JioCinema app was the top advertiser on Indian TV in lead up to IPL

Even as Reliance Industries-backed JioCinema has been going all out to get viewers to watch Tata IPL on its streaming platform this year as it is locked in an intense battle for greater eyeball and ad revenue share with Disney Star television channels, it turns out the streaming platform was the biggest advertiser on Indian television in the week preceding the 16^th season of one of the biggest cricketing tournaments in the country. 

The money-spinner of a cricketing tournament Tata IPL premiered on March 31, 2023.  JioCinema app aired its ads on TV for 7,40,860 seconds in the week between March 25, 2023, and March 31, 2023, according to Broadcast Audience Research Council India (BARC) data.  

It was the top advertising brand during the week, followed by Dettol Antiseptic Liquid (6,07,580 seconds) and Mortein Smart Plus (5,49,120 seconds).  

As an advertiser group, Reliance Industries ranks fourth in the weekly pecking order with 11,09,280 seconds of ad volume, while Dettol-maker Reckitt Benckiser Group topped the list with 47,49,660 ad volume.  

With BCCI splitting IPL broadcasting rights into digital and TV packages for the first time from the 2023-27 cycle, a larger TV versus digital contest is playing out in this IPL season. Until last year, TV and digital IPL rights were a bundled deal which was held by Star India (now renamed as Disney Star under a new owner) and its streaming app Disney+ Hotstar. 

For the 2023-27 cycle, Disney Star won India TV rights for a bid of Rs 23,575 crore and Reliance-backed Viacom18 (which owns JioCinema app) bagged digital rights for Rs 23,758 crore.  

JioCinema — a relatively new OTT player is offering its content including IPL free for a year at least in a bid to attract more viewers to its platform. Disney+ Hotstar charged a starting price of Rs 299 per month.  JioCinema has roped in Bollywood actor Alia Bhatt for a television commercial announcing a new contest claiming to give fans a chance to win one car every IPL match. 

Each is claiming high viewership on its respective platform. JioCinema says it clocked over 147 crore video views during the IPL opening weekend, claiming that the number was higher than what was recorded across the entire last season of TATA IPL on digital. 

According to Star Sports, the opening game of IPL 2023 reached a record number of 140 million (14 crore) people through the live broadcast on the Star Sports Network, a 47% growth in consumption compared to 2022. 

The platforms have also pitted popular cricketers Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni against each other as their brand ambassadors. Former India captain and Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper Kohli endorses Star Sports, while his predecessor and Chennai Super Kings captain Dhoni endorses JioCinema app.   

This season of the IPL will have 74 matches between 10 teams. Each team will play seven matches on its home turf and seven away matches and the 2023 final will be played on May 28, 2023.  

Watch: IPL 2023 Points Table: Contenders for Orange, Purple caps, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, Mark Wood, Rashid Khan and others