MxMIndia

Tag: BCCI

  • Happy days are here again for the Indian cricket board. The Board of Control for Cricket in Indian and Sahara India Pariwar have concluded their discussions and, as they say, kissed and made up

    All’s well as BCCI gets back its Sahara

    By A Correspondent

     

    Happy days are here again for the Indian cricket board. The Board of Control for Cricket in Indian and Sahara India Pariwar have concluded their discussions and, as they say, kissed and made up. Here are the terms of endearment… specifically, the BCCI “took note” of the various requests put up by Sahara and has agreed to the following:

     

    1. To extend the trading window, which was due to close on Friday, February 17, until Wednesday February 29 to give Pune Warriors India the opportunity to have successful negotiations with other franchises as it looks to strengthen its squad.

     

    2. Reactivation of the Auction Purse of Pune Warriors India so that it can take a number of players, subject to the squad composition regulations.

     

    3. BCCI and Sahara have agreed to start the arbitration proceedings initiated by Sahara through appointment of an arbitrator to address Sahara’s claim for a reduction in franchise fee for 74 matches.

     

    4. BCCI does not have any issues with Sahara seeking a strategic partner in the Pune Warriors India franchise, subject to terms of the Franchise Agreement.

     

    5. In respect of their request to sign overseas players who were not included in the Auction Register, subject to the relevant player regulations, BCCI agrees to the request subject to the views of all other franchises.

     

    6. Sahara has requested for one of the play off matches scheduled to be played in Bengaluru to be played in Pune. The right to host the Play Off matches is awarded to the finalists from previous edition, in this case Royal Challengers Bangalore. BCCI, in principle, is agreeable to hold one of the Play Offs in the new Pune stadium, subject to the consent of RCB.

     

    7. Sahara has requested to furnish the Bank Guarantee against the Franchisee fee in two instalments; BCCI will consider it at the next available opportunity.

     

    8. Notwithstanding the recent working committee’s decision of rejecting five foreign players in the playing eleven, in consideration of the exceptional circumstance and the non-availability of Yuvraj Singh, Sahara has offered to obtain the consent of all the franchises for the submission to the BCCI.

     

    The joint statement signed by Messrs N Srinivasan, BCCI President and Subrata Roy Sahara, Managing Worker and Chairman of the Sahara India Pariwar adds that Sahara confirms that it will continue sponsorship of the Indian team adding Sahara may want to exercise its right to assign the sponsorship as per the agreement.

     

  • The cricket body has conveniently cloaked its workings in dark secrecy, and this has led to many dubious deeds.

    Anil Thakraney: A Sahara lesson for BCCI

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Though they may eventually resolve their dispute, and Sahara could again partner the BCCI in some form, it must be said one feels happy that the former decided to pull the plug on constant moolah supply to the cricket board. And the Sahara group has also opted out of the IPL. The world’s richest (and most arrogant) cricketing body can do with some hard jolts like these.

     

    In fact, I do believe sponsors and advertisers are the ONLY entities with the power to clean up cricket in India, so that the sport doesn’t wither away and lose its mass appeal. They must list down harsh terms and conditions on the BCCI before they put the money down. And this includes demand for complete transparency in the way the BCCI functions. The cricket body has conveniently cloaked its workings in dark secrecy, and this has led to many dubious deeds. Including financial scandals, unethical business practices, badly planned tour itineraries and a myopic vision of the future of Indian cricket. Humiliating defeats of the team in the recent past is sure to affect viewership of both, international tournaments and the great IPL. This means ad rates must be slashed as well.

     

    The big problem is that the BCCI appears to be accountable to no one. And quite characteristically, they are completely allergic to being put under the purview of the RTI Act. Which means there is no way to clean up this dodgy organization. Unless of course the advertisers gang up against them, and put some serious pressure. The autocratic style of operating Indian cricket cannot be allowed to go on. This is very important for the future of cricket in this country.

