MxMIndia

Tag: IPL

  • As IPL 5's opening encounter happens tonight, we asked media experts for their forecast

    Will IPL 5 ratings match those of earlier seasons?

     

    By Johnson Napier

     

    The Indian cricket team’s performance over the last year has left much to be desired. Having suffered humiliation at the hands of several opponents and having failed to pep up ratings with their cricketing prowess, it was a telling sign that all was not going well for the men in blue who were crowned World Champions just about a year ago. Had such a downfall in form gripped any other country, it would have attracted the wrath of the fans that would’ve boycotted the sport by staying away from the game even if it meant empty stands (in stadiums) or viewership ratings on television taking a plunge.

     

    But that is precisely what is different about India, especially the bond that its people share with their favourite sport – cricket. Lose or win, big score or small score, there will always be a legion of fans who will continue to stand by the sport (and their idols), and be there in good times and in bad. This probably even sums up BCCI’s recent move in selling the broadcast rights of Indian cricket to Star Group for a staggering Rs 3,851 crore for a period from 2012-2018. One can only empathise with the broadcaster who now requires to come with a foolproof strategy that would see it recover revenues and also arouse curiosity levels amongst advertisers. But that is for later. For now, all eyes are on the most-anticipated tournament – IPL, that kicks off from April 4, 2012.

     

    Not wanting to take sides and given the string of ups and downs surrounding cricket in the recent past, experts are opting to play it safe and are predicting viewership ratings to be at par or slightly lower than the past year. In a sense, this augurs well for the wellbeing and popularity of the sport given the uprising it has faced in the recent past particularly with brands many of whom have opted to stay away from the event given the high costs being quoted for a 10-second ad. Also, the fact that a few franchise owners were left in the lurch awaiting divine intervention from the BCCI and with big players not being picked up by stake owners during the bidding process didn’t help solve matters either. And so while an average rating of 3.5 was what IPL managed to throw up in its fourth season, experts predict a somewhat similar rating for the fifth instalment too.

     

    Avg. Viewership of all IPL Seasons
    Tournament Number of Matches Avg. TVR
    IPL Season 1 59 4.81
    IPL Season 2 59 4.17
    IPL Season 3 60 4.65
    IPL Season 4 74 3.5

     

     

    Viewership of first match of all IPL Seasons
    Tournament First Match TVR
    IPL Season 1 L/T DLF IPL T20 KKR/RCB-BG 7.19
    IPL Season 2 L/T DLF IPL2 T20 MI/CSK-CT 5.09
    IPL Season 3 L/T DLF IPL3 T20 KKR/DC-NM 5.86
    IPL Season 4 L/T DLF IPL4 T20 CSK/KKR-CH 7.14

    (Source: TAM Peoplemeter System / Market: All India / TG: CS 4+)

    * In IPL 1 one match was abandoned due to rain

    * In IPL 2 two matches were abandoned due to rain

    * In IPL 4 one match was abandoned due to rain

     

    According to data from TAM Sports for season 4, the inaugural match between Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders had notched up a 7.14 TVR in the all India market for CS4+ (refer table for data). The number was much higher than what the previous seasons had managed to notch up. But despite the number of matches being increased to 74, the tournament managed an average TVR of 3.5. For season 5, while the tournament average is touted to stay the same the opening day numbers are estimated to be below par than the previous year. Asserts Anita Nayyar, CEO India & South Asia at Havas Media: “There is some commonality in the average ratings that season 5 is expected to throw up from the previous year but where for the opening day numbers are concerned, it could fetch a TVR of 5 or so.” Elaborating on why the numbers would not be as high as the previous years she said, “If you see, there has been an overdose of cricket in the past one year leading it to be a cricket-heavy year for team India. This has resulted in some form of fatigue setting in amongst the masses. The fact that a host of advertisers have opted to stay away from the event this year further signals the plight of the event in the days to come. But one could look forward to the event garnering an average rating of 3-3.5.”

     

    Echoing a similar sentiment, Nandini Dias, COO – Lodestar UM said that this year could be one of the bad years for the event where ratings are concerned. “The average ratings have been slipping over the years and would hover around the 3-3.5 mark this year. But what is more concerning this year is the way the advertisers have been treated despite trends suggesting an expected downfall in ratings. With such exorbitant rates, most advertisers have preferred to stay away from the event.” On the opening day numbers to be expected from the event, Dias said, “The buzz around the event this year has been surprisingly low and much of this may have to do with India’s dismal performance in the year gone by. I expect lower opening day numbers compared to last year given the low decibels around the event. Even the sale of tickets is low-profile with many preferring to stay away from making a purchase.”

