Multi Screen Media (MSM) India, the official broadcaster of the Indian Premier League (IPL), has increased advertisement rates by 15-20 per cent for the seventh season of the T20 cricket league.

The broadcaster expects revenue to be in the similar range as the last season despite the number of matches dropping to 60 with eight teams, compared with 76 matches in the last season with nine teams. The broadcaster is estimated to have earned ₹ 900-950 crore last year in ad revenues.

Rohit Gupta, President (network sales, licensing and telephony), MSM India, said: “IPL is now in its seventh season and we have consistently delivered on reach and viewership for advertisers and brands.” He said with the IPL now back to its original format of 60 matches, more matches will be played during prime time, which is expected to raise viewership. The broadcaster believes that even with the first 20 matches slated to be played in the United Arab Emirates, the viewership is not going to be impacted as there isn’t a significant time difference between the two countries.

Gupta did not give details about the deals signed, or the amount of inventory sold out. He added brands from new categories such as e-commerce had also evinced interest in the league.

The broadcaster is learnt to have floated rates in the range of ₹4.75-₹5 lakh for 10 seconds, while the co-presenting sponsor, for instance, is expected to shell out ₹50-55 crore.

Gupta said IPL’s reach in 2013 was pegged at over 200 million viewers, compared with about 163 million viewers in 2012.

Media planners believe with more prime time games expected in the seventh season with the reduction of matches, IPL remains an attractive proposition for brands. T Gangadhar, Managing Director, MEC India, said: “IPL is an attractive proposition for brands for whom summer is key season to advertise or who are planning new launches during these months. Also, brands sometimes advertise on IPL simply to keep out competition.”

The broadcaster is also aggressively marketing the series this year, especially in smaller towns and cities, as the television rating sample size now includes towns with population below one million. The channels will simulcast the matches on its channels MAX and SIX in Hindi and English.

Vaishali Sharma, VP-Marketing, Sony MAX, said: “IPL draws people across age groups, gender and language. This year’s campaign “Come On, Bulaava Aaya Hai’ stems from the insight of how the passion for IPL overtakes every aspect of people’s lives.”

To attract new viewers to the T20 leagues, the broadcaster is rolling out the campaign on TV, print, radio, digital, outdoor and on-ground activities with emphasis on smaller towns and cities.

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