“Spotlight on the innovations both on and off the field at the Cricket World Cup”
October 12, 2023
As cricket fever grips India and the world with the ongoing ICC Cricket World Cup from 5th October to November 19th , major brands like Google Pay, Coca-Cola, Emirates among others are hoping for major ROI (return on investment).
As per Deloitte India’s Jehil Thakkar toBloomberg, brands are likely to spend about ₹ 2,000 crore ($240 million) in advertisement spots on streaming platforms during the tournament. He further added that a 10-second advertising slot during matches as well.
Vivek Sethia, Founder and CEO, India on Track says, “World Cup is a great opportunity for the brands to connect with the cricket audience. Leveraging cricket not only ensures eyeballs but also allows brands to connect with a very involved set of audience. The nature of the sport, with constant breaks, also allows for consistent brand messaging creating massive recall for new campaigns.”
Indian brands are already winning in this world cup. Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (Amul), has secured two kit sponsorship agreements for the 2023 Cricket World Cup with the Sri Lanka Team and the South Africa Team and is attracting eyeballs through its iconic outdoor ads. Other brands who are not directly partners with the ICC like Lenovo, Oreo, Kotak Security, Nissan are releasing ads coinciding with the world cup to target the world cup customers. For eg. Lenovo’s latest campaign leverages the unwavering passion of Indian cricket fans, gaming enthusiasts, young professionals, and students through ads set within the world cup context.
As per a report by mFilterIt, ad slot cost on streaming platform is expected to rise by 40% as compared to the 2019 world cup. To leverage the same, both advertisers and broadcasters have introduced lot of innovations as well.
In a first for the sport, the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 world feed match coverage which is supported by Disney Star, will see ICC TV produce an additional vertical video feed, that will revolutionize fans’ viewing experience.
Sanjog Gupta, Head – Sports, Disney believes that consumers’ preferences and habits are evolving more rapidly than ever before, catalyzing the emergence of new user experiences.
“Disney Star has always played a pioneering role in taking cricket viewing experiences forward and is now proud to collaborate with the ICC to bring to sports fans for the first-time ever the ‘vertical feed’, on ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023. The ‘vertical feed’ aims to deliver to digital users, enhanced convenience, engagement and immersion, beyond the differentiated screen orientation. With its uniquely designed production style entailing cameras, graphics, direction, replays and other enhancements, it promises to change the way cricket is watched,” he added.
Disney Star, which holds the broadcast rights for the World Cup, has already partnered with 26 sponsors including Herbalife, Booking.com BV and liquor company Diageo Plc.
Ajay Khanna, Senior Vice President and Managing Director, Herbalife India adds, “We are thrilled to be associated with the streaming of the biggest sporting events worldwide. Herbalife is known for its association with hundreds of world-class athletes and sporting events. It is a matter of pride for us to add the streaming of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 to that list. It is an exciting time for cricket, and this collaboration truly reflects our passion for this incredible sport. This also reinforces Herbalife’s mission for better nutrition, empowering people to achieve their full potential through healthier choices for health and wellness.”
“Herbalife takes pride in its sponsorship of over 150 athletes, teams and leagues across the globe, all of whom embody the company’s dedication to promoting a healthy and active lifestyle through adequate nutrition. In India, Herbalife continues to support athletes like Virat Kohli, Smriti Mandhana, Lakshya Sen, Manika Batra, Mary Kom, and para-badminton player Palak Kohli, amongst others, and major sporting events like IPL, Special Olympics World Summer Games, Ironman Goa, and many others.”
Meta too signed a partnership with the International Cricket Council (ICC) to expand the coverage of the ICC World Cup that is being hosted in India. For what Meta claims to be the largest-ever creator campaign for any ICC tournament, Meta will arrange access to various creators to provide behind-the-scenes coverage as well as interactions during, before, and after the matches.
The campaign will involve more than 500 creators who will cover the tournament on Meta’s platforms – Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, and Threads. Among these creators, a special group of 50, known as the ‘Super 50’, will have unprecedented access to matches, including pre-and post-match field access, interactions with commentators and ambassadors, and more.
Paras Sharma, Director and Head of Content and Community Partnerships at Meta India says, “The ICC is always looking for ways to reach new fans, and Meta’s platforms are a fantastic way to do that. It has been great to work with Meta on this project, to find unique and creative ways to bring the sport we all love to even more people across the world. We can’t wait to see the unique perspectives these creators will bring to the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup and help make it the greatest cricket event ever.”