Back-to-back IPL, T20 World Cup put advertisers in a fix: Experts

Firms will have to decide if they have budgets to deploy on the tournament, say experts

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is considering holding the remainder of the Indian Premier League (IPL), suspended earlier this month due to the second Covid-19 wave, in September-October in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
 
The likely window between September 15 and October 15, said sources within the cricketing body, will put it just ahead of the T20 World Cup, which is scheduled for the third week of October. The UAE is a standby venue for the T20 World Cup, scheduled to be held in India.
 
But, the back-to-back presence of two important cricket tournaments will put advertisers in a fix, some media agency heads said, since budgets are limited.
 
“While the holding of the IPL is good news for advertisers, companies will have to decide whether they have the budgets to deploy on the tournament at that time. Advertisers may have to exercise their choice between the IPL and the T20 World Cup. For those whose budgets are not an issue may go with the IPL. Those concerned about spends may go with the T20 World Cup,” Vikram Sakhuja, group chief executive officer, Madison Media and OOH, said.
 
This point is endorsed by Sajal Gupta, vice-president, media buying, digital, at Zenith, a national media agency. He says budgets are finite. “It will be difficult for advertisers to be present on two cricketing properties over eight weeks. That is a very high decibel of advertising that companies will have to account for. Chances are that many may have to choose where they want to be,” he says.
 
Last year, the shifting of the IPL to the September-November window, coinciding with the festive season, had helped the T20 tournament cross the Rs 3,000-crore-mark in terms of total advertising revenue for Disney-Star, said media industry sources. This included TV advertising revenue of Rs 2,800 crore and digital advertising revenue of Rs 380 crore. The tournament was held in the UAE.

 
This year, the broadcaster had increased ad rates on television for the IPL by 10-15 per cent, counting on the shift back of the tournament to India as well as its return to its April schedule. However, the resurgence of Covid-19 in April meant that only 29 of the total 60 matches could be played before it was temporarily suspended by BCCI. Viewership had also tapered for the 2021 IPL edition after shattering records in 2020. IPL Chairman Brijesh Patel had said the league would be held within the next best window available to it, hinting at the September-October calendar.
 
Disney-Star declined to comment when contacted. But media industry sources say the broadcaster has given advertisers who had signed up for the tournament in April to continue with the existing contract or exit the deal and get into a fresh agreement with it for the remainder of the tournament.
 
However, some advertisers such as the Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF), the makers of Amul, say the T20 World Cup is a bigger platform for advertisers. “The IPL is a high-impact property, but the T20 World Cup is not an annual event. Plus, there are more teams in the T20 World Cup and viewer interest will be high,” says RS Sodhi, managing director, GCMMF.