The IPL as a brand continues to grow stronger with every passing season. For a tournament that spans two months, consistently capturing the imagination of millions of fans is no small feat. Yet, the IPL manages to do so with remarkable consistency. What drives this sustained success? How does the IPL maintain its position as India’s leading and only global sports brand? With the viewership and engagement numbers already at staggering levels, is there still room for growth?
The standout feature of the IPL, one that arguably makes it a more potent property than even the ICC World Cups, is that here India wins every night. In a World Cup, there is always the risk of India being edged out by Australia or New Zealand or any other team. Not so in the IPL -- and that makes it a more consistent, safer brand to invest in.
“I think the IPL is no longer a sporting event in this country. It is now a two-month long cultural phenomenon that envelopes people’s lives and invades them in ways that most people don’t realise,” said Sanjog Gupta, CEO Sports, JioStar. “A big part of that is of course the sporting competition, for the event itself entails India taking on each other and yet India winning every night. I think there are two other parts. One is the bittersweet rivalry that exists between various teams, the whole concept of best players from around the world playing against the best players in India, the best players in India playing against each other, which we otherwise don’t see.
And all of it played out in a manner which is extremely positive and reinforces the joy of the sport.
“That combined with the new layers that the competition has found, which has sparked passion in a way that no other competition does, explains why the IPL continues to be unique.” For a product as valuable and as all-pervasive, continuous innovation and exploration of new markets is essential. Without such efforts, the brand risks plateauing over time. That’s where Gupta and his team seem to have found their mojo.
“As broadcasters our role is to present this unique unifying cultural phenomena in all its splendour,” said Gupta. “But [we] also serve the segments of fans who engage with the sport differently. For the longest time, broadcasting was about serving many fans as one. Now, we have to serve one fan as many. Fans no longer stick to watching just one feed. Most fans watch two three feeds at different points of time because they want to experience the sport in different ways. So, the approach is to always elevate the spectacle and make it more mythical.
“This year, we called it the Indian Possible League – a nod to the limitless possibilities the IPL offers. It could be an unknown cricketer, who you have never heard of, coming in and winning a game out of nowhere. Or it could be a 43-year-old legend, still able to keep for 20 overs, marshalling his troops in conjunction with his captain towards success. “In doing so, you’re constantly trying to reach audiences that are either underserved or not served at all. That’s where the growth comes from. You’re always asking: What kind of consumer experience will deepen engagement? How do we use the digital platforms and their features to make it more immersive, interactive and intuitive,” he added.
During the opening weekend of the IPL, JioStar recorded a cumulative watch time of 4,956 crore minutes (TV and digital) to set a new benchmark. On their digital platform JioHotstar, the opening weekend witnessed 137 crore views, with peak concurrency reaching 3.4 crore viewers, highlighting the platform’s growing dominance in live sports streaming.
In a world where content consumption is increasingly fragmented, understanding the context in which fans engage with the IPL is crucial.
“If the fan chooses the offering on a six-inch screen in an intimate and personalised setting, that choice is shaped by the environment they are in. But the same fan may want to experience the community aspect of the sport, which gets elevated when watched with others, on the bigger screen. So, the smart phone and the television set continue to remain equally relevant,” Gupta said.
“So, you want to go as wide as possible with the accessibility, ensuring no fan or viewer is left behind. At the same time, you’re trying to go as deep as possible by making it highly relevant for every audience segment. For example, there may be a passionate CSK fan in Chennai or Coimbatore who wants to watch day-long coverage in Tamil. That is the kind of nuance we are bringing to the IPL experiences, making it all encompassing.” So, is the IPL a bigger sports property than the World Cup? While not wanting to take a position, understandable as the World Cup is also on JioStar, Gupta put things in context.
“The IPL is a truly unique brand, which stands almost in its own ecosystem, in its own world. I don’t think any other cricket competition – ICC events, Asia Cup, bilaterals etc – can be compared to it. The level of engagement is unmatched: India plays every night, the best play the best every night, and the cultural phenomenon [that builds] around the IPL over two months is unparalleled. It has no rival.”