     

    So while a dip in numbers is what is forecast, it would be interesting to see how the broadcasters play up the viewership numbers game as there is a slight change in the opening day schedule of the event. While in previous years, the opening ceremony was followed by a match on the same day, this year the organizers have split the two for separate days. Explains Jai Lala, Principal Partner – The Exchange, Mindshare: “Last year and in the previous years the opening ceremony was followed by a match being played on the same day and the number as such was high but this year there would be a difference in the numbers as the opening ceremony and the match have been separated from each other. So just the ratings from the opening day of the match per se, I would say it would be marginally low but as suggested that is due to the splitting of events. We’ll have to watch how the broadcaster plays up the numbers.” In fact according to Lala, “Season 5 may have an upper hand where the average ratings are concerned as one, there was no World Cup like last year that resulted in fatigue amongst viewers and also the fact that a lot of teams were in a sense rehashed last year resulting in small drop in ratings. But that shouldn’t be the case this time around; hopefully the ratings could be better than what was last year.”

     

    Preferring to stay optimistic, Neelkamal Sharma, COO – Buying of Madison Media Group is hopeful of the event managing a good opening in terms of ratings. And his supposition stems from the fact that the “general public’s mood being low due to economic slowdown/ scams/inflation etc hence they may look forward to watch something more entertaining and something that will drive away their attention from regular news.” As for the average numbers per se, he expects the numbers to be somewhat similar to last year +/-5-10 per cent.

     

    Having faced the heat last year for reporting a drop in viewership numbers that was backed by an unwarranted hike in ad rates, MSM would probably have to come up with some magic formula that would see them gain their way into the hearts of the viewers and naysayers too. It may help that the reach numbers for the tournament are estimated to be 8-10 per cent higher than last year due to rise in C&S households but the question is: will the viewer cling on to see the event complete the journey in its entirety or will he (or she) quit midway resulting in depleting numbers than previous years? The ball, for now, is in MSM’s court.

     

    Image courtesy http://www.facebook.com/IPLSTARS

  • Slowing excitement levels, consumer fatigue, and Indian players' performances… some of the reasons IPL needs to look sharp, feels Ashish Bhasin.

    4 reasons why IPL ratings & revenue won’t be better this year

    By Ashish Bhasin

     

    #1 There has been an overdose of cricket. Immediately after the World Cup last year, which was like a climax, we had the IPL and subsequent to that we had nearly continuous cricket, causing some amount of fatigue in consumers.

     

    #2 Viewership and interest in cricket in India is directly proportionate to the performance of the Indian cricket team. Given the disastrous tour of England, followed by a similarly disastrous tour of Australia, the Indian cricket team’s performance perhaps is at its lowest in the past several years and I feel this will impact cricket in general. Even though IPL is not directly an Indian team tournament, most of the players involved are in the IPL and hence the overall interest gets impacted.

     

    #3 Rightly or wrongly, I think the best days of the IPL were when Lalit Modi was running it because of the hype and excitement he was able to create around it. Subsequent to that the journey has only been downhill for IPL. Hence I feel that will continue for a while, until something new is done to reinvent this tournament and regenerate interest.

     

    #4 Perhaps, because of some of the reasons given above, the Indian consumer has started acknowledging that other sports also exist in the world, like F1, hockey, wrestling and so on. As these sports catch on, IPL will be affected.

     

    Ashish Bhasin is the Chairman India & CEO South East Asia – Aegis Media.

     

  • There are a few advertisers who have raised concerns over low returns against large investments on IPL

    Has IPL become too expensive for advertisers?

    By Rishi Vora

     

    After Rahul Dravid announced his retirement from international cricket on March 9, senior journalists, fellow cricketers and fans pondered over the future ofIndiaas far as test cricket was concerned. While that’s an issue selectors for the Indian cricket team have to sort out soon, officials from IPL and Multi Screen Pvt Ltd have to come up with real quick ideas to woo key advertisers, so that they remain invested in the property, especially after the 10 per cent hike in the ad rates for Season 5.

     

    The 10 per cent hike in ad rates means that advertisers will have to pay upwards of Rs5 lakh per 10 second spot. Last year, afterIndia’s fabulous performance in the World Cup, MSM hiked ad rates by about 25 per cent.  The season delivered an average rating of 3.91, lowest ever in four seasons.

     

    So season 5 was always going to be a challenge considering the slowdown andIndia’s continued poor run inAustralia. However, despite these challenges, MSM has managed to rope in a few sponsors already. Pepsi, Vodafone, Tata Photon and Idea have been signed on as sponsors and, furthermore, the broadcast partner is in process of finalising a few more deals.

     

    But, as a matter of fact, there are a few advertisers who have raised concerns over low returns against large investments on IPL and two amongst those – LG Electronics India and Godrej that have been sponsors from the start of the tournament have decided to pull out this year. They don’t think it’s worth the money anymore.

