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Have you seen the recent IPL advertisement? A cricket crazy man is seen reluctant to walk through the doors of an establishment showing a cricket match for fear that his IPL team might lose.
It sounds funny but it has been like that for most of us. And, we have been doing this for 10 years -- that’s what the IPL anthem is all about.
Indian Premier League (IPL) has entertained us for years and this year too it aims to do the same. Things were a little patchy for few IPL teams who were not minting enough money. But, brands are betting on this sport event which has hint of entertainment too.
IPL begins on April 5 and according to brands, association with this sporting event is the fastest way to stay in public glare, reports Hindu Business Line. Linear and digital broadcasters are seeing a near sell-out of their advertising inventory ahead of this year’s season.
What brands have to say about business during IPL?
According to Rohit Gupta, President, Network Sales, Sony Pictures Network, brands invest in IPL as they are aware that there is no viewer fatigue when it comes to watching IPL matches. Company’s inventory, for upcoming matches, is sold out.
Sony Pictures Network has 14 major sponsors including Ceat Tyres, Yamaha Motors and Vimal Paan Masala, Parel Afro’s Frooti and wire maker Polycab.
This season Sony expects to earn Rs 1,300 crore revenue against Rs 1,100 crore in 2016.
In 2007, Sony had acquired broadcasting rights for IPL and charged brands Rs 5.7 lakh for a 10 second spot. Also, rates for standard definition (SD) and high definition feeds (HD) differ. As the broadcaster has sold out its inventory, it is now charging Rs 6.25 lakh for SD feed and a whopping Rs 8 lakh for HD feed.
But, brands are not complaining. They are happy to invest in IPL considering the reach it commands.
How the ad business at IPL works?
This year IPL is slated to host 56 matches and each match has around 2,300 seconds of ad inventory.
As mentioned above, brands are charged for 10 second slots. Typically, a title sponsor will buy a minimum of 300 seconds every match paying close to Rs 5 lakh per second. Smaller sponsors cough up close to Rs 5.75 lakh every 10 seconds, while spot buys of ads cost Rs 6 lakh every 10 seconds.
Spykar Lifestyle saw brand retention in the southern states and rural markets after last year’s IPL season.
OPPO Mobile is bullish on IPL and is backing its growth in IPL. It has spent Rs 1079.29 crore for the apparel and gear sponsorship rights for Team India.
Non-linear or digital platforms such as Hotstar have also announced Vivo and Maruti Suzuki as co-presenting sponsors.
Few IPL trivia
This April stay tuned to sports channels for IPL matches. The first match will be played on April 6 between Rising Pune Supergiant and Mumbai Indians. The venue will be Maharashtra Cricket Association's International Stadium, Pune.
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