The much-awaited Indian Premier League (IPL) starts today. As the nation gears up for an epic battle between teams, a different kind of war is already brewing between Star Sports and JioCinema, the official media rights holders of IPL.

Each has roped in an array of celebrities to expand the viewership and attract first-time viewers, giving rise to, what some brand experts call, an intense rivalry between the two broadcasting giants.

This is the first time that IPL will be telecast on two broadcasting platforms. In what appears to be a battle for viewership between the two, Star Sports and JioCinema are bringing many celebrities from cricket and Bollywood onboard to grab more eyeballs.

While actor Ranveer Singh is the brand ambassador for Star Sports, cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar has been roped in by JioCinema to promote the cricket tournament.
On one hand, Star Sports is betting on glueing viewers to their television screens, on the other, JioCinema is enticing audiences with a unique digital experience.

According to Aviral Jain, Managing Director of Kroll, an independent provider of global risk and financial advisory solutions, both platforms have roped in A-list celebrities for a “fierce war” ahead of the cricket tournament.

“Upcoming IPL has resulted in an intense rivalry between the two broadcasting giants, Star Sports and JioCinema, competing to attract a higher viewership base. Both have roped in multiple A-list celebrities for a fierce ad war ahead of IPL's commencement. The campaigns have already created a big buzz amongst fans with exponential social chatter.

“This is the first time where digital rights have gone outside Star's ambit and both the companies have a clear mandate of maintaining (or creating) leadership to attract max advertisers at premium rates,” Jain said.

Experts also believe that this battle may result in overall high viewership.

“This battle should result in an overall higher viewership as the companies dole out goodies including free streaming/broadcast and live streaming in multiple regional languages. It will be interesting to see how this battle further evolves as the nation swarms into the cricket fever,” Jain said.

According to Kroll’s 8th Celebrity Brand Valuation Study titled, ‘Beyond the Mainstream’, Ranveer Singh is the most valued celebrity of 2022 with a brand value of USD 181.7 million.

Apart from Singh, Disney Star has brought on board actor Ajay Devgn, and cricket stalwarts Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya urging viewers to watch IPL on their TV sets.

Roping in an eclectic mix of cricketers and Bollywood stars to promote a sporting event isn't as outlandish as it made out to be, believes Nisha Sampath, MD, Bright Angels Consulting. "In a country where film and cricket are both religions, and both share a symbiotic relationship, it’s not really out of place to use film stars to endorse cricket," she said.

Citing the recent 3 Idiots ad of Dream11, Sampath illustrated how collaboration between cricketers and b-town stars can work: "Everyone loves it! Maybe both brands are hoping that using film stars will improve cut through and memorability of their campaigns. Film stars will also appeal across the audience, unlike cricket stars who are all associated with particular franchises.”

Besides the ‘master-blaster’, JioCinema has collaborated with cricket stars MS Dhoni and Suryakumar Yadav asking people to watch IPL on the digital platform anywhere.
Disney Star bringing in an eclectic mix of Bollywood stars and cricketers to promote the event is a surefire way to rope in new viewers, said Samit Sinha, Founder of Alchemist Brand Consulting. “When non-cricket celebrities like film stars are roped in, the idea and intent are to expand the viewership and attract newer viewers or first-time viewers," he noted.

“The idea is also to generate interest among non-traditional followers of cricket. Earlier cricket was traditionally followed by males but now with IPL, it has become less traditional and more of an entertainment spectacle. Viewers are now more diverse and the intent behind roping in celebrities is to further expand the viewership and reach out to newer audiences,” Sinha said.

Sinha added that the direct benefit of roping in celebrities to the broadcasters is more viewership and more premium on advertising spots.

“These platforms can increase the rates they charge the advertisers. Also, a secondary benefit is that it could add to the stature of Star and Jio,” he said.

Earlier, while announcing the association of cricket’s celebrated icons Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni and Surya Kumar Yadav with JioCinema, Viacom18 Sports CEO Anil Jayaraj had said it would amplify TATA IPL’s digital streaming partner’s vision of making cricket viewing synonymous with digital.

“MS Dhoni has set unparalleled benchmarks and evolved rapidly, which aligns with our vision and proposition on how sports viewing is best experienced on digital. Suryakumar Yadav represents the same qualities that we stand for—world-class innovation, unmatched thrill and the need to keep fans engaged and entertained.
“Sachin Tendulkar is synonymous with cricket. We are thrilled to have him amplify JioCinema’s proposition for sports fans of unmatched experience of watching their favourite sports on digital,” Jayaraj had said.

