MxMIndia

Tag: Indian Premier League

  • The TVC triggers the same feeling of euphoria that the fans experienced when India won the ICC World Cup after a 28-year long wait

    Star Sports unveils campaign promoting ICC Champions Trophy’17

     

     

    The tournament is a few months away and the Indian team has some cricketing fixtures scheduled before plus the Indian Premier League (IPL), but Star Sports has kicked off its campaign for the ICC Champions Trophy ’17 with a TVC created by the channel’s internal creative team.

     

    The film opens with the photo of former Indian captain, MS Dhoni, posing with the ICC World Cup trophy in front of the Gateway of India. The film moves in reverse, starting from the celebrations being done by the fans and the players just after India won the ICC World Cup in 2011 to the iconic shot of ICC World Cup 2011 – MSD’s winning six in the final at Wankhede Stadium. The film ends with a voiceover along with the shot of current Indian captain, Virat Kohli.

     

    The TVC attempts to trigger the same feeling of euphoria that the fans experienced when India won the ICC World Cup after a 28-yearlong wait, notes a communique.

     

  • Looking how IPL fared on the social media, courtesy MESH, the data analysis tool from Maxus India

    Discovering the Buzz around IPL9

     

    By A Correspondent

     

    MESH, the proprietary tool for data analysis from GroupM agency Maxus India has been analysing Season 9 of the Indian Premier League from the digital media point of view.

     

    Here’s the analysis in brief. Also, please look up the PPT attached to this story for a graphical representation of the findings.

     

    Here goes:

    1. IPL 2016 clocked more than 3.1 mn mentions with last week witnessing a jump of 74% in conversations vs IPL 2015’s last week

     

    2. #PepsiIPL had generated twice more mentions in 2015 vs #VivoIPL in 2016

     

    3. RCB was the highest buzzing team followed by KKR and Sunrisers Hyderabad

     

    4. While Virat and AB De Villiers were unquestionably the top buzzing players of IPL 2016, Sunrisers Hyderabad’s captain David Warner’s winning the IPL 2016 trophy secured him 7th position in the most mentioned player tally.

     

    5. Aakash Chopra and Sidhu were the most-talked-about commentators in IPL 2016

     

    6. Mobile handset manufacturer Vivo clocked the maximum mentions with #VivoIPL followed by Kingfisher’s #UnitedbyGoodTimes and Freecharge’s #LoDoKhatamKaro

     

    7. Top Buzzing sponsors basis category

    a. Telecom Vodafone #BeSuper
    b. Mobile Wallets Freecharge #LoDoKhatamKaro
    c. Mobile Handsets Vivo #VivoIPL
    d. Beverages Kingfisher #UnitedByGoodTimes
    e. Appliances Lloyd #PlayBoldBeBold
    f. Automobiles Maruti #Glamshot
    g. Building/Construction Ultratech #UnShakableSpirit
    h. DTH DishTV #MasalaMaarKe
    i. Banks Yes Bank #BattleofFans
    j. Airlines Jet Airways #TrueMIfan
    k. Others Ola #OlaMatchMania

    Congratulatory messages from the cricket fraternity and Yuvraj winning some major titles were among the most RTed tweets around IPL Finals.

     

    9. Congratulatory messages, Contests & Polls were the key for brands to get maximum engagement.

     

    10. Celebration moments shared by IPL and other Instagram handles were the highest engaged ones.

     

  • In the world of mediocrity that Indian commentators have created over the years, Harsha Bhogle has stood out as the best, writes Shailesh Kapoor

    BCCI – Bhogle’s Cricket Career Interrupted

     

    By Shailesh Kapoor

     

    Controversies have been defining elements in the Indian Premier League (IPL) over its previous eight seasons. In a way, they have also given the league its personality, that of a flamboyant rich bloke who’s constantly up to some or the other mischief. And a sharply defined grey personality is better than no personality at all.

     

    But the controversies related to the IPL this year (and we are only a week into the long league) have been unlike those in the previous seasons. The Maharashtra drought controversy reflects tokenism of the silliest level. IPL has become a soft target in a case of misplaced priorities and incompetent governance.

