Cricket LIVE’s prowess backed by their success busts myths

Cricket Live is amongst the top 5 rated shows in India with attention on ads being 37% higher attention than that on all other genres.

As renowned as IPL is around the nation, Cricket Live as you already know is one of the most entertaining, analytical and informative live cricket shows. Being a pre-post-mid innings show, Cricket Live digs deep into the cricket match that is about to go live. The involvement of numerous experts of the sport sitting together and analyzing the cricket match before-during and after it has gone live gives this show an edge over every other show. This is something that several cricket enthusiasts around the world look forward to, as a result of which this show has emerged to be one of the major highlights of an IPL season.

Being a highly interactive show, Cricket Live over the years has been able to garner great viewership numbers. The reach that Cricket Live accumulated in the 13th season of IPL alone was over 340 million as reported by BARC. Star Sports has always had a line up of top game changers the cricketing fraternity has ever seen to be on their panel to analyze the IPL match. This not only excites fans to see legends of the game discuss cricket but also ensures an expert view and sharp insight towards the game. Over the years, there have been several myths that have come into question.

With the kind of response that Cricket Live has received over the years, it has become a broadcast show that has a significantly higher reach than that of top impact GECs. Drawing this comparison alone gives us a clear view of how this show has performed. It also showcases the love they have garnered from the audience who are waiting to consume such intelligent content. Also displaying their prowess in television ratings, Byju's Cricket Live achieved the TVR of 1.2 (M15+ AB India Urban).

With all these points put together, Cricket Live can be deemed as one of the ideal shows where marketers can explore options like product placement and other brand solutions that cater to their business challenges and have focused and customised communication towards their audiences. Along with making a mark, this show has also busted some major myths that were associated. One of the major myths being that PPL doesn’t get viewership as compared to live matches. This myth emphasised that audiences were reluctant to watch shows pre/post live matches. With the show clocking phenomenal ratings and reach with each passing year, it has clearly busted this myth wide open.

In the 2020 IPL edition, this spot was effectively put to use by Byju’s, where they were the title sponsor for Cricket Live. This association effectively synergized the core idea of the show with the messaging of the brand (experts of the field providing insights and analysis). Another myth that is often associated with PPL is that this sponsorship doesn’t bring desired results. The 2020 season saw big advertising brands like Byju’s, Dell, Titan and several other market leaders being associated with Cricket Live, this clearly defines the confidence that brands hold over this spot. This wouldn’t have been possible if they believed this sponsorship was not capable of helping them achieve their desired goals.

As quoted by Atit Mehta, chief marketing officer at BYJU'S, "Cricket Live provides analysis from experts in the game, Star Sports has assembled some of the best-known cricketers for this analysis, which provides fans with an expert view and sharp insights into the game. Byju’s is also an expert in the space of education and that’s what makes the property a good brand fit. It was a natural fit. Associating with a series like IPL not only gives mass reach, coverage and frequency, it also gives a brand credibility and presence."

Finally, when talking about engagement, Cricket Live was ranked amongst the top 5 rated shows in India. The success of the show was also highly evident as the ads during Cricket Live enjoyed higher attention than ads in popular entertainment shows. Attention on ads during Cricket Live got 37% higher attention than that on all other genres.

India being the nation with a massive cricket following, a show like Cricket Live is highly appreciated by the audiences. The show not only provides expert opinions but also effectively puts out detailed and analytical perspectives of the cricket match. With a star-studded panel of mostly former cricketers, the show holds the potential to keep its viewers hooked. Cricket Live with their previous brand associations have also proven their potential which marketers can leverage and it has also ideally opened new doors for brands to explore and integrate into their marketing plans. Backed by the success they have achieved and with the intent of breaking the existing viewership records, Cricket Live is all geared up for the upcoming season of IPL 2021.