     

    Hopefully, Sahara’s bombshell will serve as a wake-up call for everyone else.

     

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    [youtube width=”400″ height=”200″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGMOhOYvcw4[/youtube]

    PS: An ad tailor-made for the commercial break. Chrysler released this stunning patriotic commercial during the Super Bowl half-time, featuring the Hollywood superstar, Clint Eastwood. I can feel the blood rising miles away in Mumbai, imagine the impact on Americans. Super stuff.

     

  • Given the Indian team's dismal on-field performance, questions have been asked on the efficacy of the game for advertisers

    Is cricket overpriced?

     

    By A Correspondent

     

    The past six to nine months has been a phase where Indian cricket has seen a remarkable slump. BCCI, which is at the helm of affairs, has been criticised for not keeping an eye on the future. The general sense is that the board is not prepared to mend this sorry state of Indian cricket despite pressures from broadcasters, the media and of course, viewers at large which matter the most if the plan is to sustain the sport in the long run.

     

    Yes, cricket is the only celebrated sport in the country and advertisers have banked on its popularity. But recently, the game has come under the scanner with India’s debacle in its current series. Sahara has decided to end its 11-year association with BCCI and the Indian cricket team. And have also put the fate of Pune Warriors in jeopardy. The question here is whether cricket, as it is today, is an overpriced sport.

     

    Jai Lala, Principal Partner – The Exchange, Mindshare said, “Cricket has always been a very attractive sport for advertisers. Therefore, it has been priced highly. When the performance of the Indian cricket team goes down, the viewership goes down and hence advertisers find it expensive. Advertisers want guaranteed viewership. So as a broadcaster if you’re able to provide that, advertisers will be more open to pay expensive ad rates on cricket.”

     

    So it’s about the TRPs. R Sridhar, CEO, Brand-Comm offers a different dimension. “I think there is too much of cricket and too many properties are being created. What needs to be done is to bring focus back on the game and once India starts to win matches, which it shall as for the next 20 months it is playing at the home turf, it’ll be business as usual. Cricket will always have takers. But, with the current development there is likely to be some kind of negotiation.”

     

    On whether BCCI is losing the plot, Mr Lala said, “BCCI has to be more professional. They are riding on a monopoly as far as Cricket in India is concerned. I think the time has come for them to corporatize their proceedings. There is a need to ensure that the future of Cricket in India is safe. The systems, procedures etc. needs to be relooked at.

     

    IPL as is known is the game that corporate czars play, and are in no mood to go soft on their plans around the property.

     

    However, a senior media planner on condition of anonymity said that there is a swing in the opinion because of India’s performance where the same people were betting high on the game. She said, “Cricket was not an expensive sport when India was winning, people who advertised during the Word Cup paid off their skins and didn’t complain. Now that India is losing, there’s been a negative sentiment among all stake-holders.”

     

    On the recent development of Sahara pulling out of the Indian team sponsorship, the senior source said: “This is nothing but politics. Unfortunately, BCCI is interested in only making money rather than focusing on the future of this sport.”

     

    Another media planner is of the opinion that there may be a bit of caution in the air. But he says, “There is no property better than cricket when it comes to capturing a large chunk of audience. So one pays premium for the kind of viewership which in any other property is difficult to get.”

     

    He added that the association of Sahara and Indian cricket team was that of passion. Though it was not a brand-building exercise for Sahara, in the bargain the brand gained too. He says Rs 120 cr is what it takes to spend on cricket in India in a year. And if one thinks of that number, then the choice of corporates wanting to associate would be a handful. “Telecom players would have been a good bet but with the fiasco that they are facing, that seems to be an unlikely choice. However, there might be some price cutting on this front but getting a sponsor would not be difficult.”

     

    For now, it seems everything rests on BCCI as far as the margins for broadcasters are concerned. Nimbus has found itself in a fix, with BCCI terminating the contract on non-payment of dues. An insider reveals that the heavy price levied on the part of BCCI, plus the slowdown, impacted ROI for the broadcast major.

