IPL 2024 viewership soars, sponsors take note
The viewership boom is attracting new sponsors, with the total count jumping from 30 to nearly 35 in just two weeks.
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Indian Premier League 2024 has kicked off with record viewership, sparking a surge in sponsor interest.. While Disney Star reported a whopping 1,276 crore minutes watched on opening day, surpassing their previous IPL records, streaming partner JioCinema also saw a 51 percent viewership surge compared to 2023. This viewership boom is attracting new sponsors, with the total count jumping from 30 to nearly 35 in just two weeks.
As per sources there will be more sponsors on board by the end of the week.
Sponsorship value also remains stable for both JioCinema and Disney Star said experts.
According to them, it’s a positive sign for the IPL that sponsorship values haven't dipped despite this being an election year.
“Typically, brands get cautious during elections, but sponsorship value (across TV, Digital, and total media) have actually grown slightly from last season. This is especially encouraging considering the IPL schedule overlaps with election dates,” said Indranil Blah, sports industry professional who was previously associated with agencies specialised in sports like Kwan and Rise Worldwide.
“Another interesting trend is the return of traditional brands like Dabur, Parle and Amul, while those heavily reliant on VC funding seem to be missing due to the current funding winter. Overall, the new model of divided media rights between TV and digital last year also seems to have stabilized, adding to the positive sentiment for the IPL this season,” he added.
While Dream 11 is the co-presenting sponsor, JioCinema had already locked in around 18 associate sponsors including Tata Motors, PayZapp by HDFC Bank, SBI, Cred, AMFI, Upstox, Charged by Thums Up, Britannia, Pepsi, Parle Products, Google Pixel, Haier, Jindal Steel, Vodafone, Dalmia Cements, Kamla Pasand and Rapido. Disney Star, has also closed about 15 deals. Its sponsor list as of now includes Asian Paints, Vimal Pan Masala, Dettol, Real Fruit Juice (Dabur), Parle, Cadbury Dairy Milk (Mondelez), Charged by Thums Up, Amul, Havells, Groww, Joy Cosmetics, Rupay, HDFC PayZapp, UltraTech and Vanessa. Cadbury Dairy Milk, Charged by Thums Up, Rupay, and Asian Paints are some of the broadcasters’ repeat sponsors.
