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Tag: Shah Rukh Khan

  • Kyazoonga plans big to capitalize the $10 billion e-ticketing market

    Kyazoonga plans big to capitalize the $10 billion e-ticketing market

    MUMBAI: After missing out on Rio 2016 Olympics ticketing by a whisker, India budded international ticketing giant Kyazoonga has invested over Rs 100 crore to sign a multi-year deal with the Caribbean Premier League (CPL), the official T20 championship in West Indies. Kyazoonga will provide complete proprietary ticketing and accreditation solution, as part of the association.

     

    The deal underscores the company’s global ambitions where it is making a mark by displacing established players and disrupting legacy practices and systems. The company ticketed the CPL last year as well and the experience enthralled the venture to go for a multi-year deal, says Kyazoonga co-founder & CEO Neetu Bhatia.

     

    CPL CEO Damien O’ Donohoe had earlier said, ‘We have been extremely pleased with the technology, operational and system capabilities and the quality of service that Kyazoonga has brought to CPL’s ticketing programme. Having worked with other major ticketing service providers in the world, Kyazoonga felt like a breath of fresh air when they were able to quickly set up ticketing operations across multiple countries in the region and successfully overcome all the challenges that come with a geographically and culturally diverse ticketing market.  We are delighted with the deal that will help us grow the tournament bigger and better. The team from Kyazoonga never ceases to pleasantly surprise us with their positive, technology-driven approach to come up with solutions.”

     

    “The experience of cricket is different in Caribbean Island. It is fun filled, passionate and people love the tournament. Shah Rukh Khan recently invested big in the tournament, Hero came in as the title sponsor and most importantly there are quality players playing the game. So, overall I feel it’s a great tournament, which will get bigger and better with time and that’s why we signed this long term deal,” adds Bhatia.

     

    The CPL, a highly popular league with a wide array of international cricket stars, continues to expand and grow stronger. The league has a six team format with representation from the six main cricket playing countries – Trinidad & Tobago, Jamaica, Guyana, Barbados, St. Kitts and St. Lucia. Shah Rukh Khan’s Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) recently bought Trinidad & Tobago team. In the Indian subcontinent, Sony Six and Sony Six HD will telecast the matches live.   

     

    The ticketing industry in India is growing fast, thanks to the growth of internet. As per analysis, the e-ticketing gate revenue in the country is over $10 billion. Reportedly, India with over 300 million internet users has already dethroned US to become the number two country in terms of consumption of internet.

     

    But, the e-ticketing penetration is restricted to a mere 20 per cent which signifies a huge scope of growth and possible emergence of a cluster of new e-ticketing ventures. Every month India is adding 5-6 million internet users and a mammoth 650 million users is estimated to be online by 2020 – of which 250 million will shop online – spending over $50 billion as per a recent Bain report. The report also suggests that mobile phones will dominate 70 per cent of the total number of internet users.

     

    Rural India, where internet is yet to witness total emergence also contributes highly to the ticketing revenue, asserts Bhatia.

     

    She further says, “Our experience with Raipur was highly encouraging. We generated over Rs 9 crore per match which proves that e-ticketing can grow immensely irrespective of geography and demography.”

     

    Goods and Service Tax (GST) can play a vital role in the growth of this industry also. “We need one tax policy and GST can bring that. I have seen people cancelling or shifting events because of tax irregularity and hence with GST we can avoid that,” opines Bhatia.

     

    Kyazoonga introduced professionalized e-ticketing in sports and entertainment to India in 2007 and has continued to democratise access to some of the largest events in the sub-continent such as the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011, the Sachin Tendulkar Retirement Test, several IPL teams since the first season, Bryan Adams India Concert Tour, Guns N’ Roses India Concert Tour and the annual Jaipur Literature Festival among others.

  • Pakistani film ‘Bin Roye’ to release in close to 100 screens in India

    Pakistani film ‘Bin Roye’ to release in close to 100 screens in India

    MUMBAI: Shah Rukh Khan’s Raees heroine, Mahira Khan is ready to take on the box office this Eid.