In a press release about signing Ranveer Singh, Disney Star’s Head-Sports Sanjog Gupta said that sports in India is on the move but needs a continuous injection of fandom to turn into a full-fledged movement.

“In Ranveer Singh, we see a die-hard sports fan, a committed storyteller, and an entertainer par excellence, who is keen to use his popularity to grow sports. Working with him, we want to reach new audiences, who still haven’t discovered their passion for the sport.

“This also includes millions of viewers, who haven’t been watching Cricket or don’t watch Cricket regularly. We want to use, in conjunction, the power of storytelling and Ranveer’s popularity, to create a compelling invitation for them,” Gupta said.

However, on the contrary, Rediffusion Managing Director Sandeep Goyal told exchange4media that bringing celebrities on board was no new formula and it neither adds buzz to IPL nor does it help recognise it as a brand.

“Celebrities are used to attract attention. It is no new formula to sign more celebrities. This neither adds buzz to IPL nor does it help recognise it as a brand. It does add some news to the promotions but again IPL does not require promotion. People who watch IPL, watch it anyway. Over-usage of unnecessary usage of celebrities does not enhance the value of IPL,” Goyal said.

Co-Founder and Chairman of RD&X Network Ashish Bhasin believes that celebrities alone do not contribute to viewership.

“IPL has combined sports and entertainment. For the first time, IPL has moved from male viewership to family viewing. There has been an element of glamour in IPL with Bollywood being roped in.

“As a strategy, it can work if it is effectively used. Which celebrity is brought on board plays a vital role. Many factors contribute to IPL viewership, not just celebrities alone,” Bhasin said.

According to the Celebrity Brand Valuation Report, which provides a ranking of India’s most powerful celebrity brands based on brand values derived from their brand endorsement portfolios and relative social media presence, Virat Kohli secured second position with a brand value of USD 176.9 million and Akshay Kumar stays steady at the third position with a brand value of USD 153.6 million.

The overall brand value of the top 25 celebrities in 2022 is estimated at USD 1.6 billion (bn), an increase of 29.1% from 2021.

IPL commences today in Gujarat with the first match between Gujarat Titans and Chennai Super Kings.

Jio Cinema, the official digital partner for IPL 2023, has signed a total of 21 sponsors so far.

The Reliance-owned platform has signed one co-presenting sponsor (Dream 11), three co-powered by sponsors (JioMart, Phonepe, Tiago EV) and 17 associate sponsors (Appy Fizz, ET Money, Castrol, TVS, Oreo, Bingo, Sting, AJIO, Haier, RuPay, Louis Philippe Jeans, Amazon, Rapido, Ultra Tech Cement, Puma,Kamla Pasand and Kingfisher Power Soda), the company shared.

The highly anticipated T20 series will begin on March 31, 2023.

Reliance-backed Viacom18 grabbed the digital rights for the league with a bid of Rs 20,500 crore.

With just one day to go before the start of the highly anticipated Indian Premiere League, official broadcaster Disney Star has stuck ad deals with as many as 13 brands.

Dream11, Asian Paints, Charged by Thums Up, Airtel, Cadbury Dairy Milk, Mountain Dew, Parle Biscuits, Kamala Pasand, Rupay, Britannia, Tata Neu, Jindal Panther and LIC, according to the network.

exchange4media on Tuesday reported that Disney Star is believed to have closed ad sale deals worth Rs 2500 crore, and sources claim deals worth another Rs 500 crore are under discussion.

To increase its reach, Disney Star has announced that it will telecast 12 IPL matches on its free-to-air channel Star Utsav Movies for the first time since the network bought TV rights for the tournament. The move is expected to give a big boost to Disney Star's viewership in the rural market.

Disney Star India has retained the TV rights of IPL for Rs 23,575 crore.

Tata Motors has announced the Tiago.ev as the Official Partner for this year’s edition of the Tata Indian Premier League. Continuing this association for the sixth consecutive year with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the Company will leverage this prestigious platform to increase awareness of EVs, while showcasing and driving engagement for its recently launched premium electric hatch – the Tiago.ev. The Tata IPL 2023 is scheduled to begin on March 31st, 2023.

Commenting on this partnership,  Vivek Srivatsa, Head, Marketing, Sales and Service Strategy, Tata Passenger Electric Mobility Ltd. said, “After 5 consecutive successful runs, we are back with the Tata IPL showcasing our newest EV offering, our premium electric hatch – the Tiago.ev. With this exciting new product, we want to democratize EVs in India. In addition to some exciting engagement activities, we are looking forward to educating the masses on EVs at large and bust common myths through an integrated ad campaign. This association with India’s biggest media property will help us highlight the importance of EVs, not only in urban India, but in smaller towns as well. We wish to drive tremendous value from this partnership and fast forward the ongoing revolution towards the future of mobility by encouraging rapid adoption of EVs in India.”