     

    In general, constant judicial intervention in the IPL over the last few years is not a healthy sign. BCCI has struggled with its public image ever since the sport got commercialised back in the ’90s. Far from being perceived as a professional organisation (which, in many ways, it actually is), BCCI is seen as a rogue body by the common cricket fan.

     

    While most controversies have had little to do with actual cricket itself, the one that broke last weekend upset diehard fans and followers of the sport the most – Harsha Bhogle’s last-minute exclusion from the IPL 9 commentary team.

     

    Compared to Australia, England and South Africa (and even New Zealand and West Indies, some will hasten to add), India has probably the weakest set of commentators in the English language. Sunil Gavaskar has mastered the art of sitting on the fence and Ravi Shastri is the king of the clichés. Sanjay Manjrekar has improved considerably over the years, but remains uninteresting, to use a mild expression. Sourav Ganguly showed great promise, but cricket administration has kept him busy of late. In the world of mediocrity that Indian commentators have created over the years, Harsha Bhogle has stood out as the best.

     

    Speculation is rife about what led to Bhogle’s ouster. He claims he just doesn’t know, and the BCCI response has been, like most other times, reluctant and reticent. But whatever the trigger incident may have been, it is certain that Bhogle did not enjoy an easy equation with the BCCI (unlike his other employer Star Sports) over the years. Which doesn’t come as a surprise, given his simplicity and humility, traits that BCCI would never put on its wall as its values.

     

    There has also been this rather bizarre controversy about an Amitabh Bachchan tweet, where he suggested Indian commentators would do better by focusing on Indian players. While that suggestion may reflect a misplaced understanding of the commentator’s role, it was just a suggestion after all. By endorsing it, MS Dhoni expressed his displeasure too. I re-watched the recording of the India-Bangladesh game and its post-match show to see what could have led to such a strong reaction by the captain. Barring the strange commentary by Gavaskar in the last over (his “glamour shot” theory has stayed since the 2011 World Cup), nothing else stood out as discomforting. But then, what’s a controversy if it’s a puzzle can be solved in a jiffy!

     

    Harsha Bhogle remains a popular face in Indian cricket, one that signifies the inclusive nature of the sport in this vast country. Thankfully, there’s at least some cricket beyond what BCCI controls, and we will hear Bhogle on-air again.

     

    As for BCCI, brace yourself for the next controversy. It must be round the corner.

     

  • Only national brand to be associated with IPL since its inception in 2008

    Vodafone keeps partnership with IPL intact

    By A Correspondent

     

    Vodafone India and the Indian Premier League (IPL) have over the years gone on to strike a special chord with cricket enthusiasts and consumers alike. This bond gets further strengthened with Vodafone continuing its association for the 9th consecutive year as the Official Partner and official sponsor (on-air) of Vivo IPL 2016.

     

    Vodafone India is the only national brand to be associated with IPL since its inception in 2008. Since then, Vodafone and IPL have become synonymous with each other and in the minds of sports lovers.

     

    Sandeep Kataria

    Sandeep Kataria, Director – Commercial, Vodafone India, “IPL is one of the biggest sporting platforms in India designed to appeal to a wide section of consumers across the country. Vodafone was one of the very first few brands to associate with IPL and we are very happy with the way our association has shaped up through the years. Our partnership with IPL has helped Vodafone connect with cross segments of Television viewers and cricket lovers in India. Infact, the unique format of this tournament led to the birth of one of our favourites and most loved iconic mascot – the Zoozoos. At Vivo IPL 2016, Vodafone customers can look forward to an array of exciting and innovative engagement initiatives to participate in and enhance the spirit and passion surrounding IPL”.

     

    Rajiv Shukla, Chairman, IPL (Indian Premier League), said, “We are delighted with the long and enriching affiliation with Vodafone as co-presenting sponsor since inception in 2008. IPL is a platform where talent meets opportunities and Vodafone has always with its innovative and engaging on-ground initiatives provided the fans loads of fun, frolic and entertainment. We look forward to another successful year of association.”

     

    Vodafone has always used IPL to high-decibel brand and marketing initiatives that its core to its business and growth strategy. The company will soon announce its annual much anticipated 360 degree marketing campaign for Vivo IPL 2016, beginning with the inaugural match to be played on 9th April, 2016.