     

    One of the most anticipated Pakistani feature film Bin Roye is all set to release in India on 17 July in approximately 75- 100 screens. It is being distributed by B4U.

     

    Mahira Khan has already made a mark in the audience’s heart after the ground breaking success of her drama serial Humsafar in India.

     

    The movie also stars Armeena Rana Khan and the evergreen Humayun Saeed in lead roles. Bin Roye, a Shahzad Kashmiri and Momina Duraid directorial, is a saga of obsession in love that develops jealousy and rivalry between two girls for one perfect match. It is a story that can be best described as a tragic beauty.

     

    Bin Roye was already shot in Pakistan before Mahira bagged her role for Raees.

  • Sony tastes success with ‘PK’ premiere, but what next?

    Sony tastes success with ‘PK’ premiere, but what next?

    MUMBAI: Big ticket world television premieres have been seen as viewership boosters for most of the broadcasters. Remember the world television premiere of Shah Rukh Khan starrer Chennai Express on Zee TV in 2013? It was this one movie, that did the magic for Zee TV, making it the chart topper for week 43, toppling Star Plus, which seems to have locked that position for itself.

    World television premiers are no strangers to mainline general entertainment channels (GECs), which have been banking on their pull for over a decade now. Not only do they help bring in revenues for the channels, but also extend the channels’ reach beyond regular audiences.

    Movies are like energy shots for GECs. They help a channel define its leadership – one successful blockbuster movie in a week could shoot up the GRPs for the channel and also its position for that week.

    One recent example is Sony Entertainment Television (SET) which saw the highest increase in ratings during week 26 (2015) of TAM TV ratings. Courtesy, Aamir Khan starrer movie PK, which observed 6.6 TVR in the HSM LC1 market, taking the channel straight to the third spot from the bottom for the week.

    According to an analysis conducted by S-Group, an Analytical arm of TAM Media Research, in the period between 2013-2015, PK stands second only to Chennai Express in the top 10 world television premieres post the implementation of DAS. The movie has zoomed ahead of the world TV premieres of other box office smash hits like Kick, Krrish-3 and Dabangg-2, which garnered 5.4 TVR, 5 TVR and 4.9 TVR respectively.

    On the back of almost 1150 promo GRPs, PK reached 44.5 million audiences in Hindi Speaking Markets (including LC1 towns) with time spent by viewers standing at 72 minutes. The premier of Chennai Express, with 73 minutes, was just a minute ahead, while reaching 52 million viewers.

    The data by TAM reveals that the on-air promotions of the movie were spread across 23 days on 25 channels, exposing 66 per cent of the HSM universe. Not just this, ‘PK moments’, a promo theme that focused on the eccentricities and likeability of Aamir Khan’s character in the movie, was the most effective in pulling in viewers on to the telecast.

    The movie appealed highly to younger audiences, especially those in the 4-14 years age-group. Majority viewership came from metros and 1 million+ towns.

    So the big question now is, if a channel like Sony, which almost for a year has stayed at the bottom of the chart, continue premiering big ticket films to gain viewership?

    According to a media analyst, movies are not the bread and butter for GECs. “Movies are bought to spike the ratings and help create positive channel imagery. Movies are not acquired to generate huge revenues – rather they are used to boost the other programming and create channel imagery.”

    The analyst further feels that it is treated as a good impact property because movies have a definite following and viewership that is sort of almost guaranteed. “The promotions around the channels are quite extensive and this just increases the chance to gain GRPs,” he asserts.

    According to Maxus managing partner head of the north and east regions Navin Khemka movies like PK are big events for any broadcaster. “It’s like a big cricket match for the channel it will be aired on, helping it garner GRPs for that particular week. However, for a channel to sustain those GRPs and viewers week-after-week is not easy. You definitely see a spike because the movie is very big.”

    Khemka believes that one movie success cannot change the fortune for a GEC.

    On the other hand, another planner believes that Sony should do more of such big ticket acquisitions as it has the potential to draw audiences. “The channel has the potential to get good ratings. Not only with movies, but with any kind of content, if it connects with the audience,” he reasons.