As the Official Partner, the brand will effectively utilize the Tata IPL platform to not just display the new Tiago.ev across all the 12 stadiums, but also connect with the entire nation through a host of engaging activities. One such interesting initiative is the ‘100 reasons to go.ev with Tiago.ev’ campaign. Conceptualised by FCB Ulka, this campaign focuses on consumers’ top mental barriers towards EV adoption and addresses those through a series of light-hearted, slice of life, relatable instances. It aims to bust common EV myths and position the Tiago.ev as a simple, easy switch to a far superior choice of mobility. This campaign will be further amplified on digital and social media as well as across multiple housing societies, fan parks events and point of sale activations during the course of the league.

This year’s matches will also play host to the exciting Tiago.ev Electric Striker Award – where the player with highest strike rate of the match will take home the coveted trophy along with a cash prize of INR 1,00,000. Furthermore, the Tiago.ev Electric Striker of the Season will get a chance to drive home a brand new Tata Tiago.ev. Additionally, each time the ball hits the Tiago.ev car on display, Tata Motors will donate INR 5,00,000 towards enhancing the biodiversity of Coffee Plantations in Karnataka by planting saplings.

Rewarding the early adopters of EVs for their continued trust in the brand, Tata Motors will gratify Tata EV owners by offering tickets to select matches. Tata EV owners will also get to be a part of some exciting engagement activities on-ground and few lucky owners will win a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of presenting an award to some of the world’s finest cricketers.

Commenting on the campaign, Kulvinder Ahluwalia, Chief Executive Officer, FCB Ulka added – “Tata Motors is pioneering the EV category in India. As the industry leader it is incumbent on Tata Motors to create and build the category. At FCB Ulka we did a multi city research to understand the mindset, barriers and triggers among prospective buyers and used that as a base to detail out the 100 reasons why consumers should choose the Tiago.ev. Created as crisp snacky advertising with a new-age visual look and appeal, it is designed as a fully integrated multi-media campaign that is being rolled out at the Tata IPL, this year.”

Tata Motors has engaged with the Indian Premier League since 2018.

Fino Payments Bank has renewed its association with Rajasthan Royals (RR) for the season 16 of IPL. Fino Bank will be RR’s official Digital Banking Partner.

The bank made its maiden foray with the mega sporting event last season by partnering with RR as the Digital Payments Partner. The newly launched FinoPay digital savings account is expected to get more traction through this engagement. 

As the Digital Banking Partner, along with the core messages of convenience, accessibility, proximity and trust, the Bank would be looking to drive brand visibility and increase FinoPay app downloads. The app helps open digital savings account, an everyday banking account for routing small, daily spends. Har Din Fino, as the Bank says. 

Rishi Gupta, MD & CEO, Fino Payments Bank said, “Partnerships are critical for our success.  Our tie up with Rajasthan Royals last season was an innovative first for us that allowed our brand to engage with cricket lovers across the country. We value this relationship and are excited to renew our association that helps take our engagement with the team’s fan base to the next level. It will be a win win proposition as we continue connecting with new customer segments and create avenues for cricket fans to explore Fino’s digital banking and savings account offerings.”

“We are delighted to be renewing our association with Fino Payments Bank for the upcoming season. We were extremely pleased with the positive impact we had on the successful expansion of their financial services across the country, especially the far-reaching areas, given the ever-growing need for digital transformation. We are looking forward to accelerating their overall growth in Rajasthan and other parts of India, said Jake Lush McCrum, Chief Executive Officer, Rajasthan Royals.

Anand Bhatia, Chief Marketing Officer, Fino Payments Bank said, “There are synergies in our brand values. Both the brands are a lot about consistency, competency, sincerity and being very down to earth. And importantly always take a long term view of things. Season 16 of the league is a great platform to promote our digital banking proposition, FinoPay. The excitement of engaging with a younger tech savvy audience and sense of pride in the association all works well for both. With RR establishing a base in Guwahati, North East is another common point as it is a growth market for both brands.”

Adarsh Reddy, CEO, Sportytrip, who has been working with Fino Bank and RR said, “This season Fino Bank is not only engaging with RR on the premier stage but is powering grass root level talent hunt through “Cricket Ka Ticket”. This initiative is aimed at finding India's next cricketing super star across both men and women talent.”

Royal Challengers Bangalore today announced an exclusive partnership with Viacom18, the digital rights holder of the TATA IPL and global rights holder of the TATA WPL. The digital-first association will offer fans exclusive access to engaging content across franchise’s Men’s and Women’s T20 campaigns on JioCinema. 