     

  • Another launch this summer will be Paper Boat Neer More

    Paper Boat set for summer with new flavours

    By A Correspondent

     

    Paper Boat has launched its new flavour Chilli Guava that seeks to relive inseparable friendships – exactly like chilli powder and guavas – sweet, sour, with a tang of spice and a raw bite.

     

    Another launch this summer will be Paper Boat Neer More. Straight from the heart of South India, this recipe spells instant relief from parched afternoons of ceaseless cricket. A tumbler of this spiced buttermilk was also a favourite when guests would come home.

     

    To spread the word about these new drinks, Paper Boat will be airing short films across television and digital platforms. The summer campaign will also see two films dedicated to Paper Boat’s all-time class-toppers, Aamras and Aam Panna. Conceptualized and written by Lowe Lintas, four short stories (one each for Chilli Guava, Neer More, Aamras and Aam Panna) explore memories triggered by the drinks themselves. The campaign was shot over four days at various locations in Mumbai.

     

    Adding much heft to the films is Gulzar’s simple, enduring and evocative poetry – and he lends his voice to its recital too. Paper Boat continues to use the glorious soundtrack from Malgudi Days in a rendition that is guaranteed to mesmerize.

     

    The 20-second films are supported by a marketing plan that has been designed to maximize reach for the new products. This includes airtime across general entertainment channels (GEC), English news, and prominent spots during the Indian Premier League (IPL).

     

    Neeraj Kakkar, Co-Founder and CEO, Hector Beverages Pvt Ltd says, “Summers are here and this season we are launching new drinks that will strengthen our presence region-wise. As always, we have worked very hard to stay true to our promise of preserving authentic recipes that don’t just taste great, but have the ability to instantly take you back to your childhood. For each of us, the memory will be a different one – where it is Neer More for the South, and Aam Panna for the North – but the memory is a given, and that is the promise that Paper Boat makes.”

     

  • The company currently has more than 10,000 employees across India with over 100 Indian employees at its Gurgaon headquarters and is working with 10,000 retailers in 400 cities across 22 states

    Lowe Lintas Delhi wins creative mandate for Vivo Mobile India

    By A Correspondent

     

    Having won the rights to partner the Indian Premier League (IPL) for 2016 & 2017 as Title Sponsor, Vivo Mobiles, the third largest mobile handset manufacturer in China, has appointed Lowe Lintas Delhi as its creative partner. The agency is tasked with the communication mandate for the smartphone major during the IPL season this year.

     

    Vivo Mobile India would be using the opportunity to launch a host of new smartphones around the IPL. This would be in addition to a range of models under the X, V and Y Series that have already been launched in India and have met with an overwhelming customer response. The 45-day grand cricketing spectacle will help brand Vivo gain scale as millions of viewers would be tuning in to watch the most celebrated cricket league in the world.

     

    Alex Feng

    On appointing Lowe Lintas Delhi, Alex Feng, CEO, Vivo Mobile India said: “Lowe brings two important things to the table: their vast experience in mobile category and their strong credentials in building powerful brands. We are confident that this partnership on IPL will be fulfilling. We met a few agencies, and the Lowe Lintas Delhi team, led by Rajiv Chatterjee, stood out. We have high expectations with the IPL association and are confident that we’ve found the right agency partner.”

     

    Naveen Gaur

    Commenting on the new business win, Naveen Gaur, President, Lowe Lintas Delhi said, “We are very excited to work with Vivo. They have declared their ambition in India by taking up the IPL Title Sponsorship. With our prior experience in handling mobile players, we are confident that we will be able to create cut-through work to firmly entrench this brand in an incredibly competitive landscape of mobile handsets.”

     

    Since its foray in India over a year ago, Vivo Mobile India has built a sizeable presence in the country. Operating in the smartphone category, Vivo is known to offer the best Hi-Fi music experience in the market along with a few other prominent features. The company currently has more than 10,000 employees across India with over 100 Indian employees at its Gurgaon headquarters and is working with 10,000 retailers in 400 cities across 22 states. The brand has about 30 service centres across India and hopes to cross the 200 figure mark by the end of 2016.

