IPL this year has joined hands with Viacom18?s Hindi general entertainment channel?Colors. In an interview with FE?s Pritha Mitra Dasgupta, ajesh Kamat, chief operating officer, Viacom18, and chief executive officer, Colors gives us the details. Edited excerpts:
What triggered this deal with the IPL?
IPL and Colors have a lot in common?we are both around two years old, and while IPL has redefined the cricketing landscape, Colors has done the same to the entertainment arena. We are happy to build four or five properties around this year?s IPL?our programming will extend the excitement the tournament generates to well over the 45 days of its duration. The lines between cricket and entertainment are blurring and with this partnership, we have a real potboiler in our hands.
Traditionally during the IPL matches, Hindi general entertainment channels face a slump in viewership and we were looking at a way to tackle that. IPL, as a property, gives us a lot of opportunity to associate ourselves with the tournament and therefore keep the viewers? interest going.
What are your plans around the IPL?
To begin with, we plan to launch three to four shows around the IPL. This includes one of our key properties, Fear Factor-Khatron Ke Khiladi, which will have cricketers from the IPL this time.
Besides this, there will be several events like after-match parties and fashion shows that will pan across 42 IPL nights. This will also include the IPL Awards night that will be held on April 23, 2010, a day before the final.
The awards will celebrate talent that has been displayed over the 56 league games of this year?s competition. We also plan to launch a ?Rockstar contest?, where we may invite local bands to perform on the ground before the beginning of the match and build shows around it.
What is the business model of this deal?
We have bought the licensing rights and the money will go straight to the eight team owners. We will recover the investment by selling the ad inventory.