Disney Star has secured an impressive roster of 24 sponsors and more than 500 advertisers for the highly anticipated 45-day ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 tournament. Additionally, the broadcaster is in advanced discussions with several more brands for sponsorship agreements and expects to welcome more advertisers in the weeks to come.
Ajit Varghese, Head of Network Ad Sales at Disney Star, noted that the ICC Cricket World Cup represents a prime opportunity for marketers during the festive season, offering a pivotal platform to make a lasting impact on consumers. The response from advertisers has been overwhelming, indicating a strong desire to capitalize on the festive season and positive consumer sentiment.
The financial details of these deals remain undisclosed, but industry experts predict that Disney Star is poised to generate around Rs 4,000 crore from advertising sales, potentially setting a new record. Advertisers are showing heightened interest this time around, as the tournament coincides with the festive season. Some major advertisers are even willing to allocate up to Rs 150 crore for their campaigns.
Rammohan Sundaram, President of Integrated Media at DDB Mudra Group, anticipates that Disney Star could potentially rake in between Rs 3,500-4,000 crore during this World Cup. The reach and top-of-mind awareness that brands can achieve during the festive season are expected to yield significant returns.
The convergence of Diwali with the World Cup is seen as a double boon for most brands, as consumer spending is expected to rise compared to the cautious COVID-19 years.
To put this revenue projection into perspective, it would nearly triple the levels achieved in 2019. Some even speculate that the combined revenue from the ICC Cricket World Cup could surpass the total revenue of Rs 3,800 crore earned by Disney Star (TV rights holder) and Viacom18 (digital rights holder) during the Indian Premier League (IPL) this year, which is considered India's premier cricket event in terms of ad revenues.
Apart from Disney Star, other media platforms, including newspapers, news channels, outdoors, experiential marketing, social media, and digital platforms, are also set to benefit from the cricket-themed ad spending during the World Cup. Industry experts estimate that these platforms could collectively generate around Rs 2,000 crore in ad revenue.
With India hosting the cricket World Cup after a 12-year hiatus, Disney Star aims to compensate for losses incurred during the IPL. Unlike the IPL, where Viacom 18 held digital rights, Disney Star has secured exclusive rights for both digital and television coverage of the World Cup.
Disney Star boasts a vast television network with a reach of over 700 million viewers and a streaming platform, Disney+ Hotstar, with over 500 million downloads. The company anticipates reaching at least 800 million viewers through TV and digital platforms, provided the Indian cricket team performs well.
One optimistic factor is the recently concluded Asia Cup 2023, which saw 266 million viewers tuning in to Star Sports' live broadcasts of matches, excluding the final, according to the Broadcast Audience Research Council. Total viewing time for the tournament also surged by 75% compared to the previous edition in 2018, with viewers collectively watching 73.5 billion minutes.
The favorable match timings, with games scheduled to start at 10:30 a.m. or 2 p.m., and free streaming of matches on the Disney+ Hotstar mobile app, are expected to further boost viewership for this highly anticipated sporting event.
Estimates for ad revenue vary among experts. Some predict digital revenue will more than double, reaching Rs 950 crore, while TV is expected to generate Rs 1,150 crore in ad revenue.
Notably, the 28% GST has prompted e-gaming startups to reduce spending. Nevertheless, the upcoming cricket tournament is poised to be a significant revenue driver.
Key sponsors for the Cricket World Cup 2023 include Peter England, Kingfisher Packaged Drinking Water, Mondelez, Emirates, Diageo, Jindal Panther, MRF Tyres, LendingKart, BPCL, Herbalife, Haier Appliances, AMFI, Google Pay, Polycab, Amul, VIDA by Hero Motorcorp, and Amazon.
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