Star India targeting 700 million viewers from IPL 2018

The new strategy will be beneficial for brands associated with IPL.

The Vivo IPL 2018 trophy (Pic. courtesy: IPL Twitter)

There is a plenty of buzz surrounding around the next edition of IPL since it will mark the return of two of the tainted IPL franchises – Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals in the cash-rich event. Moreover, for the first time cricket fanatics will experience viewing it with a different broadcaster – Star Sports.

Besides, the forthcoming season of IPL will also witness a revamp in technology and consumer insights. As per Star India and BCCI, this blueprint will not only be advantageous for the fans but also for the brands associated with this big-ticket sporting platform.

“Though people follow IPL, but language has been a big barrier. People this time are very excited about the fact that we are coming in so many languages. Our real focus is on getting 700 million fans, revenues will come but the focus on revenues will happen after the first year. This is the biggest investment we are making in terms of technology and build IPL to the next level. This will also be one of the first few leagues in the world to bring live virtual reality from the stadium to our homes. This re-imagination is not limited to what we do on TV but this year even Hotstar will go from solo to social with technology drive the fan experience,” Star India MD Sanjay Gupta quoted according to Business World while talking about this revolutionary approach for the next 5 years.

As part of this remodeled approach Star India will broadcast live matches in six different languages. The regional languages include Kannada, Tamil, Telugu and Bengali besides the regular Hindi and English.

“For brands we are making this platform more democratic by making it available to a larger number of brands because what IPL also needs is more brands to participate. Today it is very limited. Only 30 to 50 brands participate, can we open it and make more brands to participate? Because that will pave way for future monetization. We are confident that the VIVO IPL 2018, as reimagined by Star India, will empower viewers, advertisers and the media and entertainment ecosystem of India with greater convenience and viewing pleasure, audience deliveries and all-round growth,” Gupta further said.

The much-awaited IPL auction is scheduled to be held in Bangalore on January 27 and 28. Talking about the transformation of IPL over the last 10 years, BCCI CEO Rahul Johri said: “In Star India we have a partner that not only believes in the immense potential of IPL, but also believes in pushing the boundaries of sports broadcasting which gives it the power and ability to take the IPL to even greater heights.”

In September last year, the Board of Control for Cricket in India had announced a new television-rights deal with STAR India worth nearly £2 billion for the for the five-year period (2018-2022).

 
 

By Salman Anjum - 17 Jan, 2018

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