For years, the Indian Premier League (IPL) has been much more than just a cricketing competition. The tournament has become a staple in Indian households and has spread to more than 15 other countries and millions of fans who tune in to watch each match.
During the 2024 season, streaming providers announced that more than 510 million viewers tuned in to watch matches. This considerable number was reached after just 51 games, with 23 remaining. According to statistics, the first ten matches in the season alone attracted over 350 million fans.
With so many people tuning in to watch the intense action of athletes clashing on the field, the IPL has become an advertising haven. Each year, the tournament has attracted millions in advertising revenue from brands hoping to convert viewers into customers.
While the IPL itself spends little on advertising, what companies pay for ad spaces during the event is staggering. Here, we’ll look at how much the tournament attracts in advertising investment, which advertising mediums are most popular, and which industries spend the most during the competition.
Advertising Channels
The many unique advertising opportunities the tournament presents are distributed across several mediums.
Television
Still considered the primary medium for advertising during IPL events, television adverts account for the bulk of IPL advertising revenue. Offering multiple ad spots during matches, many brands spend incredible sums of money on televised ads to grab the attention of the millions of viewers who tune in.
Digital
Digital advertising encompasses social media ads, website display ads, and video ads presented on online streaming platforms. As more viewers migrate to watching games on digital platforms due to accessibility and convenience, ad revenue generated through this medium has seen consistent increases.
Team Sponsorships
One of the most prominent ways for a company to advertise during the IPL is through team sponsorships. These allow a brand to display its logo on team jerseys and during team promotional activities and merchandise sales.
In-Stadium
In-stadium ads allow advertisers to have their brand consistently displayed throughout a match. These ad spots primarily appear on boards surrounding the field but can also include brand logos painted on the field itself.
Radio
While not as popular as the platforms already mentioned, radio advertisements remain a worthwhile avenue to attract brand attention. These adverts come in various forms, ranging from sponsored segments to ad spots allocated in between game commentary.
Industries That Advertise
Despite advertising spots being open to companies from almost any industry, some are more aggressive in their advertising than others—particularly during IPL seasons. These companies represent specific industries that tend to advertise more than any other.
Among these are e-commerce companies, mobile device producers, fantasy sports websites, fintech (financial technology) brands, and edtech (educational technology) companies. These companies spend millions to promote their brands during the best ad spots.
Despite companies from these industries being legitimate, the IPL faces mounting challenges in ensuring all advertising that uses IPL hype is above board. The government has identified instances of illegal betting sites using IPL terminology or events to promote their services and attract customers through cricket mini-games.
These adverts, relying on a fan’s love for the tournament and game, prey on consumers and entice them to engage with illicit providers. These not only cause harm to the IPL through the unofficial association these brands claim to have but also expose players to unsafe sites seeking to take advantage of them. Furthermore, these sites damage the reputation of legitimate websites like those reviewed on casinos.com.
Advertising Spend
The above industries spend spectacular sums of money on ads during the IPL via the aforementioned mediums. In 2022, the IPL attracted a revenue of around ₹4,000 crore (approximately US$540 million). This was generated across all mediums, with television bringing in almost ₹3,000 crore (or around US$405 million).
In 2023, the tournament earned an estimated revenue of almost ₹5,000 crore (about US$675 million). Again, most of this was generated through television ads, with digital ads also growing and contributing a significant portion.
This growth was clearly outlined in advertising revenue gained through Disney+ Hotstar—a digital streaming partner allowing access to IPL matches. In 2022, the service received ₹600 crore (around US$81 million) in advertising. This increased to an estimated ₹1,000 crore (approximately $135 million) in 2023.
Sponsorships and in-stadium ads also brought in a generous amount of revenue, much of which came from specific companies, such as car manufacturer Tata Group paying ₹670 crore (around $90.5 million) for sponsorships and ad spots between the 2022 and 2023 seasons.
Challenges to Future Advertising
Although the IPL has attracted impressive revenue for years, it has declined slightly in 2024 due to multiple factors, particularly competition from other major sporting events held during the year. These include the T20 World Cup, the IPL, and the Olympics.
In addition to advertisers carefully curating their budgets across multiple events, increasing advertising costs, especially for televised ads, have made companies more wary of how they spend their money.
While a 10-second ad a few years ago would cost just ₹2-3 lakh (about US$3,500), the same ad in 2024 costs around ₹12-15 lakh (approximately US$18,000). This stark increase can quickly eat up a company’s advertising budget and make brands more wary of when and how they advertise. The final challenge the IPL faces is that the industries looking to advertise have changed in 2024.
While fintech, e-commerce, and other new-age companies used to be some of the biggest spenders, these industries aren’t ordering as many ad spots. Instead, industries like FMCG and paints are taking the top spots despite spending less.
All this has brought the revenue garnered through IPL advertising to a teetering edge that could either increase or decrease in the coming years. However, given the vast amounts spent annually, a slight decrease is unlikely to affect the tournament much.
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