IPL 2020 will attract no. of advertisers despite COVID-19 as per market experts: Report

The Indian Premier League 2020 (IPL 2020) season is set to commence in September in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). After months of delay due to the ongoing coronavirus global pandemic, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) only recently came up with IPL dates and a venue for the much-awaited tournament. Despite several reported controversies revolving around various stakeholders of the tournament, apparently, a Mumbai-based marketing agency believes that a shift in IPL 2020 venue will not have much impact on the advertisers.

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IPL sponsors and advertisers: IPL 2020 likely to retain its brand value

As per a report by MoneyControl, the IPL 2020 event will be able to retain its brand value despite a change in venue. Earlier, it was reported that many advertisers were not happy with a winter IPL because it was not deemed as an appropriate time slot for the marketing of their brands. However, according to Sandeep Goyal, the change in venue and schedule of IPL 2020 will create a good demand for broadcasters because this will make it a pre-Diwali sporting event. Goyal is the Chairman of Mogae Media, a marketing and communication agency from Mumbai.

Goyal stated that he expects revenue from advertisements to be the same for the IPL 2020 as it was last year. He added that in IPL 2019, Star India raked in more than ₹2,000 crore for broadcasting the event while Disney+Hotstar roped in about ₹600 crore for its streaming. He predicted that even in the IPL 2020, the television and streaming broadcasters can expect around ₹3,000 crore in revenue.

The report suggests that several marketers are also of the opinion that the IPL 2020 will bring about an improvement in the economy because it is held during the festive period. Ashish Bhasin, CEO of Dentsu Aegis Network, said that the IPL 2020 is likely to serve as a big mood changer because the people have been through a tough time this year (referring to the pandemic). He said that by organising IPL 2020 for the first time around Diwali, the tournament has the potential to uplift the mood. Bhasin added that Indian advertising market is sentiment-driven and claimed that advertisers usually spend around 40 to 45 percent between Ganpati festival and New Year.

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IPL sponsors: BCCI VIVO deal set to continue

As per the meeting on August 2, the IPL Governing Council also announced the continuation of the BCCI VIVO deal. It is reported that they allowed China's smartphone company VIVO, to serve as IPL sponsors this year as well. This BCCI VIVO deal announcement comes amid the anti-China sentiment across the country in the aftermath of the Galwan valley clash where 20 Indian soldiers were martyred. The council’s decision garnered some heavy criticism from fans on social media, as #BoycottIPL began trending on Twitter after the IPL sponsors and BCCI VIVO deal announcement were made official.

IPL dates: When will IPL start?

To answer some trending IPL 2020 queries like IPL dates and ‘When will IPL start?’, the IPL Governing Council confirmed that the IPL 2020 will be played between September 19 and November 10. According to the disclosure, the IPL 2020 matches will be taking place at three UAE venues: Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi, subject to government approval.

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Image credits: IPL Twitter