    Another media observer opines that research plays a crucial role which makes for a good result. “It is important for the channel to go to the TG and ask what they exactly want to watch, what time are they free, etc. Such factors should be taken into consideration,” says the observer.

    It can be recalled that at FICCI Frames 2015, all the content creators emphasised on the importance of research, as it is this which defines the fate of any TV show.

     Star Plus general manager Gaurav Banerjee had said, “The biggest need of the hour is research and development, 75 per cent of the shows do not work because of poor research.”

    On the same lines, Balaji Telefilms group CEO Sameer Nair said that emotion is same all over the world. Content creators need to research more and have good art of storytelling.

    Expressing unhappiness to the current content system, Reliance Broadcast Network Limited CEO Tarun Katial had said, “Not happy with the content that is there, we need to stop, research and start all over again.”

    Sony’s game plan for the coming months

    Going to what is really bread and butter for a GEC, which is a fiction content; Sony had taken another shot at attracting hordes of viewers to its prime time fare. In its first step towards that, it launched a show with popular TV icon – Ram Kapoor with Dil Ki Baatein on 23 March.

    Despite big actors, it failed to garner GRPs and is seeing the closure in the coming weeks. (Initially it was slated to go off-air on 17 July, but now has got an extension for a month).

    To increase its content portfolio of experimenting with different subjects, it launched Reporters on 13 April which has been delivering decent numbers. But according to reports, it will see its curtains down next month.

    Bringing new style of storytelling onboard, the channel will launch its next high-budget property titled Raani Mahal which according to sources will replace Reporters.

    Produced by Lost Boy Production’s Vikas Gupta it is still in its casting stage. “We have not started shooting yet. We are still finalising the cast and location for the show,” answers Lost Boy Productions creative director Vikas Gupta.  

    Secondly, Optimystix Productions is coming up with a show titled Jaane Kya Hoga. It will launch in August. Currently, the production house has been conducting extensive workshops for the actors.

    Thirdly, Sony has teamed up with Balaji Telefilms yet again to produce another love story. Though the name of the show has not yet been finalised, it will see its launch in the month of August.

    So will these shows help Sony garner eyeballs?

    According to Khemka, the channel needs to ensure that the new content is sampled first. He feels that every channel today is getting good content and it all depends if they are able to get the stickiness of the audience.

    “A lot of channels put up content, but the key to any good content being successful is the sampling. So it has to ensure that it is launching the content on the back of a big marketing plan so that people are actually sampling and sticking to the content. It is not only about one show, one hour or one day, for a GEC it is important to keep innovating day in and day out, to get the audience glued to the channel. Developing the stickiness and loyalty is extremely important,” he says.

    Another media planner believes that the channel needs to put up the content properly. “They did not get the content right first time but will get it the second time. They need to understand consumer profile, what they want and get the content exactly on that. Definitely the research that needs to be done is not there.”

    Sony, are you listening? 

  • Kyazoonga signs Rs 100 crore ticketing deal with Caribbean Premier League

    Kyazoonga signs Rs 100 crore ticketing deal with Caribbean Premier League

    MUMBAI: Kyazoonga has signed a multi-year ticketing deal with the Caribbean Premier League (CPL), the official T20 championship in the West Indies to provide its proprietary ticketing and accreditation solution. The deal worth over Rs 100 crore over the term will see Kyazoonga manage the entire ticketing and accreditation operations for the CPL. The company ticketed CPL last year as well.

     

    The CPL, a highly popular league with a wide array of international cricket stars, continues to expand and grow stronger. The league has a six team format with representation from the six main cricket playing countries – Trinidad & Tobago, Jamaica, Guyana, Barbados, St. Kitts and St. Lucia. Shah Rukh Khan’s KKR has recently bought the Trinidad & Tobago team.

     

    Kyazoonga introduced professionalized e-ticketing in sports and entertainment to India in 2007 and has continued to democratize access to some of the largest events in the sub-continent such as the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011, the Sachin Tendulkar Retirement Test, several IPL teams since the first season, Bryan Adams India Concert Tour, Guns N’ Roses India Concert Tour, the annual Jaipur Literature Festival, among others.

