Cricket is a global phenomenon and broadcast rights are highly prized. Reliance Jio made headlines for its decision to stream IPL for free through JioCinema OTT platform, with 800 million smartphones connected globally at one of the lowest data costs globally.
The campaign, featuring cricketer MS Dhoni and actor Shweta Tripathi, encourages viewers to become actively engaged by means of fan-focused digital features.
1. Cricket
Indian Premier League is an internationally-recognized sports phenomenon, second only to America’s NFL when it comes to broadcast valuation. Disney Star and Mukesh Ambani’s Viacom18 spent millions to acquire its TV and digital rights this season; however, JioCinema has already overtaken Disney+Hotstar when it comes to average session viewing time during IPL matches. Block your calendars for the Today IPL match – the thrilling cricket action you’ve been waiting for! Watch every ball LIVE on iplcinema.com now.
JioCinema successfully accomplished this by embracing interactivity in an innovative and exciting manner. Consumers are now used to interacting with digital lifestyle services; scrolling, swiping, pinching, zooming and scrubbing have become muscle memory for most screen viewers. JioCinema wanted to reverse consumers’ expectations of how they experience TATA IPL so that action becomes the protagonist instead.
JioCinema showcased this message through their creative, which featured cricket stars encouraging fans not to fidget with their screens while watching IPL on JioCinema and instead let the game take center stage. Furthermore, AR content enabled viewers to’steal’ their favourite team’s uniform or go behind-the-scenes at matches without interrupting playback.
Bollywood award shows have increasingly degenerated into kitschy spectacles rather than celebrations of film-making, such as Filmfare and Big Zee Entertainment Awards, instead focusing on reinvigorating an aura that may already have faded rather than recognising talent and innovation.
These events are popular due to giving Bollywood actors an opportunity to promote their brands and showcase their ‘beauty’. Additionally, award shows often feature dramatic fights and arguments which attracts an audience and increases TRP ratings. But as the industry matures and audiences change over time, it will be interesting to observe how event properties adapt with changing times.
2. Bollywood
Bollywood-focused awards shows are an invaluable revenue generator for event management firms that organize them, such as Wizcraft’s International Indian Film Academy Awards (IIFA) and other award shows like Screen, Stardust Apsara and Zee Cine Awards. According to industry sources, these shows generate annual cash profits of approximately Rs 50 crore for companies like Wizcraft; IIFA accounts for about 20% while sponsors and ticket sales contribute another 33% respectively.
As Bollywood has expanded beyond cinema halls, its stars have found it more lucrative to perform at events outside film premieres and award shows. There have been sold-out arena concerts by Sonu Nigam and Asha Bhosle; star studded weddings and themed Diwali parties are now all part of its lucrative new landscape. From politics to business, sports to deals, keep up with all the news along with insightful columns on bollywood, cricket, travel and finance in Pioneer EPaper. Your morning information download!
But these star-studded events often exhibit Bollywood’s trademark shallowness. A prime example is when Kriti Sanon won a “Nothing to Hide” award at Star Screen Awards for her role in Sanju, even she couldn’t contain herself from laughing when accepting it!
Insiders believe that most award functions are staged unfairly as they are usually organized by gossip magazines who view these events as opportunities to promote their brands. Such magazines usually choose winners who are friends of the magazine’s editors while favoring big-name celebrities over debutants with strong scripts or movies with debutantes with promising talent.
Bollywood celebrities can often attend award functions in an extravagant and over-the-top way, wearing revealing clothing to draw more eyeballs toward their movies and draw the eyeballs away from more talented films that fail to deliver creative talent and innovation. Unfortunately, when critics point out this inconsistency it only highlights their lack of talent and creativity further.
However, Bollywood remains popular with Arab audiences despite this disinterest in Hindi-language movies due to geographical proximity and longstanding trade routes; cultural resonance was also key here – its themes and concepts resonate with Middle Eastern viewers perfectly.
3. Football
Football (soccer) is one of the world’s most beloved global sports. Its per-match broadcast valuation ranks second globally behind America’s National Football League, making it an invaluable commodity to broadcasters and streaming platforms alike. JioCinema recognized this trend and provided free digital viewers access to TATA IPL matches over 90 minutes duration; making this accessible content for casual followers. This campaign was further supported by an innovative social media strategy.