     

    Even in the case of IPL, MSM has already paid a heavy price, and are looking to monetise the same via hiking ad rates (by 10 per cent this year, as stated by President of MSM, Mr Rohit Gupta). Any plans to relook the 10-second on air-spots will drastically bring down revenues for the broadcaster.

     

    Plus, the back-to-back cricketing schedule lined up by BCCI, as many opinion makers within the sporting arena agree, is the single reason why Indian cricket is experiencing a downfall never seen before, which could mean India losing many more matches, loss in viewership, loss in advertisers/sponsors. In a nutshell, cricket as a sport in India will lose its sheen

    Photograph: Fotocorp

     

  • If the BCCI wants to remain viable, it must pull up its socks and make cricket management as professional as the game, opines Mahesh Ranka.

    Be-Sahara BCCI | Mahesh Ranka: Why this cricket-veri… ?

    By Mahesh Ranka

     

    Indian cricket doesn’t need a plan to stay in the news – it always does. Let’s look at the last few years… in no particular order India wins 2007 T20 world Cup, ICL starts, BCCI bans ICL, IPL launched… amongst the biggest sports property in the world (valuation), rules changed at will, IPL moves to RSA, comes back, SET Max-IPL deal off.. on again (sweetened with more greenbacks) Lalit Modi ousted… and away… Sahara renews large team sponsor deal… Nike extends deal, record auction for two new teams of IPL, Shashi Tharoor force drops ministerial post, Kochi’s new owners, IPL 4 changed from 94 games to 74, Kochi sacked, Nimbus sacked as BCCI broadcast rights holder… Sahara walks out of IPL and Indian Team sponsorship.

     

    Media loves cricket and BCCI

    If there ever was a need to find news, BCCI-IPL-Cricket was always feeding the hungry.

    So, what happens each time BCCI-IPL-Indian Cricket gets dragged into a controversy? The fans get upset…. Team performance is blamed on off field activities… marketers (who are mostly fans as well) translate emotion (masked as rationale) to talk about How Cricket Is Losing Its Sheen… and foreign cricket boards take the opportunity to take a dig at BCCI or Indian cricket in general.

     

    The trigger for this article

    The 4th of February 2012 at about 10 am, a massive explosion took place in Bangalore … that of Sahara leaving the IPL auction room and announcing walking out of IPL as well as withdrawal of the Indian team sponsorship deal. I got a call from a journalist friend to talk about it… and I was blissfully unaware of it… till one of the news channels enlightened me.

     

    My mind and heart was full of questions, doubts, worries etc, like most cricket fans and many sports marketers.

    What will happen to BCCI-Indian Cricket-Sahara, will IPL be laced with litigation, What happens to the Pune warriors sponsors… etc.

     

    I have a few points to make:

     

    1. What happens to the Indian Team playing currently- will they change their jerseys overnight?

    2. What happens to IPL – will it be back to the ‘8 teams 60 matches’ format?

    3. Will IPL get into litigation?

    4. What happens to the image of cricket in India?

    5. How will this affect Indian cricket and the commerce involved?

    6. What is the long-term impact?

     

    For the last few months, we haven’t heard good news in Indian cricket: with two consecutive overseas whitewashes and lowering TVRs: everyone is questioning the viability of cricket at current prices. Add to that the Nimbus contract’s abrupt termination and now Sahara.

     

    Will Indian cricket commerce grow or de-grow from here?

    Sahara’s Rs 1700 crore-odd IPL deal and Rs 3.34 Cr per match deal (approx Rs 500 cr in 4 years) are clearly things no other corporate will look at investing: meaning loss of revenue for BCCI. This from a rational point of view… and emotional reason sure can take the stakes high… but no one on the horizon seems to be ready with that kind of moolah.

