IPL mania drives connected TV ad spots up by 20%

India's cash-rich franchise cricket league, with its surging fanbase and record viewership, has driven connected tv (CTV) advertising spots consistently through the weeks since the Indian Premier League kickstarted on March 31.

CTV ad spots have demonstrated a consistent growth trend, increasing from 78 spots (average ad spots per match) in week 1 to 94 spots (per match) in week 4, representing a 20% increase, JioCinema said citing the latest TAM report. On average, CTV had 88 ad spots per match in first four weeks.

The data was for the English feed streaming of the IPL.

Viacom18, a part of Mukesh Ambani-owned Network18, won digital streaming rights from 2023 to 2027, for Rs 23,758 crore ($2.89 billion), which Disney Star previously held. Disney Star, which is airing the matches on TV, had bagged the TV rights for Rs 23,575 crore.

While the the two are locked in a viewership battle, IPL has this year seen a jump in viewership across both television and digital platforms aided by improved access, aggressive marketing efforts by stakeholders and a series of closely contested matches.

The number of sponsors during IPL’s digital streaming stands at 25, which JioCinema said is the highest ever for any sporting tournament on digital.

IANS had reported earlier this month that JioCinema expects to add more advertisers.