For the first time ever, JioCinema users will have access to a wide variety of exciting content, including exclusive interviews with the marquee players including Virat Kohli, Faf Du Plessis, Dinesh Karthik, Smriti Mandhana, Ellyse Perry, training sessions, team bonding sessions, lifestyle content through RCB’s originals RCB Bold Diaries, RCB Game Day, RCB Insider, and RCB 12^th Man. Viacom18 will leverage the power of digital and offer compelling narratives from the Royal Challengers Bangalore stables to a broader audience across devices. 

In their continued endeavour to build an all-encompassing sports and lifestyle brand, RCB has expanded their fan engagement gamut beyond the field, including a subscription-based fitness on-demand product, an exclusive range of mocktail pre-mixes, and plant-based meat, among others. On digital platforms, RCB has been among the top-10 sports teams in the world in terms of social media engagement and popularity on YouTube. 

Rajesh Menon, Head & Vice President of Royal Challengers Bangalore, said, “At RCB, we value the power of digital and take great pride in being India’s most popular and most engaged sports team on digital platforms. Our continued belief in digital and Viacom18’s unprecedented offerings through JioCinema form a synergy that will transform the landscape of sports viewing and elevate the way we interact with fans.” 

“We aim to be a one-stop shop for cricket fans by giving them a whole new perspective for all things TATA IPL through our digital proposition on JioCinema,” said Viacom18 Head of Strategy and Partnerships Hursh Shrivastava. “Royal Challengers Bangalore are one of the top-most digitally engaged cricket teams in the world and this partnership will strengthen their position further by taking their content to a wider audience through JioCinema.” 

At the start of 2023, Viacom18 unveiled a slew of original content featuring T20 icons Suresh Raina, Chris Gayle, Anil Kumble, Robin Uthappa, RP Singh, Parthiv Patel, Pragyan Ojha, and Aakash Chopra. The shows are an eclectic mix of free-wheeling discussions, interviews and features that give fans the most insightful, never-seen-before, and in-depth story-telling available on JioCinema. 

KEI Industries Ltd. announced its strategic association with Royal Challengers Bangalore as its Principal Partner for the Indian Premier League (IPL) for three years. The association will help KEI Industries strengthen its growing brand and business presence nationally. The sixteenth edition of the Indian Premier League is set to begin from 31st March 2023 at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad.

Aligned to the association, the players and official members of Royal Challengers Bangalore franchise will be sporting the KEI logo on the back of their official match jersey. The logo will also be prominently visible during the on-ground matches of the franchise. The brand will have the right to use player images and team logo for internal use and promotional purposes. The association will also be amplified across, print, outdoor, television, digital and social media platforms which will run through entire duration of the tournament.

Speaking on the association, Mr Anil Gupta, Chairman -Cum- Managing Director, KEI Industries Ltd. said, “We are delighted to announce our partnership with Royal Challengers Bangalore, which is one of the most popular and strongest IPL brands. KEI is one of the leading wires & cables player serving customers across 60 counties globally and we see a great synergy between both the brands. The players of international stature and their consistent bold performance gives a synergy with the product features of brand KEI. India is a cricket frenzy nation and with this partnership, we aim to leverage IPL to build and strengthen our brand awareness and connect with our target audience across the globe.”

Speaking on the association, Mr. Manoj Kakkar, Executive Director (Sales & Marketing), KEI Industries Ltd. said, “KEI has been actively involved in promoting regional sports, cricket and their association with IPL goes back to 2016. India is a cricket frenzy nation and with this partnership, we aim to leverage IPL to build and strengthen our brand awareness and connect with our target audience across the globe. This partnership with Royal Challengers Bangalore will help brand KEI to instantly connect with the millions of viewers watching the event across India and abroad. The brand has also planned a series of fan engagement activities and meet & greet sessions for key channel partners with players during the tournament.”

Sharing his thoughts on the association, Mr Akshit Diviaj Gupta, Director, KEI Industries Ltd. said, “I am delighted to announce our partnership with Royal Challengers Bangalore. We are committed towards encouraging and elevating the realm of sports in India. The lovability and fan following of RCB will help to increase KEI brand recognition across the nation. This engagement will further strengthen our relationship with the customers, and we are positive about exploring more opportunities to expand our business.”

Speaking on the occasion, Rajesh Menon, Head & Vice President of Royal Challengers Bangalore, said, “We are pleased to partner with a well-established robust company like KEI Wires & cables. This partnership will offer the brand a pathway to the massive engaged RCB fan base, and we are confident that we can transmit huge value to KEI Wires & cables.”