     

    Looking at the current business and economic environment, it looks extremely difficult to get someone to fill slot vacated. This may be the beginning, then, of rationalizing prices by BCCI, as there are brands and businesses ready to participate but are aware of the value-benefit equation. BCCI on its part has taken the brickbats, but not done enough to put forth a point of view that is acceptable: forget whether agreeable or not.

     

    Nimbus’s contract didn’t allow them to make enough money – as reported – meaning they were in loss, how can another channel / rights company think of making it work?

     

    The whole cricket controversy is a good reason for many marketers to negotiate harder “Not too many people (consumers / marketers) are interested in cricket”… “I don’t get the required ROI” – even as there’s no measurement metric envisaged for ROI.

     

    We have seen rates falling in TV broadcast of cricket, except IPL of course, but is it foolish to think that with controversy after controversy and issue after issue, IPL will be overlooked? It’s quite possible in fact that public opinion changes and then it might be too late. BCCI-IPL has to take concrete steps to ensure these fiascos don’t occur… at least not in full view of the public; these things can be clearly sorted in the boardrooms before the media and public get to know it.

     

    BCCI needs to look at a better way to manage a crisis than they are currently, else all of the above will lead to less greenbacks in the BCCI bags and maybe an opportunity for other sports to get a share of the money.

     

    Opportunity for other sports?

    Sahara India has made public its plans to support other sports and provide basic necessities to the underprivileged Indian population. This possibly is not a thought only with Sahara (especially the other sports). Many other corporate thinkers will look at options to invest and associate with sports that have been neglected for far too long – not that corporate support was the only missing factor. Last year has seen the advent of and importance given to other sports / sportspersons; this current cricket controversy may help the same to grow, even as BCCI spoke about “talking to Sahara” and Sahara stating that they are not “rigid” about the decision.

     

    For now, one thing is for sure, that the BCCI-IPL has a lot to do in terms of positive image-building, something that happened naturally for them all these years.

     

    What’s the likely long-term impact?

    It’s quite likely that the current young generation and generations to come, that are exposed to global sports and are making their choices, may be driven away from cricket. If this happens, we may be in for a different scenario a decade or so down the line. Fewer followers = less popularity = fewer eyeballs = less TVR = less greenbacks will lead to more effort and investment to attract followers, which in turn can put great pressure on the BCCI coffers : leading to less money in the sport itself.

     

    Re-invention is the key – not only of the sport, but also of the sports administration and development.

    What transpires in the next few days is anybody’s guess, but looking at the long term, cricket and its administration needs to become and behave like a consumer marketing company; they can no longer afford to have controversies and negative news float continuously.

     

    Mahesh Ranka is CEO, Indus Sports and Sponsorship. An expert in sports marketing, he was with Starcom Worldwide until last year and headed Relay Worldwide.

     

  • Indian cricket may be busy scrambling for another sponsor, but Sahara India has a plan chalked out for life without BCCI.

    Be-Sahara BCCI | What next for cricket? Laxminarayan, Bijoor comment. Also: the Sahara communique in full

    By A Correspondent

     

    The news that Sahara was ending its association with Indian cricket was greeted with shock and disbelief by cricket fans and media professionals alike. Apart from the monetary implications, many found it hard to imagine the Indian team without the Sahara branding on their jerseys. But some also thought native resilience will tide the team over the crisis.

     

    Harish Bijoor, brand expert and CEO of Harish Bijoor Consults, said, “Sahara and Indian cricket have been associated for 11 years and it has been a long-standing association of deep commitment. It has helped Sahara gain ubiquity through a mass game for its many offerings.

     

    “I don’t think Sahara’s backing out would dent its image. Sahara will be missed on the Indian cricket team’s tee shirt, but take it from me, there will be another name out there, faster than we think. How about the Tata blue on the Indian blue?

     

    “Some keys to remember when going for an association for any new brand – and even for Indian cricket when considering the tie-up – would be that Indian cricket is a long term investment. Cricket is a forever game in India. Yes, we are currently going through what I would call the bathos-period. But we will come out of it. Brands that invest today will gain in the medium and long term.”