     

  • PepsiCo has asserted that it's not seeking to renegotiate the terms of its contract for title sponsorship of the Indian Premier League

    Pepsi has no plans to change IPL sponsorship contract

    By Ratna Bhushan & Ravi Teja Sharma

     

    PepsiCo has asserted that it’s not seeking to renegotiate the terms of its contract with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for title sponsorship of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

     

    “This is absolutely untrue and there is no talk of bringing down the title sponsorship fee,” a PepsiCo spokesperson said. “Issues raised by PepsiCo are based on our commitment to ethical conduct and the spirit of fair play in sports.” Pepsi was reported to be seeking to pull out of the IPL because spot-fixing accusations have tainted the tournament and fewer teams could be playing next season. There was speculation that the parent may have also been seeking to reduce costs.

     

    The company categorically rejected this. “We are committed to sufficiently invest behind our brands and there is no change in that commitment,” the spokesperson said. Pepsi had committed Rs 396 crore for a five-year period to BCCI for title sponsorship for 2013-17, roughly Rs 80 crore a year and twice what predecessor DLF had paid.

     

    A senior BCCI official said Pepsi and the administrator are trying to sort out the matter amicably. “We can encash the bank guarantee but we are not doing that. They have been good partners in the last few years. We don’t want to spoil the relationship,” he said. A clause in the contract allows BCCI to reassign the title sponsorship, he added.

     

    Meanwhile, there are a handful of contenders willing to take over the role if it’s vacated, said one of the BCCI officials cited above. “The picture will get clearer in the next few days. There are four-five different companies that we are in touch with for the title sponsorship but those companies are yet to get a clearance from the board,” he said.

     

    Source:The Economic Times

    Copyright © 2015, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All Rights Reserved

    Licensed to republish

     

  • The cola giant mulls not rebidding for the title sponsorship of the Indian Premier League after its contract ends in 2017

    Is IPL the right choice for Pepsi?

     

    By Ratna Bhushan

     

    PepsiCo may not rebid for title sponsorship of the Indian Premier League after its five-year contract ends in 2017, three industry insiders said, a day after a Supreme Court panel called for the suspension of two IPL teams for two years.

     

    “There has been too much controversy in the IPL and the internal thought process is that the company doesn’t want to re-bid for the title sponsorship,” said an executive with knowledge of internal discussions at Pepsi.

     

    “Title sponsorship is a direct association with the brand image, which directly risks getting impacted by controversy,” the executive said.

     

    PepsiCo won the right to attach its name to the tournament with a .’396 crore bid for a five-year period that started 2013, the very year in which the spot fixing scandal broke with the arrest of three cricketers. Pepsi’s bid was almost twice what the previous sponsor, real estate firm DLF, had paid the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for the 2008-12 term.

     

    The company declined to comment on the matter.

     

    “We do not comment on speculation,” said Vipul Prakash, vice president, beverages, PepsiCo. “We have not seen the copy of the complete order and hence will not be able to comment any further at this stage. We remain committed to ethical conduct in sport and expect that issues surrounding IPL are adequately and swiftly addressed. The faith of cricket fans is important and needs to be restored in the interest of the game.” The Supreme Court-appointed RM Lodha committee on Tuesday suspended the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) franchises for two years, besides banning Gurunath Meiyappan of the first team and Raj Kundra of the second for life. The move could force the IPL to go into the next season with just six teams, although the CSK owner plans to appeal the decision. The other team is also expected to appeal.

     

    TIES TO CONTINUE

    The beverage company won’t be snapping its ties completely with the tournament after 2017, said the persons cited above.

     

    “PepsiCo, however, will continue to be associated with the IPL through other platforms, such as on-air broadcast sponsorship, pouring rights etc. That’s because IPL, which is held in April-May, is peak season for soft drink firms and PepsiCo spends heavily on marketing,” said one of the executives. Since becoming the IPL title sponsor, PepsiCo has pegged its summer strategy to the tournament. This year, it ran the “Crash the IPL” campaign, which asked viewers to create their own Pepsi ads. The previous year, it had run the “Oh yes, Abhi” campaign. Summer accounts for 40 per cent of overall soft drinks sales, and the April-June quarter generally sets the pace for the rest of the year.