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this column are that of the writer. The facts and opinions expressed here do not reflect the views of www.economictimes.com)
The standout feature of the IPL, one that arguably makes it a more potent property than even the ICC World Cups, is that here India wins every night. In a World Cup, there is always the risk of India being edged out by Australia or New Zealand or any other team. Not so in the IPL -- and that makes it a more consistent, safer brand to invest in.
“I think the IPL is no longer a sporting event in this country. It is now a two-month long cultural phenomenon that envelopes people’s lives and invades them in ways that most people don’t realise,” said Sanjog Gupta, CEO Sports, JioStar. “A big part of that is of course the sporting competition, for the event itself entails India taking on each other and yet India winning every night. I think there are two other parts. One is the bittersweet rivalry that exists between various teams, the whole concept of best players from around the world playing against the best players in India, the best players in India playing against each other, which we otherwise don’t see.
And all of it played out in a manner which is extremely positive and reinforces the joy of the sport.
“That combined with the new layers that the competition has found, which has sparked passion in a way that no other competition does, explains why the IPL continues to be unique.” For a product as valuable and as all-pervasive, continuous innovation and exploration of new markets is essential. Without such efforts, the brand risks plateauing over time. That’s where Gupta and his team seem to have found their mojo.
“As broadcasters our role is to present this unique unifying cultural phenomena in all its splendour,” said Gupta. “But [we] also serve the segments of fans who engage with the sport differently. For the longest time, broadcasting was about serving many fans as one. Now, we have to serve one fan as many. Fans no longer stick to watching just one feed. Most fans watch two three feeds at different points of time because they want to experience the sport in different ways. So, the approach is to always elevate the spectacle and make it more mythical.
“This year, we called it the Indian Possible League – a nod to the limitless possibilities the IPL offers. It could be an unknown cricketer, who you have never heard of, coming in and winning a game out of nowhere. Or it could be a 43-year-old legend, still able to keep for 20 overs, marshalling his troops in conjunction with his captain towards success. “In doing so, you’re constantly trying to reach audiences that are either underserved or not served at all. That’s where the growth comes from. You’re always asking: What kind of consumer experience will deepen engagement? How do we use the digital platforms and their features to make it more immersive, interactive and intuitive,” he added.
During the opening weekend of the IPL, JioStar recorded a cumulative watch time of 4,956 crore minutes (TV and digital) to set a new benchmark. On their digital platform JioHotstar, the opening weekend witnessed 137 crore views, with peak concurrency reaching 3.4 crore viewers, highlighting the platform’s growing dominance in live sports streaming.
In a world where content consumption is increasingly fragmented, understanding the context in which fans engage with the IPL is crucial.
“If the fan chooses the offering on a six-inch screen in an intimate and personalised setting, that choice is shaped by the environment they are in. But the same fan may want to experience the community aspect of the sport, which gets elevated when watched with others, on the bigger screen. So, the smart phone and the television set continue to remain equally relevant,” Gupta said.
“So, you want to go as wide as possible with the accessibility, ensuring no fan or viewer is left behind. At the same time, you’re trying to go as deep as possible by making it highly relevant for every audience segment. For example, there may be a passionate CSK fan in Chennai or Coimbatore who wants to watch day-long coverage in Tamil. That is the kind of nuance we are bringing to the IPL experiences, making it all encompassing.” So, is the IPL a bigger sports property than the World Cup? While not wanting to take a position, understandable as the World Cup is also on JioStar, Gupta put things in context.
“The IPL is a truly unique brand, which stands almost in its own ecosystem, in its own world. I don’t think any other cricket competition – ICC events, Asia Cup, bilaterals etc – can be compared to it. The level of engagement is unmatched: India plays every night, the best play the best every night, and the cultural phenomenon [that builds] around the IPL over two months is unparalleled. It has no rival.”
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this column are that of the writer. The facts and opinions expressed here do not reflect the views of www.economictimes.com)
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