     

    Karthik Lakshminarayan, COO, Crest, Madison Media, said, “It was a symbiotic association and both parties gained infinitely well and have grown in size and stature over the last decade plus. Sahara is a well established name and while it will definitely be affected to a certain extent, the extent of damage would be minimal for Sahara.

     

    “One hopes that there are takers for the same given the way cricket is worshipped in our country. Am sure people will still recall WILLS association with the cricket team which is over two decades and hence this kind of association and mileage can only be offered by a platform of this size and magnitude. Whichever brand takes up the same will definitely be remembered for a while. The only thing one needs to watch out for would be ensuring that there is newness and innovation with the association as the next few years will mark a sea change in the way media is consumed by the audience.”

     

    For Brand Sahara, life without cricket seems to be something it is well prepared for. A company release said that Sahara is putting the cricket money into welfare work – all Rs 1,000 crore worth.

     

    A statement from Sushanto Roy, Managing Director, Sahara Adventure Sports Limited, said:

    “We are declaring to put immediately Rs 500 crore in Sahara Welfare Foundation, which will be run with the association of eminent persons of our country. For the programme as mentioned below, Sahara declares to put around Rs 500 crore more in the next 1-2 years as per the need of all the programmes.

     

    We are working on various programmes including financial implications etc since we have taken this decision after continuous persuasion with the BCCI failed, meaning on the 2nd of February, 2012. But we waited upto the auction day, ie 4th of February, that our request to BCCI would be accepted. But again, there was no natural justice.”

     

    Our programmes in brief are as follows:

    Rural/semi urban young sports person promotional centers

     

    • We would develop 20 Rural/Semi Urban Sports Promotional Centers including Rural/Semi Urban Cricket promotional Centers.
    • Each shall have 7 to 10 Acres of land which will be developed into sports person promotional centers with hostels having 50-100 rooms
    • Everyone shall get minimum 5 years.
    • Scientific selection youngsters shall be done throughout the country in remotest villages also to unearth genuine talents.
    • Every year, thousands of youngsters will be selected throughout the country from will be put in these sports centres with all cost of Sahara Welfare Foundation including their education also.
    • Local sports teachers shall be appointed and high class Domestic/International teachers shall also be appointed who shall visit these centers regularly in turns throughout the year for special training to local teachers and students.
    • Centres will have diversified sports disciplines viz. cricket, hockey, soccer, formula1, tennis, golf, wrestling, boxing etc.
    • One international standard sports academy shall immediately be developed at one point in India.
    • All best selected students shall ultimately come to this International Class Sports Academy.
    • Any of the students who secure a position at the National Level shall be appointed in company.
    • We shall definitely have minimum one center in every state barring very few highly disturbed states.
    • After a certain level of achievement on State/National/International level these people will be rewarded suitably.
    • They will stand to receive permanent jobs, houses, marriages (particularly girls), old age facilities etc. etc. Deserving student shall be given regular opportunities to go abroad for further improvements/ developments.
    • All regular students shall be given high coverage of insurance which may go into crores.

     

    Support fund

    There are many old (retired) and present players who, at times, face up to miserable days regarding medical bills, girls marriage, shelter etc. Every year minimum 10 crore will be distributed –

    – 3 crore for cricketers

    – 7 crore for all other disciplines

     

    Increase of sponsorship amount

     

    • We shall discuss with other federations where we are sponsoring different disciplines of sports and as per the genuine need for better promotion, we shall enhance the sponsorship amount.

     

    Medical vans

    On all India basis 300 fully equipped medical vans shall be introduced which shall only go to remote villages (at the moment we are running around 50 such vehicles) where there is no medical facilities exist. Our van shall have good doctors, check-up facilities and free medicines and also supporting cases for going to hospitals.

     

    So, we shall introduce around 300 medical vans in the country to start with which shall increase gradually.