     

    LG Electronics India’s Chief Marketing Officer, L K Gupta told MxMIndia: “It is true that we’ve opted out of IPL this year. While it is the single largest property on TV, the fact of the matter is that there is only a certain level to commit marketing funds and the return we get in terms of TRPs does not really justify the high level of spending. Last year we felt the pinch, so we decided to stay out this year.”

     

    Godrej too is said to have opted out on similar grounds.

     

    Maruti Suzuki, which as a policy spends about 23 per cent on sports every year, of which cricket commands a reasonable share, has always restrained from being associated with IPL. Shashank Srivastava, Chief Marketing Officer explained his stance: “We invested in the World Cup last year. We don’t invest in IPL because for a company like ours, one needs to put in a lot of spike. IPL gives you good reach. In terms of viewership, it gives you good returns for 5-6 weeks which is something ideal for new launches or new product offering. So the money which goes in on buying IPL, and in return what you get for a brand like Maruti is not much.”

     

    A senior media professional who requested anonymity said that India’s richest league commands nothing less than Rs65 crore for presenting rights and Rs45 crore for being an associate sponsor. He said: “This is serious money you’re talking about. They (MSM) have increased by 10 per cent on ad rates, and they are under tremendous pressure to cut down further.”

     

    Nitin Jain, Co-Founder, DoMor Communications said the broadcast partner will eventually have to come down to last year’s price which was around Rs4.5 to 4.75 lakh per 10-second spot. “I’m sure the broadcaster is in talks with many clients, but from what I understand, it is going to be a game of who blinks first.”

     

    Buying his point is Nimbus sports COO Yannick Colaco who said: “I think advertisers are just waiting to see if the rates can be brought down. It’s pretty usual for advertisers to do this as a practice to get better deals out of the broadcaster.  IPL is a big tournament and advertisers will eventually look to advertise on a property of that scale, so I think it’s just a matter of time before they (MSM) sell out and a formal announcement is made.”

     

    It is learnt that MSM has initiated talks with Cadbury, but it is not entirely clear if the chocolate brand has signed the deal officially. On-ground sponsors for season 5 are DLF, Hero Motocorp, Karbonn Mobiles and Volkswagen.

     

    Set Max officials could not be reached but it is said that this year the attempt is also to sell smaller packages of 20-25 matches to cash in on advertisers with limited budgets. Also, it is not leaving any stone unturned in promoting the mega event. It is believed that a whopping Rs45 crore is being spent to bring the IPL fever back among viewers.

     

    It will be interesting to see how things turn out to be for all stakeholders of the mega property.

     

  • 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 auction will witness 147 players going under the hammer. The size of every DLF IPL team squad will be 33 instead of 30 players in the previous season. Team owners are each to be given a purse of $2 million to buy these players.

    It’s auction time at IPL season 5

    By A Correspondent

     

    On February 4, 2012, Sony Max will show the DLF IPL Player Auction, which is taking place in Bangalore where franchise owners will select additional players who may be crucial for the success of the respective teams.

     

    The auction will commence at 10.45 am on February 4 with Max’s anchor Archana Vijaya and Arun Lal bringing all the behind the scene excitement and then moves onto intense live coverage of the auction that’ll take place at ITC Royal Gardenia Hotel in Bangalore. The anchors will engage the audiences before, after and during the auction to take them through the bidding procedure as well to analyse the day’s activity.

     

    The auction will witness 147 players going under the hammer. The size of every DLF IPL team squad will be 33 instead of 30 players in the previous season. Team owners are to each be given a purse of $2 million to buy these players. The auction will give a deeper insight and glimpse of the strategy each team is scheduled to follow.

     

    Commenting on the DLF IPL Player Auction, Neeraj Vyas, EVP and Business Head, MAX, said “DLF IPL Player Auction 2012 will set the stage for what promises to be an absorbing fifth season of the DLF IPL which will set the nation roaring. Alternating between the studio and the auction venue, Max will bring an up close and personal perspective of the event which will keep the audience enthralled.”

     

  • TAM Sports' IPL 3 & 4 books will include an in-depth study on the event's viewership dynamics, commercial and non-commercial advertising

    IPL sponsorship assessment in new TAM volumes

    By A Correspondent

     

    TAM Sports, a specialized division of TAM Media Research, which has done extensive work in the field of sports measurement and valuation in the past few years and specializes in measuring the sports sponsorship Return on Investment (ROI), announced the launch of special features on IPL 3 and IPL 4.

     

    TAM Sports has done an extensive assessment on IPL 3 & 4, focusing on the dynamics of TV audience and sponsorships. This series of TAM Sports publishing aims at benefiting sports associations, broadcasters, advertisers and sports marketing consultancies and help them understand the complexity involved in expecting ROI. TAM Sports started this initiative with IPL Season 1 and has also released a book on IPL Season 2.