     

    PepsiCo chairperson and chief executive Indra Nooyi had alluded to some discomfort over the IPL spot-fixing scandal in an interview in 2013. “We would like to see no controversy of the sport… We hope they fix it,” she had told ET. “We are a highly ethical and principled organisation. So we want to associate with organisations that are principled and ethical. We hope the current problems of IPL are short term and they are addressed. But if they are not, we will have to go back and rethink.”

     

    Brand consultant Harish Bijoor drew comparisons with the Maggi noodles episode. After the product was banned in June for excessive lead content, brand endorsers such as actresses Madhuri Dixit and Preity Zinta also got sucked into the row.

     

    “This (latest development) has stirred a hornest’s nest and all lead sponsors would question their association with the team. In the consumer’s mind, lead sponsors could be also painted with a negative brush, which is what the brands have to be careful about,” Bijoor said.

     

    An executive involved with PepsiCo’s advertising campaign said the company may have to rework its marketing strategy because CSK team captain MS Dhoni has been one of the most visible brand ambassadors of Pepsi Cola and Lay’s chips.

     

    “As a brand, anyone wants to be associated with something positive,” said Varun Gupta, managing director at global consultancy American Appraisal. “There will be some negative connotations with the tournament at least in the short term. But this also gives the IPL an opportunity to clean up and move forward competitively.”

     

    To be sure, IPL has been an attractive property for advertisers despite the various controversies attached to it. This year, tournament broadcast rights holder Multi Screen Media (MSM) generated about Rs 1,000 crore from sponsors and the sale of advertising time. Besides PepsiCo, key IPL sponsors included Vodafone, Hero MotoCorp, Amazon, Paytm and Magicbricks.

     

    Source:The Economic Times

    Copyright © 2015, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All Rights Reserved

    Licensed to republish

     

  • All eyes on whether CSK and the Royals have new owners or are out of the tournament

    Dark Clouds for IPL Sponsors?

     

    By Pritha Mitra Dasgupta & Ratna Bhushan

     

    The proposed suspension of Indian Premier League teams Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals following a betting scandal evoked mixed opinions about how the cricket tournament would be affected, although it is unlikely to financially hurt title sponsor PepsiCo or team sponsors such as Aircel and UltraTech.

     

    In all probability, the Board of Control for Cricket in India will have to compensate sponsors financially for any loss of opportunity to market their brands, two people who deal with such negotiations said.

     

    “Both teams have star players such as MS Dhoni and Shane Watson who are brands in their own right and the teams have been performing well. If BCCI chooses to go ahead without the two teams next year, then it will have to decide on how the sponsors would be compensated,” a source said.

     

    The sponsors of CSK and Rajasthan Royals won’t take any hit, said Melroy D’Souza, chief operating officer at Professional Management Group, the sports marketing unit of Madison.

     

    Media planners said suspension of two of the eight teams may be a problem for Sony, official broadcaster of the T20 cricket league. “Sony Max will not be able to match the ad sales revenue it raked in the previous IPL season because the number of matches will reduce,” a top media planner said.

     

    “There will be a lot of challenges for the next edition of IPL,” said Santosh Desai, MD & CEO of Futurebrands India. “The immediate issue will be adjusting the format and one would imagine that the brand value will take a knock. And advertisers will be wary at least for the next season of IPL.”

     

    According to Ashish Bhasin, chairman & CEO South Asia, Dentsu Aegis Network, “Both CSK and RR are very big teams and their suspension will impact the tournament in a big way. But I am sure BCCI will find ways to reorient the tournament.”

     

    Bhasin added that the tournament is unviable with six teams and “financially it will be very difficult to sustain. If the number of matches get lesser there will be less advertising time. So we need to see how BCCI restructures IPL.”

     

    Shashi Sinha, CEO, IPG Media brands, said that IPL is bigger than the teams and “people watch it more for its entertainment value than competitive cricket. So in my opinion, advertiser interest will remain.”

     

    Vodafone, one of the three official IPL partners and one of the biggest advertisers, declined to comment.