     

    CPL CEO Damien O’ Donohoe said, “We have been extremely pleased with the technology, operational and system capabilities and the quality of service that Kyazoonga has brought to CPL’s ticketing programme. Having worked with other major ticketing service providers in the world, Kyazoonga felt like a breath of fresh air when they were able to quickly set up ticketing operations across multiple countries in the region and successfully overcome all the challenges that come with a geographically and culturally diverse ticketing market.  We are delighted with the deal that will help us grow the tournament bigger and better. The team from Kyazoonga never ceases to pleasantly surprise us with their positive, technology-driven approach to come up with solutions.”

     

    Kyazoonga CEO Neetu Bhatia added, “Kyazoonga is incredibly proud to be associated with CPL and to bring to bear the cutting-edge capabilities that we have developed in ticketing. We are thrilled that our ‘Make-in-India’ ticketing technology and experience is driving some of the largest ticketing programmes in the world. Our experience of building and growing the ticketing market in India has been very valuable in developing superior products and services that work equally seamlessly for more mature markets in the western world.”

     

    The 2015 season of the Caribbean Premier League is now underway and tickets are available on-sale online on cplt20.com or kyazoonga.com/cpl and also at various Kyazoonga-powered retail outlets and box-offices across the Caribbean.

  • CPL takes a leap with SRK as franchise owner; Hero as title sponsor

    CPL takes a leap with SRK as franchise owner; Hero as title sponsor

    MUMBAI: With two-wheeler manufacturer Hero MotoCorp as title sponsor and actor Shah Rukh Khan as the owner of Trinidad and Tobago franchise, the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) is emerging as a substantial entity in the franchisee cricket fraternity.

     

    Both developments are of huge magnitude for the mushrooming league as Khan’s involvement will drive his fans to the sports too, which will result in increased viewership.

     

    The broadcasting right of CPL is with Multi Screen Media’s sports and entertainment channel Sony Six, which also telecasts Indian Premier League (IPL). A viewership boost will only help the channel generate more revenue.

     

    Not long back after Hero invested heavily on Indian Super League (ISL) and bagged the title sponsors tag speculations were drawn that the automobile company will permanently move away from cricket and endorse other emerging leagues. However, the one-year deal with CPL quashes all speculations. As part of the deal, CPL will now be called as Hero Caribbean Premier League, which is synonymous with other sports properties like Hero Indian Super league and Hero Hockey India League.

     

    Hero has been associated with cricket for over two decades in various capacities. In 2007, Hero was the Global Partner of the ICC World Cup, held in West Indies.

      

    Speaking to Times of India after signing the deal with CPL franchise Trinidad and Tobago, Khan said, “This is in line with our vision to expand globally. We are thrilled to become part of the cricketing tradition of Trinidad & Tobago. The passion for franchise cricket in the Caribbean is evident with the success of CPL and we hope to bring all the best practices of KKR to the T&T franchise.”

     

    Speaking about the deal, Hero MotoCorp CEO and managing director Pawan Munjal said, “Hero MotoCorp has been associated with sports, and particularly cricket, for well over two decades. The game of cricket has for long remained the most popular sport in India, and also in the Caribbean. As Hero rapidly expands its global footprint, we have been forging strong associations with sporting icons and events as part of our global brand building initiatives. Caribbean cricket and cricketers have always been highly popular in India and in many other parts of the world, and our title sponsorship of the CPL is a logical extension of our long-term association with the game. We look forward to a highly exciting month of cricket in the Caribbean.” 

     

    Hero Caribbean Premier League chairman Richard Bevan added, “It is our pleasure to have the world’s largest two-wheeler manufacturer, Hero MotoCorp, as title sponsor of CPL. Hero has been one of the leading sponsors of cricket throughout the game’s history, and it is a testament to CPL’s growing success that the event will now be known as the Hero CPL. We look forward to Hero’s support and to making season 3 of the CPL the biggest yet.

