Ad overkill puts off IPL viewers

[Karan114]

Ad overkill puts off IPL viewers Tariq Engineer May 20, 2010 The IPL has an enviable track record in maximising ad revenue by creating, and selling, space. However, a new survey by leading global ad agency Dentsu Media suggests the league may have been guilty of overkill - especially in selling ad space during overs, a new practice which, the survey finds, hasn't gone down well with fans - or, indeed, former India cricketers. Two former India captains have recently come out strongly against these ads. "I am shocked to see the way IPL has devised new ways of making money," Bishan Singh Bedi said. "I believe the board has enough in its coffers to run a show like the IPL without ads between deliveries." Ajit Wadekar called it a "brilliant exposure" for the advertiser but not good for the viewers who want to enjoy uninterrupted cricket. "I am sure even the commentators are bothered when the live feed is cut just when they are discussing or explaining something related to the game." "The clutter on IPL is very heavy," Naresh Gupta, head of strategic planning at Dentsu Marcom, said. "Brands will have to find ways to stand out in this clutter." The good news is that, in its third season, the IPL reached 142 million viewers in India, up from 102 million in 2008, according to television ratings agency TAM. The bad news is overall Television Ratings Points (TRPs), a function of the number of viewers and the time spent watching, was effectively stagnant (4.7 to 4.5). The IPL may have grown its audience, but those watching did so for a shorter period of time. The IPL's long-term success depends, apart from the TV and sponsorship deals, on a substantial and committed fan base and the trick is to balance the lucrative airtime with what the fans want. Convincing fans to stay involved is, therefore, the name of the game. A game that the survey by Dentsu - which has been tracking the IPL since its first season - suggests the IPL is yet to master. The agency produces a pre-IPL study to analyze factors driving fandom, and a post-IPL study measuring fan engagement; this year's engagement study was conducted during the last two weeks of IPL 2010 (April 10 to April 25) and shows how far the still fledgling league has to go to capture the hearts and minds of its fans. Dentsu looked at the engagement levels of those between the ages of 15 and 30, a key demographic according to Sanjoy Chakrabarty, CEO of Dentsu Media, because it is the biggest consumer of sport and therefore a key target audience of most brands who advertise through cricket. The results indicate advertisers and sponsors have little reason to cheer this season. While 51% of respondents got the names of the brands that dot the teams' jerseys wrong, more than a quarter (26%) couldn't recall even a single brand. As for the ads on TV, only a fifth of the respondents (20%) remembered any of the much-maligned mid-over ads, which were introduced this season by re-packaging the time gained from the shortened strategic time-outs. Other ads fared the same: while 38% remembered the ads traditionally run between overs, the commercials that flashed on the side of the screen during play, like strangers sneaking into a photograph, were retained by just 9% of the group. The report accompanying the survey is clear on what's wrong. "Instead of ads that seem to irritate viewers as they interfere with the flow of the game and thus create a negative image in the mind of the viewers, ads that continue without disrupting the game like boundary boards should be looked into," it says. A substantial part of the IPL revenue stream is from the entertainment sector and, while this has brought in revenues, it seems to have weakened the brand's sporting quotient - 26% said they view the IPL purely as entertainment. The study quotes one respondent saying "I watch the IPL for entertainment but if there is a better substitute, then I am ready to switch." One component was IPL Nights, a show on MTV based on the now controversial after-match parties. A lot of trouble for nothing, it seemed - 80% of the respondents said they hadn't watched the show and thought the parties could affect the player's performances on the field. The responses look prescient in the wake of India captain MS Dhoni's comments on the parties affecting the players' performances at the ICC World Twenty20. The parties' future is unclear with the league's interim chairman Chirayu Amin saying it would be stopped next year though it is protected by a formal contract. To solve these problems, the report states "care should be taken to build the brand and ensure credibility instead of just maximizing revenue. In order to hold onto its traditional viewers, IPL must keep on innovating regularly and enhance the overall experience of watching cricket." Meanwhile over half the respondents (52%) said their loyalty to a team was based on who their favourite cricketer played for. This could conceivably mean fans in Mumbai switching their loyalty to Pune, should Sachin Tendulkar move to the Sahara Pune Warriors. Likewise loyalties could switch with any of the other team changes expected at the next player auction. And that, more than any other result of the survey, could affect the franchises' bottom lines. Tariq Engineer is a senior sub-editor with Cricinfo http://www.cricinfo.com/ipl2010/content/story/460330.html

[Precambrian]

Lol, they needed a survey to tell the bloody obvious?

[don_corleone840]

sour grapes.ipl was 10 times more successfull than t20 worldcup.People in india hardly care about ads.ye to angrego ke chochle hai.who cares whether english people watch ipl or not.

