Gaming companies ride cricket frenzy with huge marketing spends this IPL season

If you spot a star cricketer pitching a game brand more than an FMCG one this Indian Premier League (IPL) season, don’t be surprised.

Gaming and e-sports companies are pouring in hundreds of crores in advertisements and marketing during the marquee cricketing event to grab eyeballs and users among cricket enthusiasts.

With millions of viewers tuning in to watch the matches, gaming companies have put in almost Rs 2,000 crore in this year’s IPL marketing blitzkrieg, with close to Rs 350 crore to Rs 400 crore going towards ad inventory purchase alone.

Individual companies are spending up to Rs 100 crore and more this IPL.

Why is IPL a big deal for gaming companies?

It is all about the common universe, said experts.

According to Ramsai Panchapakesan, senior vice president and national head of integrated media buying at Zenith, gaming companies can benefit greatly by associating with IPL as a sport, since they can tap into the pre-conditioned mindset of the audience. This strategy can result in much higher returns for gaming companies compared to other marketing tactics.

“When we look at IPL as a sport, it's been established for over 16 years and has a huge following across India, from urban to rural areas. IPL may not be considered a patriotic sport since it doesn't involve one country competing against another, it is still a form of entertainment. Similarly, gaming can also be seen as a form of entertainment, particularly as a fantasy. This is where the audience's mindset and interest are aligned with the consumers,” he said.

Panchapakesan says some facts about e-sports make it more credible to believe that the user penetration rate will reach approximately 7.1 per cent by 2023 and increase to 8.3 per cent by 2027. The projected revenue for the market is estimated to reach $28.81 million in 2023. The potential drivers of revenue generation in e-sports include media rights, merchandising and tickets, publisher fees, sponsorships and advertising, as well as streaming.

The big spenders

Interestingly, this year, the gaming industry's marketing efforts have diversified beyond just fantasy sports. Casual games, e-sports, real-money gaming, and ancillary businesses have equally invested.

Social gaming platform WinZO, for instance, is looking to spend Rs 100 crore during this IPL season on marketing activities.

Paavan Nanda, co-founder, WinZO, said, "Cricket is one of the most popular sports in India, and fans of the game can be found all over the country. From bustling cities to rural villages, the excitement of IPL unites people from all walks of life. Advertising during IPL has the highest impact and reach when compared to all the other GEC impact properties combined. Last year's IPL campaign helped us reach 100 million registered users. We are looking to tap into IPL to widen the top of the funnel of gaming while also increasing awareness about WinZO."

WinZo is not the only brand seeing an uptick in user base during IPL. Head Digital Works said it last year saw a 25-30 per cent growth in its sign-ups as a result of multiple campaigns coinciding with the IPL.

The campaigns

The company is strengthening its IPL marketing strategies, which revolve around creating engaging and interactive campaigns that not only showcase the brand but also add value to the IPL viewing experience, this year too.

“This year, we are also launching a new brand campaign, which we have intentionally released close to the IPL season. This will help us leverage the buzz and excitement around the tournament and maximise our brand exposure. However, it's important to note that for us, IPL 2022 was a launch campaign for our brand ambassador (Shah Rukh Khan) and platform app. So, this season will be completely distinct from the previous one, and our focus will be on maximising our returns from the tournament,” said Gunnidhi Sareen, vice president - marketing, Head Digital Works.

IPL has seen campaigns galore this season. Everyone from Dream11, which onboarded actors Aamir Khan, R Madhavan, and Sharman Joshi as ambassadors, to cricketer Deepak Chahar’s new fantasy game platform TFG (Trade Fantasy Game) and many others have IPL campaigns this season.

TFG's biggest campaigner is Deepak Chahar himself.

Jaya Chahar, chief executive officer and co-founder, TFG said, “Deepak being a key player in the CSK franchise and also being our brand ambassador and co-founder, we launched our first ever digital video campaign prior to the first match. There are 3 DVCs which we will be launching over a period of one month and they will showcase Deepak Chahar in different fun scenarios. This will connect with fans of all age groups. Apart from this, we will also be advertising across many digital platforms.

TFG is also shelling out about Rs one crore towards these initiatives. The platform intends to onboard 1.5 lakh-plus users this season.

Like TFG a lot of other new players are also making a splash during the IPL this year. Some like Sportiqo are using a significant chunk of their investment money to fund these initiatives.

“We plan to invest heavily in marketing with 25 per cent of the pre-seed investment. We have recently signed brand ambassador Robin Uthappa and launched a digital campaign with him that aims to break the stereotype that investing in stocks is a moribund concept and show how it can be interesting when you are doing it while using the knowledge of your favourite sport. Further, we are also launching a campaign with around 55 social media influencers to increase awareness about stock trading and the brand in the market,” said Anindya Kar, co-founder and chief product officer of Sportiqo.

Ancillary businesses cashing in on IPL fever

This year a lot of allied categories have partnered with the IPL teams. These categories include NFT players, gaming equipment companies, and others who have come together to contribute to the overall ecosystem of increasing gaming visibility in the tournament.

Gaming and office chair company Cybeart is one such brand that marked its debut in cricket this IPL with a multi-year licensing deal with Gujarat Titans as an official merchandising partner.

While it did not disclose marketing spending around the collaboration, the company said its marketing spend to promote Mumbai Indians and Gujarat Titans chairs is almost three times the ad spends on Cybeart Originals chairs and also a few licensed chairs that will be launched soon.

The target for the brand is again amplifying brand engagement.

“Our calendar for the next two months majorly includes the promotion of our IPL team chairs majorly focusing on the fanbase of Mumbai Indians and Gujarat Titans. We have invested a lot in product building and we believe our association with IPL would only bring more positive customer engagement opportunities,” said Krutik Patel, founder of Cybeart.