The IPL and the Men’s T20 World Cup are almost being played back-to-back. Do you see brands interested in both?

Navonil Chatterjee, brand strategy consultant, Brand Chatter (NC): JioCinema broke their last-season record by registering 590 million video views on the first day of the IPL 2024 season itself. Over 111 million viewers logged in to watch CSK take on RCB. The first-day viewership this season was 51% more compared to the day-one viewership of IPL 2023. A total of 6.6 billion minutes of watch time were also recorded during the match. So, obviously people are highly interested in IPL, which means that brands will also be! The fact that JioCinema’s introductory brand spotlight segment has seen a record 18 sponsors and over 250 advertisers is ample testimony of brands betting big on IPL.

The T20 World Cup will also draw brand attention, but more towards the business end of the tournament and in the one-off India vs Pakistan showdown. After all, India taking the mickey out of Canada, USA, and Ireland in the earlier stages of the tournament is not that drool-worthy! Also brands that find IPL more expensive and therefore unaffordable, may try to piggyback on the T20 World Cup to get their moment under the spotlight.

Gaurav Bahirvani, founder and chief executive officer, One One Six Network (GB): Although the IPL is perhaps the most viewed sporting tournament in India, the 2023 edition saw a drop in media spends. Let’s look at the ongoing 2024 edition, there seems to be a further decline. Some of the good old advertisers are nowhere to be seen. Also, with the fragmentation of rights, viewers are getting split between broadcasters and streaming platforms. Advertisers are finding it a lot more complex and expensive to keep up between the two mediums. 

Another trend that is rising among young cohorts these days is what I call CADD (cricket attention deficit disorder). Unlike my generation, which would be glued to the television from the first ball till the last, the young fans these days are only ‘superficially interested’. They are losing interest due to ‘too much cricket’. I am seeing this trend start in adults too. 

The upcoming Men’s T20 World Cup is garnering a mix of interest and disinterest amongst fans. Some feel it’s taking place too far away. Others feel it’s going to overload the mind after the IPL. For brands, this quick succession of cricketing events could be too much to handle. Interest in cricket spending will not die, but it will be significantly impacted because there is only as much a single brand can spend annually on advertising. The other argument is, there is no shortage of brands wanting to make an entry in the cricket-advertisers list. But they need to look at the historical data of their predecessors and make wise decisions. Media is not getting any cheaper, so inflation in pricing is also going to impact spending patterns remarkably. I estimate the media spends for the World Cup will drop. This could be partially compensated by brands in the USA, but overall, Indian advertisers will not have much left in their kitty post-IPL. 

In India, can there ever be a case of audience fatigue when it comes to cricket?

(NC): How can you tire of something you deeply love? Just as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo fans endlessly watch YouTube videos of their GOATs (greatest of all time), cricket enthusiasts remain captivated by events like the IPL. For fatigue to set in, there must be a compelling alternative. In India, cricket stands unparalleled in delivering collective brilliance and success, making it indispensable despite occasional moments of glory in other sports. 

(GB): It’s already happening! The problem is not only cricket but audience fatigue with cricketers too. They are too available all the time on our screens, which is why value is gradually depleting. There was a point in my life when I had the privilege of managing the brand of MS Dhoni. And the reason why Dhoni is so popular is not only because he is one of the best cricketing leaders of the game, but also because he is almost inaccessible to the world outside the field. He has a wonderfully simple personality, and he shies away from the media glare, even today. Which is exactly why the crowd goes berserk when they see him on the field. On the other hand, the current Indian team players are way too exposed to the number of games they play, hence, fatigue will naturally draw in. This does not mean they are no longer desirable, but they are mentally taken for granted. That also means that missing a match or two on the screen is not making a difference to many fans, which is why viewership numbers are dropping and the media ROI for brands is collapsing slowly. 

Do you think there’s a difference in viewers when it comes to the IPL and the T20 World Cup? Does the IPL attract a more diverse set of audience?

