Mumbai: Viacom18's strategic partnership with Jio will offer unmatched targeting and personalisation opportunities for the Indian Premier League (IPL). In a letter addressed to staff, Viacom18 CEO sports Anil Jayaraj said, “We will be able to offer a compelling proposition to advertisers with better reach and targeting than any other rival & legacy platforms in the country.”  

Recently, Viacom18 bagged the exclusive rights to digitally stream the Indian Premier League (IPL) matches in the Indian sub-continent for the 2023-2027 seasons. This also includes the special digital package of 18 games. The value of the combined digital rights stood at Rs 23,758 crore, more than the TV broadcast rights at Rs 23,575 crore.

Viacom18 has also won the television as well as digital rights to three of the five international territories including Asia, Canada, Australia, the Caribbean Islands, Israel, New Zealand, South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa, and the UK and Europe.

“The focus on bidding for digital rights comprehensively comes from the core belief that our company is committed to building world-class digital platforms of the future,” said Jayaraj.

He further added, “Our partnership with Jio gives us unparalleled access and reach to each and every Indian. Not only will we be able to build the most successful streaming company in the country, we will also, along with our other businesses, build India’s most profitable digital media and entertainment brand.”

In just ten months, Viacom18 sports has built a formidable line-up of sports programming. It has acquired the rights to FIFA World Cup, La Liga, Serie A and Ligue 1 in the Indian subcontinent. It will offer badminton, tennis and NBA on its channels. With its acquisition of IPL digital rights, it will be able to offer the most high-profile cricket league to audiences globally.

“Viacom18 will take India’s biggest sporting event IPL to every nook and corner of the country and make it available to every Indian consumer, something that even television has failed to do,” asserts Jayaraj.

Viacom18 currently operates the channels Sports18 SD and HD and Sports18 Khel that is available on Free DTH platform DD Free Dish. Its sports content is also available on its streaming service Voot and Voot Select. Paramount Global’s streaming service Paramount+ is expected to launch in India in 2023 in partnership with Viacom18, in which Paramount Global is a stakeholder.

Bodhi Tree Media, backed by James Murdoch and ex-Star Uday Shankar, are investors in Viacom18.