IPL event later in the year. It may be September, but for now, it will only be speculation. The situation as of now is that we are not organising the tournament.” 

    Shukla also assured Star Sports that the tournament is not cancelled, but postponed, and made it clear that the ongoing 2021 edition will be revived when the situation improves. 

    “In due course, when the Covid situation improves, a decision will be taken about it,” he reportedly told broadcasters Star Sports.

    A possible revival of IPL 2021 will happen only after the World Test Championship final between India and New Zealand from 18 to 22 June 2021. In all probabilities, BCCI will likely wrap up the remaining 31 matches of the IPL before the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup that is expected to begin on 18 October. 

    IPL provided much-needed relief to Indian audiences.

    Even though the IPL received mixed reactions from people amid the second wave of the pandemic, industry experts strongly believed that cricket matches in the evening provided much-needed relief to Indian audiences. The TV ratings of IPL matches this year were also unabated, and some matches featuring top teams like Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Mumbai Indians (MI) witnessed record viewership. 

    “One must also acknowledge that while it was ongoing over the last few weeks, the IPL provided three to four hours of much-needed diversion and relief to the Indian masses who are reeling under a barrage of bad news on the Covid front. Secondly, the value of any enterprise is based on its future cash earning capacity. To our mind, while there will be some revenue loss this year, the future revenue generation ability of the IPL is undiminished,” said Duff & Phelps MD & head – valuation advisory APAC Varun Gupta. 

    Australian players stranded in India

    Meanwhile, Cricket Australia (CA) has made it clear that it will not seek exemption from a government-imposed travel ban for flights from India. It was around a few days back that the Australian government temporarily barred its citizens from entering the country if they happened to be in India within 14 days of their scheduled arrival. 

    “CA and the ACA respect the decision of the Australian Government to pause travel from India until at least May 15 and will not seek exemptions,” said CA and Australian Cricketers’ Association in a joint statement. 

    However, Cricket South Africa (CSA) said that they will make all necessary arrangements to expedite all players safely from India. 

     

     

  • The IPL Fantasy League returns with additional features

    The IPL Fantasy League returns with additional features

    BENGALURU: The stage is set for another edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) as well the second edition of TenTenTen Digital Products (TenTenTen) ‘IPL Fantasy League’. The ‘Digital IPL’ that debuted last year, created an immediate impact, with over five lakh players across the globe participating during IPL 2013.

     

    The 2014 edition is packed with new game features as well as fun elements, fans will now get to replay this excitement in the new season says the company.

     

    “We are extremely excited about the league this year. When we approached IPL last year, we were confident about the appeal of a Fantasy League, as well as how it will help grow the craze of IPL beyond the traditional boundaries. However, what caught us by surprise was the momentum it gained in its debut year itself. With half a million participants, the league became the largest fantasy cricket league ever. This year, we have packed in lots of new stuff to fuel the awareness and engagement for IPL further. We expect a million players to play the league this time, taking the IPL fever to the next level globally.” said TenTenTen Digital Marketing Guru and founder Ramesh Srivats.

     

    TenTenTen says that the site saw nearly 1.5 crore visits and over 10 crore page views in a span of two months last year and also created tremendous involvement and social buzz with lakhs of tweets and Facebook updates.

     

    Users were given the ability to create private leagues and play IPL Fantasy with their friends and colleagues, for bragging rights. Encouraged by the success, the Fantasy League was extended to the Champions League T20 2013 with TenTenTen handling all responsibilities for the same.

     

    The League allows a player to own and create a team with name, emblem and motto. Each player is then given 10 million Fantasy Dollars using which he or she can pick a virtual squad of 11 players. Players then earn points based on their squad’s actual performance in IPL matches. The Fantasy team with the most points wins the league.

     

    The league is also better optimised for mobile this year says TenTenTen. The winners of the IPL Fantasy League 2014 stand a chance of winning tickets to the matches and exciting IPL merchandise.

  • Ram Gopal Varma opens dud ‘Department’

    Ram Gopal Varma opens dud ‘Department’

    MUMBAI: Ram Gopal Varma has delivered one more dud with Department as the movie failed to draw a decent opening day crowd and accounted for a poor weekend collection of Rs 71 million.

    Ishqzaade has proved to be a small film with big potential. It ended its first week with a healthy collection of Rs 257.5 million and has remained steady over its second weekend to collect Rs 74 million. The first 10 days total collections stood at Rs 331.5 million.

    Dangerous Ishq proved a debacle. With an outlay of Rs 210 million, the film managed a meagre Rs 59 million in its first week. Despite hugely cutting down on the number of screens from 1,060 to just 180 screens, the film netted only Rs 1 million in its second weekend.

    Jannat 2 collected Rs 68 million in its second week, taking its two-week total to Rs 424 million.

    Tezz scrapped the bottom with Rs 2 million in its third week.

    Vicky Donour continued to hold its own irrespective of IPL matches and other new releases. The film collected a Rs 41 million in its fourth week, taking its tally to Rs 355 million.

    Housefull2 netted Rs 9.5 million in its sixth week. The movie has so far collected Rs 1.18 billion.