     

    PepsiCo India said it expects the issues surrounding IPL to be adequately and swiftly addressed. “The faith of cricket fans is important and needs to be restored in the interest of the game. With reference the ban on the two teams, we will discuss it with Board of Control for Cricket in India and are hopeful they will be able to find a solution, which is in the best interest of all stakeholders,” a PepsiCo spokesperson said.

     

    Mobile wallet company, Paytm, which came on board as an IPL sponsor in 2015, will “wait and watch before signing another deal with IPL.” Shankar Nath, senior vice president at Paytm, said, “We are stunned by the news. But the good news is there is still a lot of time before the next season and maybe it will prove to be resilient.”

     

    “IPL has emerged as a robust and endearing sporting event property, which has only grown stronger with record TV viewership and instadium attendance. We believe that the strengthened governance structure and enhanced image of the IPL will further build the popularity of the league and benefit all its stakeholders, including sponsors,” said Anindya Datta, chief marketing officer at Yes Bank, one of the official partners of the event.

     

    Aircel, the oldest and biggest team sponsor of CSK, went into a huddle over the question of disassociating with a team found to have links with a betting scandal.

     

    “The verdict has just been announced and we are reviewing our position in the matter,” Aircel said in a statement to CSK.

     

    A leading media agency is of the opinion that both CSK and RR will play in the next season of IPL, probably under new owners, and therefore the tournament format will remain unaffected.

     

    However, the agency said a number of big advertisers may not associate with IPL because the property is marred with the betting scandal and the matter is sub judice. No one would want to come under the scanner of the new government.

     

    The agency said cricket as a property in India has become very expensive and a number of beverage and FMCG brands might use this as an excuse to get out of IPL.

     

    Source:The Economic Times

    Copyright © 2015, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All Rights Reserved

    Licensed to republish

     

  • Meet Bunty Sajdeh, the new star of the sports endorsement business

    Sports will soon be as big as Entertainment

     

    By Dyanne Coelho

     

    The state of the sports industry in India is changing, and at a fast pace, says Bunty Sajdeh, the man who manages cricketers Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan. “I’ve been working since 1998. In a span of 10 years, I saw sports grow from nothing. While sports is still no competition to entertainment, it’s definitely growing,” says Sajdeh.

     

    The Indian Premier League is a format that has definitely helped cricket, Sajdeh feels, but even apart from this, there is a lot of growth on the way that is slow and steady, but is happening. Today that growth is visible with the pro kabaddi league, the hockey league and the badminton league. “The US has nine hugely-successful sports leagues, and sport is a much bigger market than entertainment in the US – or anywhere else in the world actually. I think India is the only place where it is the other way around,” Sajdeh added. When he started his own company, Cornerstone Sport and Entertainment, he began by managing both celebrities in Bollywood as well as sportspersons. Gradually, the company made the shift to only sportspersons. “I think there is a lot more scope working with athletes from my experience,” says Sajdeh. “When you represent athletes, there is a certain aspirational aspect to it. That’s there in Bollywood as well, but here there is more of an emotional and patriotic factor.”

     

    Sajdeh feels in the next three to five years, sport will be at par with entertainment, if not supersede it. Brands are investing, leagues are coming up and the sports industry looks promising, says the man who put his faith in Virat Kohli even before he played for India. “We signed Virat before he played for India. We travelled, we evaluated, we went to domestic games, so we could get people like Virat, Rohit, Raina, and Shikhar early on in their careers.”

     

    The sports world and the world of business are also beginning to come together in a whole new way. Sportspersons are looking to invest outside of the field and are planning ahead for retirement as well. “Virat Kohli owns more than 10 percent of FC Goa. He has also invested money in the team, and he is very bullish about it,” says Sajdeh. “He is already looking at simultaneous opportunities off the field that will last beyond his playing career.”

     

    Kohli is now bigger than a cricketer, he has become a brand in himself, says Sajdeh. Following the Maggi controversy, Twitter was abuzz with talk about whether celebrities endorsing products should be responsible for the products’ quality. At Cornerstone, the team works closely with brands as well. According to Sajdeh, the controversy is unfairly skewed towards celebrities that endorse the product. “Our endorsement contracts with brands are very stringent. We have a very clear clause which indemnifies our celebrities and our athletes a 100 per cent from exactly such instances,” he says. “As a matter of fact after this whole controversy, we went back to our legal team and revisited our contracts to make sure that we were protected from all sides and we didn’t have to change a thing. So our athletes are very well-protected,” he said.