     

    Safe drinking water

    We shall introduce for Rural and Semi Urban areas 100 tankers who shall distribute to even remote areas safe drinking water free/or maximum 50 paise to 1/- per liters (to poors it will be free). Some money could be charged so that gradually the areas covered would increase, meaning if charged, it shall be done to increase area of safe drinking water only.

     

    Important note:

    Safe drinking water is one of the most essential needs of our country. As an example for bad quality of drinking water every summer in Uttar Pradesh, people and government send around Rs. 6000 crores towards few kind of tablets and liquid drips since millions are very seriously critically effected with blood dysentery and all sorts of worst gastric problems.

    With safe drinking water this problem can be reduced to maximum extent.

     

    Education

    10,000 T.V Screens in villages and semi-urban areas with Dish Antenna etc.

    For free education/support of various types of adult literacy, child care, child education, hygiene, cultivation/agriculture, Hindi/English education, Education of high morality, education of good life, information of mandis on regular basis through our centres. Large studio will be made for this purpose.

     

    Important Note

    In India, today may be around 3 per cent population knows English well. The entire administration (IAS/IPS etc.) is in English medium; entire judiciary, medical science, engineering, corporate world are all in English medium. Even ministers mainly in Delhi should be English speaking. Meaning entire administration of our country is always governed by 3 per cent population only. It is unfortunate, sad & very bad for the country. Sad, we don’t have Hindi as one language of the country like all developed countries have. Well, English will never go. This is the time English should reach gradually go to all villages.”

     

    Sahara’s statement on the BCCI issue

    “Our association with Team India was primarily emotional and all along, the journey was indeed, a privileged one for the entire Sahara India Pariwar. In 2001, cricket was not as rich but had become a religion in our country. We had requested the then BCCI President, Shri Jagmohan Dalmia to go for an open auction, for the Indian team’s sponsorship inviting only interested Indian Corporates, since it was not right that it should go to some MNC. But for obvious, unavoidable reasons, BCCI did not accept that.

     

    “After 03 months, one fine morning, our Hon’ble Chairman was told that the sponsorship had gone to an MNC. Immediately, our Chairman called Shri Dalmiaji and expressed his desire to take up the sponsorship. He responded quite positively and requested for a 10 per cent increase in the price, which our Hon’ble Chairman immediately accepted.

     

    “Now after a 11-year journey as sponsors, we can say with surety that cricket has become very rich. Many rich people are there to support cricket with a strong will to do so. So, with absolute peace of mind we can exit from cricket under BCCI and are now exiting with a heavy heart. It was an emotional decision for us to start this sponsorship but our emotions were never appreciated and many genuine situations, were not given due consideration at all.

     

    “Our first entry into IPL was thwarted in 2008 when we were disqualified, owing to a small technicality on the whims and fancies of BCCI. Yet our Bid was not opened.

     

    “Last year, Sahara entered the IPL on the basis of information in the media and everywhere else that 94 matches will be played among 10 teams. The bid price was accordingly calculated, but only 74 matches were played. We are still pursuing continuously with the BCCI to refund the extra bid money proportionately. It has been denied on the basis of strict rules.

     

    “In the interest of the tournament, we repeatedly tried our best to pursue the BCCI for open auction of all players so that we achieve level playing field and all teams are equally balanced from the quality players’ point of view. Again, as per BCCI’s strict rules it was denied and again, we were deprived of natural justice. 12 of the best players were retained by the existing teams then.

     

    “The two new teams then requested for allowing us at least one extra foreign player but that too was denied, quoting rules.

     

    “Once during a World Cup tournament, Sahara’s name was not allowed because there was a clash of our Airline with a South African airline. In two major tournaments, the team had to play without the ‘SAHARA’ logo. It was ICC’s decision so we could realize that it was for no fault of BCCI and we also did not want the players to suffer. As per the rules, we were not supposed to pay sponsorship money for those matches but we still paid the players share of the amount in entirety. Sadly, we never found BCCI believing in genuine give and take.

