With IPL’s popularity soaring, it’s no surprise everyone wants a piece of the cake! Let’s find out more about it.
Get ready for the ultimate cricket extravaganza as IPL 2023 starts on 31st March 2023! This league has undergone a massive transformation since its humble beginnings on Sony TV’s Set Max. Thanks to the internet and digitalisation, you can now watch IPL matches on your mobile screen too! Also, the first season of the Women’s Premier League has started.
Cricket is more than just a game in India – it’s an emotion! The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has turned it into a massive market, with TV rights for the next five seasons of IPL being bought by Disney Star for an astounding Rs 23,575 crore and digital rights won by Reliance’s Viacom18 for Rs 20,500 crore for streaming in the Indian subcontinent. There was also fierce competition for the media rights of the Women’s Premier League, which was being organised for the first time in the country. Finally, Viacom18 won the rights, from 2023 to 2027, by bidding for Rs 951 crore.
Since its inception in 2008, the IPL has come a long way, with Sony TV broadcasting the matches for Rs 8,200 crore till 2017, and then Star India bought the media rights for the next five years for Rs 16,347 crore.
What’s Happening?
The Indian Premier League (IPL) is a significant hit, making everyone involved in it rich! Broadcasters and streaming platforms are in a fierce battle to secure media rights for the 2023-2027 seasons. So, how do they make all that money? The answer is simple – advertisements!
Broadcasting companies make most of their money through advertising, while subscription is the primary source of income for streaming platforms. With IPL’s popularity is soaring, it’s no surprise everyone wants a piece of the cake!
Big Battle Between Disney-Star and Viacom 18
The 2023 IPL edition is set to witness a fierce battle for viewership and advertisement share on television and digital platforms Disney-Star and Viacom18!
According to Business Standard, Disney-Star aims to woo 550-700 advertisers, more than double the number of previous T20 editions. The tournament will be broadcasted in over ten languages on 22 channels, including 17 Star Sports channels.
Meanwhile, Viacom18 targets 550 advertisers and will broadcast IPL for free on 18 digital platforms in 12 languages.
It’s good news for cricket fans! Viacom 18, led by Mukesh Ambani, is shaking up the digital streaming market by showing IPL 2023 matches for free. This is a game-changer, as previously, a subscription was needed to watch matches on Hotstar. The move is to remind of the launch of Jio, but this time, Viacom 18 will gather millions through advertisements while viewers use Jio’s data to watch the matches. The objective is to challenge streaming giants like Walt Disney and Amazon by offering viewers a better deal. It’s a win-win situation for cricket lovers and the company.
What’s Next?
The TV industry has been through a rollercoaster of changes in recent years. The rise of digital platforms has had a direct impact, and Viacom18 is shaking things up even more by offering free viewing. It’ll be fascinating to see how Disney-Star and Viacom18 fare with their viewer and add numbers during IPL 2023.
Let’s wait to see what happens next! We hope you found the article interesting. Don’t forget to share the article with your friends.
*The companies mentioned in the article are for informational purposes. This is not investment advice.