     

    TAM Sports’ IPL 3 & 4 books will include an in-depth study on the event’s viewership dynamics, commercial and non-commercial advertising (product placement) that brings out the nuances with respect to visibility of brands and branding units along with a comparison across seasons.

     

    It will have a detailed study on consumer impressions, brand placement, on-screen and instadia advertising along with a special section on franchisee advertising done during IPL seasons 3 and 4. One part of this offering will also include an analysis on PR exposure received by the franchisees and various brands associated with IPL.

     

    Talking about the IPL 3 & 4 feature, LV Krishnan, CEO, TAM Media Research said: “Based on the overwhelming response to our earlier book series on IPL 1 & 2, we are glad to release the combined book volumes of IPL 3 & 4. These two volume will also highlight the insights on sports sponsorship ROI on various platforms – instadia, on-player and on-screen, along with throwing light on the tournament viewing analysis like audience profile, how various markets have responded to the event, impact of IPL on other genres with a special new section on franchisee advertising and print in-content placement. While TAM Sports has alays had a big focus on cricket due to its large audience and advertising base, we will also continue to provide more such insights in other sports like F1, tennis and football as well serve the respective industry for its business requirements.”

     

    Some observations from the TAM Sports IPL study are:

    • IPL seasons have been successful in reaching maximum audiences year after year. IPL Season 3 reached 41 + million audiences whereas IPL 4 reached 46+ million viewers.
    • IPL 3 & 4 garnered maximum contribution from CS 35 + age group whereas IPL Season 4 has seen increase in kids viewing.
    • In comparison with IPL 3, IPL 4 witnessed 33 per cent growth in overall advertising while commercial, on-screen and instadia advertising witnessed a growth of 21 per cent, 50 per cent and 33 per cent respectively.
    • Commercial advertising during IPL Season 4 increased by 21 per cent as compared to IPL Season 3.
    • IPL 4 saw utilization of 60+ instadia platforms.
    • On player advertising has witnessed 37 per cent growth.
    • 57 brands got exposure through 16 accessories platforms and contributed 2 per cent share of the total ‘instadia’ advertising.

    TAM is a joint venture between AC Nielsen Research Services (Nielson Company) & Kantar Market Research. Besides measuring TV Viewership, TAM also monitors advertising expenditure of television, print and radio through its division AdExIndia.

     

    Since 2004, it extended its presence in the PR measurement & analysis space for Corporate/Marketing Clients by setting up a separate division, Eikona PR Measurement.

     

    In 2007, the joint venture introduced RAM (Radio Audio Measurement) service to track radio listenership for the Indian Radio Broadcast Industry.

     

    In year 2009, TAM launched a division, called TAM Sports that specializes in monitoring Sports Sponsorship ROI.

     

  • Behind every great commercial is super strategy. Every week, MxMIndia will bring you the brief and the strat as given by the client and whatever else that went into creating a winning ad. AdStrat is compiled by Shubhangi Mehta.

    Ad Strat: Vodafone ‘Zoozoos’

    Rajiv Rao NCD,Ogilvy&Mather

     

    Name of the Campaign/Ad: Vodafone ‘Zoozoos’

     

    The Brief: Talk about the various VAS (Value Added Services) that Vodafone has to offer in a way that’s clutter breaking and also keeping in mind the chaos of advertising on IPL, India’s most watched show on TV

     

    Research: Previous IPL experience showed us that the same people were watching the matches every day. Hence there was a high level of impatience when it came to watching the same communication over and over again. We took that learning on board and decided to treat even communication like content – something new to look forward every day.

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”200″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=te5kc5PFZFY[/youtube]

    Key issues: The ads were to be universally understood and enjoyed. Another challenge, because we were working with a large number of scripts, was to keep the freshness going. Third issue was purely operational – actually pulling off such a large number of films in one go was in itself a huge challenge.

     

    Media vehicles: While it was principally led by television, this was a truly 360 degree campaign involving digital, outdoor, retail, radio and experiential media.

     

    Market and client feedback: Two words: HUGE HIT. The campaign resulted in a spike in VAS uptake. On brand health measures, the campaign helped the brand overtake the market leader. It was awarded for creativity and effectiveness at the Abbys, AME, Spikes, Effies and the Vodafone global awards, amongst others. An exclusive line of zoozoo merchandise is a regular feature at Shoppers Stop outlets. The campaign was the most viewed viral in the world for a whole month. It helped the brand garner 2.5 million fans. The success of the Zoozoos is not in that India fell in love with them, but in that the love affair is still as fresh and going strong after 3 years.