MUMBAI: When the Indian Premier League (IPL) went on hiatus in March due to the Covid2019 pandemic, fans wondered when they would get to see their favourite teams and cricketers play, if at all. But the IPL did return – with a bang. In spite of being held in the UAE, that too without in-stadia audience, the tournament has logged a record-breaking increase of 28 per cent in viewership as compared to the previous edition.
From September 19 through November 10, the IPL enthralled fans with non-stop action which involved cliffhanger matches, splendid bowling spells, and spectacular batting. It not only enlivened the people after months of Covid-induced gloom, but also lifted up certain sections of the economy. In fact, IPL 2020 had 18 sponsors and 110 brands on board, which is the highest number of partners and advertisers in the history of the league.
There are many noteworthy firsts for IPL 2020. For the first time, the title sponsor of IPL is a sports brand, Dream11. Fan engagement was driven digitally by creating digital fan walls in the stadium and the commentary box. The four large virtual fan walls include pre-recorded videos of cheerleaders on branded walls of sponsors. IPL teams like Mumbai Indians and Rajasthan Royals launched digital initiatives to connect with fans. Mumbai Indians launched ‘MI Live’ and ‘Paltan Play’ and Rajasthan Royals started a community-based programme called ‘Super Royals’.
IPL chairman Brijesh Patel said, “IPL has always endeavoured to provide a world-class sports event for its fans.”
He thanked title sponsor Dream11, which associated itself with the hugely popular league after the BCCI parted ways with its earlier partner, Vivo.
“With Dream11 coming on board as the title sponsor for IPL 2020, we are happy to see a digital sports brand like Dream11 increasing fan engagement through fantasy sport. It is equally heartening to see how Dream11 has integrated its users in all Dream11 IPL match activations. The match countdown, Dream11 champion fans wall and the virtual guest box have all been brought about to bring the fans to the forefront.”
Similar fan activity and engagement was witnessed on the fantasy sports app Dream11 too. The platform experienced a surge of 44.4 per cent traffic volume as against the final match of IPL 2019 and achieved above 5.3 million user concurrency.
Dream11 chief marketing officer Vikrant Mudaliar said, “IPL is the biggest sports event in India that witnesses extremely high fan fervour, and we are happy to see similar engagement on Dream11. Fantasy sports have increasingly become integral to fan engagement with every IPL. Sports fans are at the centre of everything we do, and we have integrated our users in all Dream11 IPL match activations.”
