IPL viewership spike may draw in more advertisers, say experts

An increase in advertiser participation is anticipated in the Indian Premier League (IPL) due to a rise in viewership on both TV and digital platforms compared to the previous edition, leading media experts said.

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 initially experienced slow growth in advertising, primarily due to the absence of the startup category that had bought a significant amount of ad inventory last year and also the division of media rights between Disney Star and Viacom 18.

As per the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) data shared by Disney Star, the first 29 matches of the IPL's TV coverage garnered an unprecedented 40.9 crore viewers.

Meanwhile, the Chennai Super Kings vs. Rajasthan Royals match on April 17 set a new record with 24 million concurrent viewers on the JioCinema app, underscoring the immense appeal of the IPL among digital audiences.

As viewership has grown, the war for advertising dollars has reached a fever pitch, with two rights holders duking it out for dominance.

Dabur India head of media Rajiv Dubey said IPL TV viewership has seen a phenomenal growth of approximately 30% this season. He added that digital has seen quick adoption due to Jio Cinema's free offering and has opened the cricket/sports ecosystem for all advertisers of all ticket sizes.

"It's been a win-win for both - sports and broadcasters. The IPL game is doing well in multiple ways and it takes out the doubts on fandom fatigue, over supply or core value of the game itself. It brings back the confidence for brands from impact and viewership point of view," he added.

A media planner, who spoke on condition of anonymity, revealed that Star Sports is offering spot-buy deals at ₹14 lakh per 10-second spot. According to the planner, companies looking to create a brand impact through spot buying on TV will now need to spend anywhere between ₹20-30 crore.