     

    Sajdeh has signed a couple of young cricketers and is constantly on the hunt for new talent across all sports. “We are looking at a portfolio of another eight to 10 athletes who will be the next Virats and the next Rohits and the next Sanias of the world,” he adds. “And it’s for us to then replicate what we’ve done with the existing lot and learn from our mistakes, and do a better job with the next generation of athletes that give us the honour of working with them.” As for Cornerstone, Sajdeh says the company will certainly go on even after his top sportspersons retire.

     

    In our fast-paced lives, even sport has moved to a fast-paced format. In cricket, the 50 overs game has gotten compressed to the 20 overs format, and has been readily accepted and followed with immense passion. Internationally as well, a majority of leagues which are multi-billion dollar properties, like the National Football League, ice-hockey, basketball, baseball,  are all multi-billion dollar events, but the duration of the games are all one-and-a-half to two hour, at best.  That’s all the time people have to dedicate to a sport they love. Sajdeh believes that sport has to keep up with changing times as well, “I think the move from 50 overs to a 20:20 game is easily understandable in our fast-paced lives,” he says. “Today if you ask any cricketer in the Indian team what they would rather play, forget the money and the fame, they would look at Test cricket. But watching a Test match means eight hours a day for five days. And when you have a series of three Test matches, nobody can devote that kind of time.”

     

    Following the huge success of IPL, other leagues like the ISL and the PKL have emerged as well. While many argue that these have sort of stolen the thunder of the IPL, Sajdeh is all praise for them. “I think this is a very good thing. I’m sure all of these will coexist and will move ahead and be profitable in their respective spaces,” he says. “In the next three to five years, I see sport coming up and matching our entertainment industry in terms of market share.”

     

    This story first appeared in dna of brands dated June 15

     

  • The first five matches of IPL8 garnered 4.5% Average.TVR which was 42% more compared to its previous edition, as per data released by TAM

    IPL8 is more than 40% more popular than IPL7: TAM data

     

    By Our Research Editor

     

    Here’s a confession: this makes news for more reasons than one. First, it’s info about the ongoing eighth edition of the Indian Premier League and how it’s doing in viewership. And, second, it’s data released by TAM.

     

    The status that we have given this news is thanks to the second. Remember, effective April 1, many leading stakeholders of the broadcast sector have unsubscribed from TAM’s TV viewership measurement service. This basically means that while some key television networks like Star, Zee, Network18 and MSM (Sony) have pulled out as also leading media agencies such as GroupM, IPG Mediabrands etc, TAM can continue its business.

     

    Some channels though are continuing to subscribe to TAM data, and TAM says it will continue to be in business.

     

    Note:  prominent among the unsubscribers of TAM data is GroupM, the media services conglomerate that is owned by WPP which in turn owns Kantar Media, the co-owner of TAM. In fact when we asked two GroupM honchos for their comments on the data via their PR agency, we were told GroupM will not comment on viewership data of TAM or BARC until April 30. (Aside: Is April 29 the date when BARC is launching its viewership data?)

     

    So if TAM is releasing the IPL viewership data, don’t be too surprised if it also releases its weekly channel data soon. And if continues to do so even after April 30 or from whenever BARC is gonna to release its viewership data, don’t be surprised if TAM continues to coexist and confuse things. Sigh.

     

    Remember our story on BARC buying over TAM which we later heard could also be in the form of TAM supplying all its data to BARC and adding it to its own.  We hear the talks happened since the story broke, but it’ll happen is what we understand (folks at Adgully who also ‘scooped’ the story, please note).

     

    So here is an interpretation on the IPL published along side this bit:

    :: 5 matches of IPL 8 were sampled by 105 million unique viewers
    :: Time Spent by Viewers per match was 51 Minutes and 44 Seconds; which is 22% more compared to IPL 7
    :: Avg. TVTs showed a growth of 43% for IPL 8 compared to IPL 7
    :: 5 matches of IPL 8 garnered 4.5% Avg.TVR which was 42% more compared to its previous edition
    :: 39% of the All India Universe tuned to watch IPL 8 matches

     

    All of this should obviously ring the right bells at the offices of Multi Screen Media, the owners of Sony Max and Sony Six (and Kix). The question is will they be able to quote these numbers officially to advertisers? Wink, wink.

