STAR ropes in 11 brand partners for IPL 2018 on both TV, digital platforms

STAR India has attracted 11 brands for its telecast of the Vivo Indian Premier League (IPL). After the network's winning bid of the annual T20 for Rs 163.5 billion to telecast for five years, this is the first time the IPL will be available on the same network on TV and digital.

Anil Jayaraj, executive vice-president and head for ad sales, STAR Sports, believes this has been the key driver for attracting brands. 

He says, “Having both TV and digital platforms means brands for the first time have the opportunity to leverage the power of multi-screen. This allows brands to combine the power of mass reach and targeted performance. We’ve gone to market with a combined proposition but have been fluid in that if a brand wants to lean more heavily on either platform we’ve adapted. We’ve not come across a single brand yet that has refrained from either platform.”  

Some of the brands that have signed on the property include IPL regulars like Vivo (also the title on-ground sponsor), Kent and Parle. Newcomers include Elica Kitchens, Dream11, Polycab Wires and Coca-Cola. The global beverage giant has been a known brand in the past but had dialled back on cricket sponsorships in the recent past. However, it has started investing in cricket tournaments since last year. 

“IPL has always lived up to its promise of being the most impactful media property and this year, there is the added attraction of the return of two popular teams. We are seeing good traction with our clients. STAR has developed a very strong marketing plan and created a lot of innovative opportunities for advertisers across their broadcast and digital platforms,” says C V L Srinivas, CEO of GroupM South Asia.

Last year, Sony Pictures Network India (SPN) had roped in nine brands on TV while Hotstar had close to 10 brands associating with the property on the digital platform. While SPN earned around Rs 13 billion from ad-sales in IPL 2017, industry estimates peg Hotstar’s ad-sales revenues in the Rs 1.8 to Rs 2 billion range last year. Experts say it is too early to say how much STAR India would make from this year’s telecast of the tournament. However, market estimates say STAR India will be looking at Rs 20 billion in ad-sales revenue.

STAR India has extended the engagement duration on the IPL to six month, starting with the IPL player retention process (televised for the first time this year) in January, followed by the player auctions at the end of January. In the run-up to the tournament, the network will be airing programmes around the teams and their preparation for IPL 2018, all monetisable assets on TV and digital.