     

    “Furthermore, Shri Yuvraj Singh, who is truly like one of our family members, is, quite unfortunately, passing through a bad phase health wise, undergoing treatment for critical illness, overseas. Out of enthusiasm, he may like to come out on the ground after a few months. But any well-wisher who truly loves him, would never desire that he be allowed to play for the oncoming months. Our duty is to take care of him, so Sahara has decided to pay him his full fee this year with condition as a Guardian that his priority should be health care and he should not play till he has fully recovered.

     

    “We requested the BCCI on the basis of the fact that we have only one Indian marquee player, that we be allowed to add price of Shri Yuvraj Singh in our auction purse, during the 4th February auction because we had later taken Shri Sourav Ganguly at 0.4 million. Again, we have been denied on the basis of the rule book. Yet again, a case of being denied natural justice.

     

    “We think this peculiar situation of Shri Yuvraj Singh is silent in the rule book because it probably talks only about players who are temporarily injured.

     

    “Incidentally, once during the Champion’s League tournament, one of the Indian IPL teams had a lot of injured players so they were rightly, out of natural justice, allowed to break the rules and take one extra foreign player. We appreciated this natural justice.

     

    “We really feel such one-sided emotional relationship cannot be dragged any further. We are withdrawing from all cricket under BCCI/ However, we don’t want to give any problem to the BCCI and we also feel that the players should not suffer. BCCI will definitely take 2-4 months to get a new sponsor and we will continue paying the sponsorship money till then. All other IPL team players, coaches and other such associates will definitely get their due this year, in case they do not get a chance to play.*

     

    “For this, our humble request once again to the BCCI is that through the right process and with strict rules/regulations, they should pass on our team to some other interested party immediately. We expect at least this much of our humble request will kindly be accepted after 12 years of our productive relationship with the BCCI.”

     

    Also read:

    Why this cricket-veri… ? by Mahesh Ranka

     

  • Last year's cricket World Cup impacted the IPL adversely, but advertisers are hopeful of a better showing this season.

    Better innings for IPL 5?

     

    By Rishi Vora

     

    At a time when India’s economy is slowing down and the advertising-media industry is facing a bit of a setback, the Indian Premier League readies itself for a mega show which, experts believe, will come as a relief to all stakeholders – the broadcaster (Multi Screen Media Pvt Ltd in this case), advertisers, sponsors and of course, the franchise owners and the otherwise cash-rich BCCI.

     

    There is a great deal at stake as far as the actual delivery of the event is concerned, with crores of rupees spent by brands on sponsorships and advertising, and the question doing the rounds within the media fraternity is whether IPL season 5 will deliver well on the ratings front.

     

    As Sundeep Nagpal, Director, Stratagem Media, said, “All else notwithstanding, we could do well to consider that Indians are emotional about IPL. It’s almost like it’s a contest for the Indians, by the Indians, even if it’s not of Indians only. So this is good enough to get over any overdose. Secondly, memories of test cricket losses, or Sachin not getting his 100th ton, no matter how sordid, would by then be two months old and have faded by the time the IPL gets under way. Besides that, clever marketing has always propped up the IPL. And if some of our heroes click during the tournament, that would bolster the popularity ratings even further, because let’s not forget, success tastes even sweeter after failure.”

     

    The general sense is that even if it doesn’t match the success of the first two seasons, the event will put up a better showing than last year, where it delivered an average rating of 3.91 across 74 matches, the lowest ever in four years.

     

    The primary reason cited by media planners and observers was that the ICC World Cup and India’s win that contributed to the slump in IPL viewership. It may be recalled that a few advertisers had stayed away from the event last year, having chosen to advertise with the World Cup which had preceded the IPL.

     

    But this year, it’s going to be very different, says Rohit Gupta, President, MSM: “IPL is the single biggest property. So I don’t see any reason for it to not deliver as per expectations. The cricket fatigue or India not doing well does not impact IPL in a big way. It’s a different format altogether. Viewers look forward to IPL every year, for it promises live entertainment.”