     

    CPL started two years back and has been growing in terms of both players’ participation and global viewership. Renowned international cricketers like Kevin Pietersen, Jacques Kallis and Shahid Afridi will join the Caribbean’s finest cricketers namely Chris Gayle, Kieron Pollard and Dwayne Bravo. The tournament will also witness participation of talented local players from the Caribbean region.

     

    CPL 2014 attracted a massive global audience in excess of 65 million. This number is expected to break all previous records to post record participation of spectators from around the world.

     

    Speaking to Indiantelevision.com a senior cricket expert asserts, “Caribbean cricketers have always been the best entertainers of cricket. If we see in recent times in the IPL, it has been Gayle. Pollard and Bravo have always been crowd pullers. Indian cricketers not participating will hamper viewership in India but if quality cricket is exhibited, then people will tune in provided there is no India match happening simultaneously.”

     

    He further added, “Shah Rukh Khan owning a franchise is a big boost for the league, as he will make efforts to promote the franchise. KKR was the first franchise to start generating profit from IPL so with his business mind, he will make sure he gets good returns.”

     

    A veteran media planning expert feels that though there are big names associated with the league, it is highly unlikely that the brand interaction will go anywhere close to IPL or any other India involved cricket match. “The game is clear, you have India playing cricket… it’s a festival. You have matches played in India, it is a celebration but cricket without Indian players will find it tough to garner viewership. Hero and Shah Rukh joining the league is good news for the league as well as for the broadcaster. However, at the end of the day, it’s the quality of cricket and cricketers that will get brands and viewers.”

  • Hindware adopts unique strategy to launch TVC with Shah Rukh Khan

    Hindware adopts unique strategy to launch TVC with Shah Rukh Khan

    NEW DELHI: Bathroom products brand hindware has launched a new TV commercial starring brand ambassador Shah Rukh Khan for its premium collection hindware Italian Collection in an innovative fashion.

     

    Bringing in Bollywood flavour, hindware launched a teaser campaign starring Khan two days prior to the final airing of the TVC that ran across a range of television channels without revealing the product range. This generated excitement for viewers to watch the movie that premiered on Star Plus on 7 June.

     

    The final TVC was unveiled by Nach Baliye’s anchor on Star Plus during the airing of the dance reality show. Before taking the commercial break, the host ran the teaser, discussed SRK’s new obsession and asked the viewers to stay-on to find out the whole story. Then the full 75 seconds long TVC was played out. The host continued discussing with the judges about bathroom inspirations and said in conclusion, “Not only SRK, but the whole country could keep admiring bathrooms so stylish.”

     

    Hindware’s shift from product centric focus to becoming a complete bathroom solution provider brand is captured in this new TVC, which highlights the brand’s vision and approach of revolutionising the bathroom space.

     

    HSIL Ltd vice president marketing V Krishnamurthy said, “This was our first campaign after signing on SRK and we wanted to ensure the launch of the TVC is conceptualized differently. Working closely with our media agency, Vizeum, we managed to pull off something very different. In this interesting TVC, we have aimed to reinforce the message how hindware Italian Collection leaves even superstar Shah Rukh Khan awestruck. The bathroom in itself becomes the centre of attraction, mesmerizing SRK to find new ways to revel in its beauty and beautiful products.”

     

    Vizeum managing director – Indian Subcontinent S Yesudas added, “It took a lot of coordination and efforts to pull this through. Without an ever-supportive client this would not have been possible. I’m also thankful to the Star TV management for making this happen. Congratulations to the entire Vizeum Team for making this project a reality.” 

  • IPL 8 sees 27% jump in viewership; KKR vs RCB most watched match

    IPL 8 sees 27% jump in viewership; KKR vs RCB most watched match

    MUMBAI: The eighth edition of the on-going Indian Premier League (IPL) 2015 tournament has seen a 27 per cent jump in viewership from last year according to viewership measurement body TAM.

     

    Moreover, the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) match versus Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) on 11 May, 2015 is the most watched match so far with 5.3 per cent TVR followed by Chennai Super Kings (CSK) vs Mumbai Indians (MI) bout on 17 May, 2015.

