Fifa World Cup scores a language goal; Sony raising the pitch on promotions

Even as the viewership numbers for the World Cup 2018 skyrocket, the one figure that is exciting FIFA, Sony Pictures Network and advertisers is the huge share of language viewers. With 46 per cent of the 117 million viewers for the 26 matches so far coming from non-English feeds, SPN and FIFA are resetting the targets on advertising revenues and advertisers, on audience reach. Initially projected at Rs 2 billion, ad revenue from language broadcasts is  expected to exceed the number several times over say industry experts as brands look to ride the game’s growing popularity in the heartland.

The game’s top markets in terms of audience numbers are Bengal, Kerala, the North-Eastern states and Maharashtra and one of the big reasons for unlocking these markets, says SPN is that the matches on TV and digital are being broadcast in five languages (Hindi, Malayalam, Bengali, Tamil and Telugu). While the North East has traditionally been an English viewing market, a Bengali feed has helped add to its already huge numbers. As has the digital broadcast on SonyLiv that has found takers in metros and non-metros, SPN says.

According to Uday Sodhi, EVP & Head Digital Business, SPN, Brand Patanjali, a presenting sponsor on SonyLiv has seen merit in the targeted outreach of the tournament. “Same goes for  AMFI, Uber, Cadbury Silk and Swiggy who believe this is a great way to connect with their audience,” he adds. 

Rohit Gupta, president Networks Sales and International Business, SPN, says the main driver for the growth in regional is that people are comfortable watching in local languages, especially in the South.

Advertisers are also lured in by the digital medium’s ability to throw up huge sets of data that help to get to know the consumer. “We are giving device, mobile data usage (high-medium), roaming /travellers and key psychographics like online shoppers, fashion enthusiasts, interested in sports, arts and entertainment etc. This gets advertisers closer to their target audience,” Sodhi says.

For FIFA, the regional feeds have opened up a new opportunity too; its brand is finding new audiences in a country where the popularity of football has grown quite rapidly in the past few years. Harish Bijoor, CEO, Harish Bijoor Consults said in sheer advertising terms, while cricket is for everyone, football and FIFA World Cup is a segmented option for the regions. The depth of football in Kerala, West Bengal and Goa for instance, offers a good option for the regional push for brands. “In addition, football offers a metro segmentation as well which brands can use as an advertising segmentation opportunity,” he adds.

Top markets in terms of reach for the matches includes Bengal (14.8 million),  Kerala (14.5 million), North East (8.4 million), Maharashtra (7.1 million). Regional commentary has 6.8 million viewers in Kerala sampling Malayalam commentary and 5.4 million viewers in West Bengal sampling Bengali commentary. Language feeds are not necessarily watched only by audiences in their state of origin, it can cross borders and in multi-lingual metros, it opens up the game to a larger set of fans.

With 41 per cent of the total reach coming from rural India, advertisers and Brand FIFA have also broken through the urban barricades that most global brands struggle with. And as Bijoor says, the sport is being watched by a large number from the age group of 18-24, which is the ideal target audience that advertisers want to reach out to.

Rajesh Kaul, president, Distribution and Sports Business, SPN says, “Our strategy of engaging viewers and catering to their convenience with local language feeds has helped us expand the market.” According to the company, for SonyLIV, which has seen 63 million downloads, the viewership is even more localised. “We have got an audience from over 2,300 towns across India. About 52 per cent are from the top 8 metros while the rest are from other cities and towns,” Gupta says. The top cities on the digital viewership chart are Kochi, Guwahati, Ahmedabad, Pune, while Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Kolkata and Chennai have contributed a fair share of the number. The company expects around Rs 500 million worth of ad revenues to flow in from the digital platform.