Your brand’s guide to winning Dream11 IPL 2020 with Disney+ Hotstar
This September, India will be ready for the 2020 edition of the Dream11 Indian Premier League (IPL) on Disney+ Hotstar VIP. The 13th edition of the tournament has been announced; it will begin on September 19, 2020. Over the ensuing 53 days, eight teams will play each other for the title, with defending champions – the Mumbai Indians – kickstarting the tournament against the Chennai Super Kings. The afternoon matches will begin at 3.30 PM IST, while the evening matches will start at 7.30 PM IST. This year’s edition of the Dream11 IPL is also 2020’s first celebration, as it ushers in the festive season and high consumer spends. See the entire schedule here.
Another interesting aspect is the battle of the brands, always worth watching out for. No other sport in India witnesses as much advertising interest as cricket does, and when it is IPL time, the off-the-field frenzy hits a crescendo.
A marketer’s dream
Since its inception in 2008, the IPL and everything associated with it rivals that of any global sporting event. Whether in the stadium, the living room or, as is the trend these days, on mobile devices, brands have a captive audience during a live game of cricket.
The format itself reveals the evolution of the game. T20 bundles an exciting, otherwise long-drawn game in just a few hours, providing viewers with several exciting twists and turns. It is natural that along with the game its marketing evolves, too. Brands don’t have to wait till the end of an over to relay their message in the form of a television commercial.
Today, the opportunities for brands lie well beyond on-field advertising and television spots. The audience, if not in the stadium, is on the digital medium enjoying the league. And these are the platforms offering interactive advertising opportunities. Businesses of any size that are looking to build a brand must include Dream11 IPL 2020 on Disney+ Hotstar in their marketing strategy.
Dream11 IPL on Disney+ Hotstar
The numbers tell a great story. The IPL 2019 finals on Disney+ Hotstar recorded a concurrent viewership of 18.6 million people. This set record was only broken when the platform recorded 25.3 million concurrent views of the India-New Zealand semi-final game at the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019.
Disney+ Hotstar’s social innovations, like the immersive game ‘Watch n Play’, emojis and live comments, engage users in real-time. Users are no longer mere spectators of the game; a brand gets access to a highly engaged audience with Disney+ Hotstar.
The regional language feed of the platform further widens an already extensive reach. Apart from this, just like the television telecast, pre-match and post-match analysis by cricket experts also form a part of the entire experience. This enables brands to associate with the game beyond plain vanilla advertising.
Disney+ Hotstar has also added new features to the interactive Watch’N Play social feed that allows a nationwide virtual community of cricket lovers to share excitement and support while watching the matches LIVE on the platform. Replicating the exhilarating roar of the stadium, fans will also be able to determine the mood of the nation using an interactive emoji stream. Cricket lovers will be able to join in the action by expressing themselves using ‘Hotshots’ selfies or a new video feature ‘Duets’ that lets fans create customised videos showcasing their rendition of famous shots and reactions of their favourite Dream11 IPL Heroes.
Access to affluent users
As the digital realm gets wider and content consumption on mobile devices gets popular, the promise of reaping rich dividends with effective advertising on Disney+ Hotstar during the IPL gets even more exciting. Marketers can engage with an urban audience that is educated, affluent, largely in the 18-35-year age bracket, and which watches the tournament from the comfort of their homes. 66% of India’s monthly online shoppers and leisure travellers are on Disney+ Hotstar. The platform also reaches 63% of India’s credit card holders.* With this kind of audience profile and a cost per reach that’s significantly lower than television, the choice becomes much easier for marketers.
Ad formats that suit marketing objectives
Based on the kind of brand, marketers can choose ad formats that best suit the brand’s goals and objectives.
Looking to build brand awareness? The mid-roll and pre-roll video non-skippable ads are the best choices. While the former is a 10-30-second video ad format played during breaks in the game (over change, drinks breaks etc.), the latter is a 5-10-second video ad format played before the live streaming begins.
There also are options like ‘billboards’ (first view display on all app pages) and ‘features’ (non-clickable squeeze-ups during key moments of the game) that can drive storytelling.
To drive brand consideration, brands can make the most of formats like pre-roll takeovers or mid-roll with lead gen. Here, the former can promise healthy CTRs. ‘Branded cards’ that are displayed on social live feeds can work wonders for audience-level targeting.
Target the right audience
Marketers can make most of their campaigns with Disney+ Hotstar’s suite of targeting options. They comprise 9 cohorts across geographies and audience profiles enabled via an industry-first option of targeting on live stream (a worldwide first innovation by Disney+ Hotstar). The platform’s massive reach and sharp targeting options extend an incredible opportunity for brands, especially regional players, to reach the right audience during the tournament.
Recipe for success
Most of India’s successful brands have been leveraging the great opportunity live sports marketing provides for real-time consumer engagement on Disney+ Hotstar.
Dream11 IPL 2020 is a canvas for brands to put their best marketing foot forward, and Disney+ Hotstar enables you further. The results are apparent, the platform is set. Click here to get started with your marketing on Dream11 IPL 2020.