     

    With a mere two per cent TVR, Delhi Daredevils vs Sunrisers Hyderabad is the least viewed match so far in IPL as per TAM.

     

    The data is released for the period of 7 – 25 April, 2015, with the analysis signifying audit measurements of live matches aired on Sony MAX, Sony Six, Sony Aath and Sony Kix.

     

    The first 24 matches of this season were sampled by 163 million unique viewers, while the time spent by viewers per match is 47 minutes and 41 seconds, which is 14 per cent more compared to the previous edition. The TVTs depicted a growth of 28 per cent while the matches garnered 3.9 per cent average TVR. Sixty per cent of the All India Universe tuned in to watch IPL as per TAM ratings.

     

    Click here for detailed list of ratings

  • Hindware appoints Shah Rukh Khan as brand ambassador

    Hindware appoints Shah Rukh Khan as brand ambassador

    NEW DELHI: Actor Shah Rukh Khan has been appointed as the brand ambassador for HSIL Limited’s Hindware brand.

     

    Khan will feature in Hindware’s new 360 degree integrated campaign, which will be rolled out soon across all media channels.

     

    HSIL Limited joint managing director Sandip Somany said, “Admired by people of all age group; cutting across territorial borders and communities, Mr. Shah Rukh Khan exudes sophistication and flair. He embodies the spirit of a hard working individual who rose to prominence by his consistent performances innovating himself along the way, a trait which resonates well with brand Hindware and its unfailing desire for success.”

     

    “The category, as it stands today, is neither male nor female driven, it is influenced by both. The modern consumer views bathrooms as a space, which reflects the lifestyle choice of its owner. And, there could not have been a better fit and influencer than him to connect with them,” he added.

     

    Khan said, “Brand Hindware, has been synonymous with bathroom products for many years and has truly captured the shift in perception in this space. The awareness that they have is visible in their products, offering contemporary design solutions for bathrooms. It is the brands steadfast approach and revolutionary intent, makes Hindware an exciting brand and I am looking forward to our association.”

  • Shah Rukh Khan awarded for ‘Outstanding Contribution to Cinema’

    Shah Rukh Khan awarded for ‘Outstanding Contribution to Cinema’

    MUMBAI: Shah Rukh Khan has been honoured at the fifth annual Asian Awards for his ‘Outstanding Contribution to Cinema.’  

     

    “I am extremely humbled and honoured to receive this award. I say this very often that my stardom belongs to most South East Asians who reside abroad who have made the Indian cinema and me known around the world. I congratulate all the winners at the Asian Awards as well. There is so much talent around Asia and so many achievers, whether it was Dr Amar Bose, the Hinduja Brothers or Zayn Malik. I am glad to have been a part of such a wonderful celebration of hard work by people in difference field but similar passion,” said Khan.

     

    Hosted by fashion icon, Gok Wan, The Asian Awards dazzled with an array of global celebrities, dignitaries and influencers, including Zayn Malik, Lydia Bright, Casey Batchelor, Ollie Locke, Sanjeev Bhaskar, Meera Syal, John Rocha, Michelle Collins, Nick Moran, Preeya Kalidas, Anna Williamson, Kelly Hoppen, Danielle Lineker, Anita Rani, Tasmin Lucia Khan, Colin Jackson and Cerys Matthews amongst others.

     

    Founded by Paul Sagoo, The Asian Awards celebrates the outstanding achievements of individuals born in or with direct origin from across Pan-Asia in all disciplines of life – from business and the arts, to sport and public service. Previous winners in the cinema category include, Irrfan Khan, Anupam Kher and Yash Chopra.

     

    Picking up the award for ‘Outstanding Contribution to Sport’ was Sri Lankan batsman Kumar Sangakkara, and the prize for ‘Outstanding Achievement in Science & Technology’ went to Sir Tejinder Singh Virdee. ‘The Outstanding Achievement in Television’ award went to comedian, actor and broadcaster, Sanjeev Bhaskar, while the Hinduja brothers were awarded as ‘Business Leaders of the Year.’ Zayn Malik picked up the prize for ‘Outstanding Contribution to Music.’