     

     

  • Media planners and industry sources say sponsorship rates have risen 10-15% over last year, when the eight teams put together made just over Rs 250 crore from sponsorship

    IPL teams to mop up Rs 300 crore in sponsorship deals as most brands stay committed

    By Ravi Teja Sharma & Nandini Raghavendra

     

    That the Indian Premier League (IPL) has emerged as the choicest new brandbuilding opportunity can be gauged from the sheer stickiness that brands have displayed with the teams, and this year too most of the sponsors have decided to renew their contracts for at least the next two years. Together, the eight teams in the T20 league are estimated to mop up close to Rs 300 crore from kit deals — sponsorship on shirts, trousers and caps of players – with existing as well as some new sponsors this season.

     

    Media planners and industry sources say sponsorship rates have risen 10-15% over last year, when the eight teams put together made just over Rs 250 crore from sponsorship. “A lot of companies today want to invest in sports. Those who were already there felt the tournament has given them a good bang for their buck,” says Mohit Burman, co-owner of Kings XI Punjab.

     

    Among the newcomers to the IPL party this year is Chinese mobile handset maker Gionee, which will be seen on the front of the shirt of Kolkata Knight Riders’ players, replacing longstanding sponsor Nokia. The brand believed to have paid between Rs 15 crore and Rs 18 crore a year for the three-year deal. Another brand that has come in this year is Japanese air conditioner maker Daikin, which has signed up with Delhi Daredevils for an estimated Rs 10-11 crore.

     

    Among those who have renewed, Aircel’s deal with Chennai Super Kings is the most expensive at Rs 22 crore a year. For Mumbai Indians, Videocon d2h has renewed sponsorship at Rs 15-16 crore a year. Huawei has renewed with Royal Challengers Bangalore for Rs 10-12 crore, while Ultratech logo will again be seen on Rajasthan Royals shirts at Rs 9 crore.

     

    “Even the ground sponsors for teams look closely at ratings and reach of the tournament. These aspects have done well in recent years and that is what they see value in,” says Rohit Gupta, president of Multi Screen Media, official IPL broadcaster.

     

    The cumulative reach of the IPL has risen from about 100 million in its first edition in 2008 to 191.4 million in 2014.

     

    Last year, rating for the tournament grew to 3.6 from 3.2 in 2013 despite a part of the tournament being played in the UAE and stiff competition from Lok Sabha election. “In early years of the tournament, rating was over 4 but it has now stabilised which is attractive for sponsors,” says Gupta.

     

    Rajasthan Royals has added a new sponsor in Kalasalingam University from Chennai, which is advertising for the first time in the IPL. “They see this as the right platform for visibility within other states of India,” says team Chief Executive Raghu Iyer.

     

    Venky Mysore, the chief executive of Shah Rukh Khan-owned Kolkata Knight Riders, says they have seen a 15% increase in pricing. “Brands evaluate the value they see and the fan base, which for KKR has grown hugely, which is why we can command a premium,” says Mysore.

     

    One of the most high talked about franchisees, Royal Challengers, has seen a churn in the last few years. While initially most of its sponsors were in-house brands of the UB Group — Royal Challenge, Whyte & Mackay, McDowell’s No. 1, White Mischief — over the last few years they have been replaced by outside brands. Huawei India, Tata Motors Bolt, Britannia and Kingfisher Beer have renewed their deals.

     

    Vinit Karnik

    While the World Cup viewership didn’t exactly set record, IPL, experts feel, will be a different ball game. “Fatigue levels for prime time cricket viewing is not there because the World Cup was not prime time,” says Vinit Karnik, national director, sports and live events at GroupM ESP. “What is also helping is the realistic pricing despite a slight increase in pricing this time.” IPL teams can be put into two buckets. The three top teams — Chennai Super Kings, Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders — are in a different league when it comes to pricing of their kit deals.

     

    Source:The Economic Times

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