Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Advertisers bet big on IPL 4

MUMBAI: Despite numerous uncertainties surrounding the format of the Indian Premier League, advertiser interest seems to be intact in the Twenty 20 format. Multi Screen Media (MSM), the broadcast rights holder of the IPL which has been in the eye of a storm lately, says it has managed to close 9 sponsorship deals in 40 days for the fourth edition of the event scheduled to start from April 8 next year.

The broadcaster expects a 20% increase in advertising revenues in 2011 compared to the third edition. MSM had raked in around Rs 800 core from IPL 3.

World Cup advertisers paying less

Telecom service provider Vodafone and diversified group Videocon have signed on as presenting sponsors while Samsung Mobile , LG, Hyundai, PepsiCo, Tata Photon, Havells and Cadbury India have got on board as associate sponsors. MSM has sold around 50% of its inventory as bulk deals for Rs 5 lakh per 10 secs while the rest will be sold as spot buys at a slight premium.

On the other hand, ESPN Star Sports, which holds the rights for the World Cup, has signed on brands such as Nokia , Maruti and PepsiCo at a much lower cost of Rs 3.5 lakh per ten seconds, say media buyers. But that this could change as the World Cup on the subcontinent draws closer.

With only a week between IPL 4 and the World Cup, the saving grace for advertisers is that the two events fall in separate fiscals. But they are still up against each other for the marketing dollars. "There are large outlays involved in such big cricketing properties and what IPL offers is a risk-free option unlike the World Cup," Rohit Gupta, president, MSM said. IPL 3 had grossed an average rating of 4.6, clocking 143 million viewers. The risk in case of the World Cup would arise if India were to exit early.

Some traditional advertisers associated with cricket feel that the cost-efficiency is better with the Twenty20 format although they have not completely ruled out being on the World Cup yet.

Read more: Advertisers bet big on IPL 4 - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/Advertisers-bet-big-on-IPL-4/articleshow/6944895.cms#ixzz15bckXfnM

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