[Serani]

sour grapes.ipl was 10 times more successfull than t20 worldcup.People in india hardly care about ads.ye to angrego ke chochle hai.who cares whether english people watch ipl or not.

Your such a bitter idiot, firstly im not sure what your definition of successfull is but meh, secondly the adverts are not even shown on English TV. But ofcourse you seem to hate England.

[Guest Hiten.]

Lol' date=' they needed a survey to tell the bloody obvious?[/quote'] + 1 I remember watching only 1 or 2 games because I couldn't watch more than that due to the 'cricket between ads' extravaganza

[Serani]

What way could the IPL possibly maintain the same amount of ad time without disrupting the cricket as much? hmmmm. Maybe have a TV screen on the batsmans helmet playing some ads during the game.

[Params7]

I missed the Carbon Kamaal Catch in T20 WC :(

[Temujin Khaghan]

dude IPL was like we were there to watch ads and the cricket came in between. Let me tell you something beautiful during the Pak-Aus encounter in the semifinals shown on the ESPN. when the last over approached and pak needed some 18 runs or something. and ESPN did not break in the ads. they showed the tension on the players' faces on the spectators, and the commentary was also running all the time and without an ad they showed the 19 and 20th overs. they can earn money from ads at a crucial junture like that. But they are not forgetting their main agenda - to entertain the cricket crowd... and thereby earn money. The IPL guys are so idiotic... they dont even stop to show the replay for a fallen wicket... they just skip it. the whole idea behind watching cricket on tv is because of replays. and god forbid if a six is hit in the last ball of the over then you can forget it... u need to wait until the torturous extra innings program to catch a glimpse of it. its like there are two restaurants the ESPN restaurant and the IPL restaurant and obviously both want to earn money. The ESPN guy wants to give us full satisfaction with excellent cusine and a decent presentation.. The IPL guy is in a hurry to get rid of us as soon as possible and bring in more business and dont even talk about the presentation here.

[achilles]

ESPN should've won the rights for IPL. They did bid, but were 3rd in terms of their bid amount. Sony MAX is going crazy. And NEO is even more worse.

[maggot_brain]

Your such a bitter idiot' date=' firstly im not sure what your definition of successfull is but meh, secondly the adverts are not even shown on English TV. But ofcourse you seem to hate England.[/quote'] And you're an Anti-India troll. Pot, kettle, black?

[Sachinism]

As much as I hate the ads (watching streams) you can't blame the broadcasters, they have to pay ridiculous fee's to BCCI, they need to some how recover those cots

[Serani]

And you're an Anti-India troll. Pot' date=' kettle, black?[/quote'] ok.

[achilles]

^ Rett told ya.

[vvvslaxman]

As much as I hate the ads (watching streams) you can't blame the broadcasters' date=' they have to pay ridiculous fee's to BCCI, they need to some how recover those cots[/quote'] I agree. They do exactly that during super bowl or NBA. But there must be a cap of how much time should be dedicated for commercials per match. They just don't control it. They just squeeze as much as possible.

[f.b.m]

Maybe have a TV screen on the batsmans helmet playing some ads during the game.

hmm.... .. [/modi]

[achilles]

^ Job offer at Bling [/modi]

[King Tendulkar]

I hate watching IPL, I have just realised it gives me a headache and that I despise it!! I have been watching a bit of county cricket in england recently on tv. Its been an utter delight. Gennuinley loved it, reminded me of what real cricket was about. So relaxing with ebbs and flows. As firstly no ridiculous hype, no idiotic commentators seeing how many words they can spout in a minute, no stupid songs booming of the tanoy every other second, no crappy cheer leaders, no ads avery god dammn second, no commentators screaming DLF maximum and other stupid phrases. Its been a real joy to watch loveley relaxing cricket.

[f.b.m]

I hate watching IPL, I have just realised it gives me a headache and that I despise it!! I have been watching a bit of county cricket in england recently on tv. Its been an utter delight. Gennuinley loved it, reminded me of what real cricket was about. So relaxing with ebbs and flows. As firstly no ridiculous hype, no idiotic commentators seeing how many words they can spout in a minute, no stupid songs booming of the tanoy every other second, no crappy cheer leaders, no ads avery god dammn second, no commentators screaming DLF maximum and other stupid phrases. Its been a real joy to watch loveley relaxing cricket.

Same here. Watching test cricket taking place in Australia on sky with no ads for 6-7 overs is great aswell. The audio quality is perfect, played on picturesque grounds. The only thing that beats it is probably playing cricket on a perfect English summer day..