India’s T20 World Cup triumph saw digital ad spending eclipse TV, while traditional brands reclaimed top spots, reflecting shifting advertising dynamics
Varuni Khosla
Published12 Jul 2024, 02:57 PM IST
India’s Virat Kohli, Arshdeep Singh and others celebrate after Team India won the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 final against South Africa, at Kensington Oval in Barbados. (ANI)
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India's victory over South Africa in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 not only ignited nationwide celebrations but also marked a significant shift in the advertising landscape.
Mint has learnt that broadcaster Star Sports raked in ₹1,200-1,300 crore from the event, encompassing both television and digital platforms. This figure, however, fell short of media buyers' projections of upwards of ₹1,600 crore. In 2022, the tournament had generated similar revenue, with ₹1,000 crore from linear television and ₹600 crore from digital channels. This year, digital spending has increased, with ₹700-750 crore allocated to Disney+ Hotstar, while the remainder went to TV.
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The ICC Men's T20 World Cup which happens every two years was delayed in 2020 to 2021 owing to the pandemic and so its next edition would have ideally happened in 2023 but couldn’t due to the scheduled 50 over format ICC Men’s World Cup.
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Digital advertising surge
The month-long, 20-team tournament kicked off in early June and wrapped up on 29 June, with matches held in the US and West Indies. Advertisers heavily targeted India matches, contributing to a 38% increase in ad volumes compared to the 2022 edition in Australia, according to a report shared exclusively with Mint. Matches involving India experienced a 90% surge in ad volumes, reflecting immense viewer interest, as reported by TAM Sports, a division of TAM Media Research, a joint venture between AC Nielsen and Kantar IMRB.
However, non-prime-time matches, especially those scheduled early in the morning for Indian viewers, experienced a decline in live television ad revenue. "Matches played during odd hours lead to audiences engaging in delayed viewing, catching up on highlights later in the day," said Anshu Yardi, vice president of Business Partnerships. Despite this, digital engagement for these non-prime-time matches remained robust.