(NC): The IPL is a captivating modern-day soap opera, offering unscripted drama over two months and returning annually like clockwork. Contrary to the high-stakes tension of a World Cup, the IPL is pure entertainment, with viewers enjoying a relaxed atmosphere regardless of their team’s performance. Like Arjun before Kurukshetra, IPL spectators may find themselves torn between allegiances, but ultimately, everyone emerges a winner. This year, the IPL carries the added allure of the Dhoni factor, drawing a final wave of attention to the cricketing legend. With its diverse blend of sports, glamour, and Bollywood, the IPL appeals to a wide audience, akin to a masala Bollywood movie. Unlike the T20 World Cup’s focus on hardcore cricket lovers, the IPL caters to a broader spectrum of viewers. However, the IPL lacks the Pakistan-bashing fervour of the T20 World Cup, distinguishing the two events.

(GB): India is not a cricket-loving nation, but a cricketer-loving nation. During the IPL, you are rooting for your favourite players, and hence you end up wearing the city team jersey they are representing. But heart in heart, there are many fans, I would say almost half, who are rooting for more than two teams at a time because their favourite players are split between those teams. So the viewers are following their favourite cricketers, not the teams in the IPL. International viewership is very minimal, even though each team has a few foreign players. 

When it comes to the T20 World Cup, our national pride is what drives our viewership. At that time, we are watching the game as Indians, no matter which part of the world we reside in. That is perhaps the only time when we are truly competitive in our hearts. That is also the only time when our love for games overrides our true love for the cricketers. 

With the World Cup split between the USA and West Indies - do you see the time difference also being a challenge and hence viewership being lesser for the tournament?

(NC): India’s matches typically begin at 8:30 pm, a prime time for viewership, but late matches starting at 11:30 pm pose a challenge for all but the night owls. However, the T20 World Cup faces a larger hurdle with its uneven match-ups in the early rounds, such as India facing off against teams like the USA and Canada. Viewership is likely to surge only if India progresses deep into the tournament. With anticipation building since India’s last World Cup victory in 2011, success on the field could lead to a fever pitch of excitement.

(GB): There is no doubt that conducting the World Cup in the USA and West Indies for the first time is a good idea. That part of the world has been waiting to taste the sweetness of the game for decades. But let us also not forget that the success of this World Cup will largely depend on how many Indians are watching it. We control over two-thirds of the cricket eyeballs in the world, so we ought to be given importance. This is why all India group matches have been scheduled at 8pm IST; a time we are all very used to because of the IPL. But barring that, some games are scheduled for 6am IST and a few past midnight IST—these will offer viewership challenges for sure. Brands are encouraged to exercise caution when planning their advertising expenditures for the World Cup.

Will these two big properties also impact the brand spend for the Paris Olympics which follow soon after the World Cup?

(NC): The smart money for brands can very well be on the Olympics this year, with all the predictions indicating that Paris 2024 will perhaps be India’s greatest show to date in the World’s Greatest Show! But that is only if there is any smart money left after all the ‘safe money’ has been invested in the IPL and the T20 World Cup! With the ad rates being way cheaper for the Olympics, brands will do well to try and dominate this space as opposed to the clutter and prohibitive cost of advertising on cricket in India. But will brands do it, in reality, will depend purely on their risk appetite. After all, brand managers will seldom be hauled up for investing in cricket in India, while questions may be asked if you buck the trend and bet on something else that may not have a proven track record. 

(GB): Comparing ad spend on the Olympics to cricket is like comparing apples to oranges. Supporting the Indian contingent collectively could foster brand collaboration, spread media expenditure, and attract new entrants. This unity could yield a positive ROI and offer brands a chance to showcase creativity while rallying behind athletes. As big advertisers near their spending limits, new players with lower-risk appetites may enter the fray, diversifying the sponsorship landscape.

This article first appeared in the April print issue of Manifest, part of the monthly 'Perspectives' feature.