The year 2023 got off to a good start for women’s cricket, with the Women’s Premier League (WPL) auctions and India’s recent U-19 Women’s T20 World Cup victory making the headlines. For a moment at least, the spotlight shifted from the male cricket stars to the women in blue. As a buoyant Indian side readies for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup that begins today in South Africa, experts say that an Indian victory could transform women’s cricket and positively impact events such as the WPL.
Considering that viewership for women’s cricket in India is still just a small fraction of men’s cricket viewership, ad rates for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup are also significantly lower. According to media agency executives, a ten-second spot is being sold between Rs 30,000 and Rs 50,000. India’s games, and semi-final and final fixtures may command higher rates, as the tournament progresses. Digital sponsorship is around Rs 1 crore while TV sponsorship is around Rs 1.5 crore. Associate sponsorships are priced between Rs 60 lakh and Rs 75 lakh.
Industry pundits expect the tournament to see a reach of 60 to 80 million across Star Sports’ channels and Disney+ Hotstar.
That said, the women’s game has seen a lot of advertiser and viewer interest this year than before possibly because of the WPL franchisee auctions and a packed cricket calendar for women, observes Aman Kochhar, chief growth officer, Motivator India. “Several FMCG brands, leading gaming firms and women-focussed brands are now looking at associations with women’s cricket tournaments like the World Cup, indicating that women’s cricket has finally arrived,” he says.
Such brands are mindful of the fact that they need to partner with women’s sporting properties to drive success. Mastercard, for instance, has partnered with the Board of Control for Cricket in India to become the title sponsor of all international men’s and women’s cricket games in India. Brands like Hyundai, Amway and Mondelez are also leveraging women’s cricket as a platform for consumer reach. A lot will be riding on India’s performance at this World Cup, as two big, back-to-back international victories will augur well for the maiden WPL that is tentatively scheduled to take place next month, say experts.
Bounce test
Hema Malik, chief investment officer, Mediabrands India cautions that the buzz around women’s cricket, be it the WPL or the World Cup needs to be seen from the current market sentiment lens. “The market has been a bit lukewarm from the ad spend standpoint, as is usually the case with the first quarter of the calendar year. So even if the viewership and ratings are high, we may not see that translate into higher spending,” she explains. Big spenders on cricket, which are usually new-age tech brands and fintech companies, have also gone quiet.
Kumar Awanish, chief growth officer at Cheil India opines that it will still take some years before the women’s cricket event can get the advertising windfall one sees during a men’s cricket tournament. “Women’s cricket in India today is where men’s cricket was 15 years ago. At this juncture, brands with little investments are creating the fan culture needed for women’s cricket. On digital, brands like HUL and Tata AIA have taken up sponsorship for the World Cup, and other brands such as Dream11 and Century Ply are also advertising,” he says.
The bigger opportunity is with non-traditional cricket advertisers, points out Mediabrands’ Malik. “Women’s sport, especially in India, is a statement in itself. It can be a breakthrough platform for brands whose messaging is aligned with breaking gender stereotypes and women’s empowerment. The broadcaster too should look at the women’s World Cup beyond just selling inventory if it has to become successful,” she explains, adding that advertisers with smaller budgets may also do well to associate with this tournament.
Despite the odds, women cricketers such as Smriti Mandana and Harmanpreet Kaur, definitely have what it takes to bring new audiences for brands, asserts Deleise Ross, associate vice president and cluster head at DDB Mudramax. She remarks, “Brands need to follow the same route as they did in the first men’s IPL and unleash a marketing blitz. With broadcasters finally taking the first step forward, brands and audiences need to follow.”
An uneven field
Estimated viewership for men’s cricket world cup in Oct 2022 – 800 million (TV + digital)
Expected viewership for women’s cricket Jan 2023 – 60 to 80 million (TV + digital)
Ad rates for men’s cricket world cup in Oct 2022 – Rs 12 to 15 lakh per 10 seconds
Ad rates for women’s cricket world cup Jan 2023 – Rs 30,000 to 50,000 per 10 seconds
(Source – industry)