Reliance-owned JioCinema, which holds the live streaming rights for the Tata IPL, is expecting to recover its investment ahead of schedule, according to a top company official. JioCinema has achieved record viewership numbers during the ongoing IPL tournament, with the highest concurrent viewership of 2.2 crore during the match between Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals. The platform has taken on 23 sponsors so far and has signed up over 100 small advertisers. The number of advertisers is expected to grow as the tournament progresses, and Viacom18 Sports CEO Anil Jayaraj has stated that the digital platform is providing flexibility to advertisers due to its reach and the ability to target specific audiences.
Jayaraj noted that digital advertising offers advertisers a massive reach in a short period of time and works in a targeted way, selecting an audience. Additionally, there are no limitations on budget, making it an attractive option for advertisers with small budgets. He believes that this year’s IPL will see at least 8-9 times the number of advertisers that TV has, and that there will be a shift from TV advertising to digital advertising.
JioCinema is providing high-quality 4K feeds with Multi-cam and Hype Mode. It also offers live commentary with a choice of vernacular languages, including Bhojpuri, Punjabi, Marathi, and Gujarati. Jayaraj emphasized that no Indian should lack access to a language that people across the country understand.
JioCinema is not charging its sponsors a fixed amount like TV, but rather charges based on cost per million impressions. The platform is providing 4K feeds, which is attracting premium-end advertisers, and a lot of mass advertisers are also shifting to digital due to measurability. Advertisers receive a report at the end of each match, and they pay according to the number of eyes the ad has attracted during the ad breaks. The measuring system is working well with large, medium, and small advertisers.
Jayaraj is optimistic about the record numbers of viewers on JioCinema, and the platform’s superior tech that can withstand high levels of concurrency. While talking about Wednesday’s match, he said the concurrency record reached the 2.23 crore mark, the highest concurrent viewership in the history of IPL. JioCinema’s measuring system is transparent, and advertisers only pay for targeted ads during ad breaks.
Overall, JioCinema is upbeat about its prospects for recouping its IPL investments ahead of schedule. The digital platform is attracting a growing number of advertisers due to its reach, flexibility, and measurability, and JioCinema’s high-quality feeds and commentary in a variety of vernacular languages are also contributing to its success.