     

    Punitha Arumugam, CEO, Madison Media, says, “India’s recent losses and a slowdown in ad spends, especially in the non FMCG segment will impact the advertiser’s sentiment on IPL. However, given the prime time of IPL for over six weeks day after day, we expect the viewership to be sustained.”

     

    Divya Gupta, CEO, Dentsu Media, is even more upbeat: “IPL viewership will not be affected, at all. Consider this – the IPL game and format is completely different. Team performance and outcome can change with every game. And IPL is beyond just India Team performance. It is live entertainment, at its best!”

     

    MSM will be heavily promoting the event, which is scheduled to begin on April 4. Mr Gupta added, “We have marginally increased the ad rates (about 10 per cent). We hope to sell out our inventory well before the tournament begins.”

     

    Though Mr Gupta refused to divulge names of advertisers, industry sources have said that TV screens will be buzzing mainly with players from the telecom sector. Brands like Vodafone, Idea, Tata Photon and Pepsi have agreed to be a part of IPL this year.

     

    Rema Harish, Co-Founder, DoMore Communications, says, “Advertisers may lose out a bit as far as ROI is concerned because cricket seems to have lost its charm among fans in India. There is a sense of fatigue and also the fact that the Indian team has not performed well in the recent past. While advertisers are aware of the risk, they’re betting on IPL because it is the only event in that size, promising greater reach and visibility.”

     

  • The always greedy BCCI is determined to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs. And I think marketers must crack the whip and ensure this does not happen.

    Hard Knocks: BCCI needs a third umpire

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    The first day’s play at Calcutta in the current India/West Indies series produced a real shocker. Near-empty stands at the Eden Gardens. Who would have imagined such a day would come in that cricket-crazy city? And this, despite a player like Sachin Tendulkar being in the house, and perched on the verge of a historic milestone of his 100th 100. Now, I realize cricket in India has become a television sport and that’s where all the money comes from. Still, it must be said there is no fun watching a match on TV with no cheering, booing, placards-carrying crowds in the backdrop. That’s the essential part of sports excitement. Already, the TRPs of test match cricket have taken a beaten in recent times, and with no crowds in the stadia, I am afraid more and more fans will give even television viewing a miss. And that would be an alarming situation for advertisers.

    There are many reasons why test cricket is dying a slow death in this nation. The obvious one is the BCCI’s greed, which has resulted in excessive cricket tournaments, leading to crowd fatigue. Then there’s the issue of New India’s impatience with a five-day game. These problems I would leave for the cricket pundits to tackle. However, I must say sponsors and advertisers must come together and set out a few guidelines for the BCCI if they don’t wish that the game, which is always a good marketing vehicle, dies out. Because today it’s test cricket, tomorrow it could be the one-day game. And if the BCCI chaps don’t listen, sponsorships should be cancelled.

    One thing the BCCI must be compelled to do is to ensure that the various cricket associations sell stadia tickets for a low price. Perhaps Rs 20 a ticket. And all minors and school kids should be allowed in for free. Also, facilities in the stadia should be improved so that going for a cricket match is a joy and not a pain in the you-know-where, which it currently is. The very very, very cash-rich BCCI can easily re-imburse the associations for their losses/expenses. This will make sure the stands are reasonably packed at any point of time. And we don’t have a situation where Sachin scores a ton and there’s no-one around to cheer him.

    Bottom line: The always greedy BCCI is determined to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs. And I think marketers must crack the whip and ensure this does not happen. It’s no longer enough being passive spectators in the game. It’s time to play the role of a strict referee.

     

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    PS: Waiting for a cutting-edge column from Ms Shobhaa De on the Kingfisher mess. Mallya is the lady’s BFF, so let’s see if she gets after him like she does with all else. Will she risk missing out on a yacht invite? Take a guess!