     

    Previous winners at The Asian Awards include Sir Ben Kingsley, Jackie Chan, Sachin Tendulkar, Bruce Lee, Sir David Tang, Amitabh Bachchan, Freddie Mercury and Ahmed Kathrada who was jailed alongside Nelson Mandala on Robben Island in the fight against apartheid.

  • Shah Rukh Khan’s KKR most valued IPL brand at $86 million: American Appraisal

    Shah Rukh Khan’s KKR most valued IPL brand at $86 million: American Appraisal

    MUMBAI: As the Indian Premier League (IPL) gathers full speed, American Appraisal has released a concise report called “On a sticky wicket” on the brand values in IPL. While many expected that the latest round of controversies will shake the belief that advertisers and corporates had put in the million dollar cricketing extravaganza, the report is upbeat about the IPL and tags the event as most popular and anticipated event around, which advertising campaigns are run despite the launch of several rival sporting leagues in the country during the last 12 months.

    As per the report, Shah Rukh Khan co-owned franchisee Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), grabs pole position in the brand valuation chart, followed by Mumbai Indians (MI). KKR’s brand value increased from $69 million to $86 million, while MI was stagnant at $72 million. Chennai Super Kings dropped to number three slot as their brand value declined to $69 million as compared to $72 million in 2014. Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) were also stagnated at fourth and fifth berth with $51 million and $45 million respectively.

    Meanwhile, Kings XI Punjab after their strong performance in the 2014 edition, rose to number six position as their brand value hiked from $32 million to $41 million in the 2015 edition. Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), at penultimate position, also secure growth as their valuation rose to $35 million from $25 million. Positioned at the bottom of the table in terms of brand valuation, Delhi Daredevils saw the biggest dip following an underperformed 2014, with a brand valuation of $34 million, which dipped from $40 million in 2014.

    The report also depicts that player selection is not just limited to skills and performance but also to the ability of a player to garner sponsorships, case in point being Delhi Daredevils’ acquisition of Yuvraj Singh for a record Rs 160 million. Yuvraj has all the abilities to change the fate of a match single handedly with either batting or bowling but in recent times he failed to step up to his ability as he registered average performances. He started his IPL career with Kings XI Punjab then went to Pune Warriors before Royal Challengers paid a hefty amount for his services. However, his stint with RCB didn’t last for long as the Vijay Malya owned franchisee decided to let him go following his exclusion from India’s World Cup team. In the current season, Yuvraj is a part of Delhi Daredevils and the franchise will hope that he can change both his and the team’s luck with strong performance. The irony is that despite not showing a satisfactory performance, Yuvraj’s value kept increasing year after year.

    There is a clear sense of maturity and business intent by franchises in selecting their teams, evident in the way player auctions took place earlier this year. With almost all social media platforms set to be awash with IPL content over the next few weeks, and the fact that the Indian national cricket team did unexpectedly well at the recently concluded World Cup, there is no surprise that the real winner of the next IPL will be cricket.

    Viewership

    The cumulative reach of the IPL increased from 155 million for the 2013 edition to 190 million for the 2014 edition. The TV reach of IPL has been consistently growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10 per cent since the first edition, despite the fact that the IPL’s TV ratings have been consistently falling every year since the first edition suggests the report. The report describes 2014 as a tremendous year for India when it comes to sport and entertainment, driven by the success of the IPL, the country saw a plethora of new sporting leagues, some of which have seen unexpectedly high levels of popularity. The Pro Kabbadi League (PKL) and the Hero Indian Super League (ISL), both of which had their first editions in 2014, saw viewership numbers large enough to rival even the IPL. The PKL garnered viewership of 435 million viewers for its first edition, a shade more than the ISL’s 429 million viewership, while season seven of the IPL garnered close to 552 million viewers, despite the controversies and changes in venue.

    Emergence of Digital

    In a recent development, the global digital media rights (excluding the US region, which were sold separately to ESPN for an estimated $12.4 million for a three year contract) for the IPL were sold to a Star Group company for a staggering Rs 302 crores for a three year contract. This represents a 50 per cent increase in previous deal value. With the TV broadcasting rights for the IPL due for renewal in a few years, we could be looking at a TV broadcasting deal of record proportions in India. Some food for thought here would be the 83 per cent increase in the annual broadcasting fees for the English Premier League paid by Sky and BT for a league whose viewership has been increasing at a fraction of the growth seen in the IPL.

    Understanding The Brand Value

    Great sporting brands across the world have been built over several decades of fan following, successful performances, the ability of a team to attract great talent, and continued association with large companies, partners and sponsors. Teams like the New York Yankees, Dallas Cowboys, Manchester United, Chelsea, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Los Angeles Lakers and the like have become much sought after brands by advertisers and represent brand values in the billion dollar range.

    In the IPL, brand value is derived from a wider variety of reasons, keeping in mind the Indian viewer’s association preference for vernacular proclivities, cricketing knowledge and celebrity influence. Accordingly, drivers of brand value in the IPL can be categorised under the following broad headings.

    Management Strength and On Field Performance

    For an advertiser / sponsor, being associated with a team that is consistently performing at the top of the table is a key factor in assessing brand potential. A look at the largest deals in the sponsorship space not only in the IPL, but also internationally, will reveal that teams that are better on field performers garner higher sponsorship values In the IPL, the estimated lead sponsorships (lead chest and limited player promotions) were valued at a 100 per cent premium for a top ranked team over its lower rung peer.

    Of course, a team that consistently performs at the top of the table is not the result of a prefixed formula. Team management plays an important role in squad selection, talent acquisition, performance management and administrative support. Clearly, a winning team is the result of a combination of several factors including the strength of the management team.

    Marketing Strategy

    Based on an analysis, it is estimated that, on average, franchises spend anywhere between 15 and 25 per cent of their revenues towards marketing and promotion. Some teams, like Kolkata Knight Riders, who invested significantly towards brand building in the early part of their IPL existence, have seen fantastic support from sponsors and partners. IPL events, television advertisements, merchandising, in stadium freebies and other such promotional activities driven by the franchise go a long way in garnering exposure and support translating into brand gains. Merchandising in the IPL is presently in a nascent stage, and most franchises are still coming to terms with the best possible way to monetise different streams. The reports suggests that this will be a game changer for franchises that are able to crack this difficult market and identify new monetisation streams by tapping into their existing fan base.

    Celebrity Influence and Marquee Players

    The presence of key marquee players and celebrity owners in a franchise brings additional popularity to the individual team brands. However, it may be added that cricket is a team game, and no one person can change the fortunes of a badly performing franchise. In addition, while franchise brands may be able to ride on the brand of a celebrity owner or a marquee player, they are also open to the risk of damage in cases where said individual is embroiled in a controversy, even if that controversy is outside of the IPL.

    Geographical Location

    The geographical location of the franchise determines the population of its support base and is an important factor in assessing the strength of an individual team brand. In general, it is likely that higher density of teams in a particular region of the country will split the fan base and impact the ability of a team to garner support outside of its immediate location. While the intention of the IPL was never to split support on the basis of vernacular lines, this does seem to be the current situation with every team in the current season belonging to a different state of the country. While this makes support for each team more intense, it remains to be seen how support will be impacted once a few more franchises are added to the current format.

    Governance and Transparency

    Over the last few months, teams or promoters of teams accused of professional misconduct or embroiled in any controversy have had a negative impact on brand perception. Last year, as part of the survey, respondents were asked to rate their preferred IPL franchises on the basis of their perceived brand strength and the quality and transparency of their management teams. The results were interesting, to say the least.

    Social Media Engagement

    The ability of a franchise to engage fans on a regular basis, particularly during the IPL season, has been crucial in building positive brand perception. Over the last few seasons, dedicated Twitter campaigns and “player battles” organised by the franchises have been seen with the intention of engaging fans regularly and keeping them up to date with the events of the individual teams.