Cricket's commercial landscape evolves as virtual inventory gains momentum
Virtual inventory technology is transforming cricket advertising, with Cricket Australia and the ECB partnering with Rise Worldwide to offer digitally inserted brand elements during live broadcasts to target Indian audiences. This approach provides a less cluttered space for brands like BKT and Hero MotoCorp, allowing focused engagement and reducing reliance on traditional sponsorships.
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Virtual inventory technology is slowly transforming how brands engage with cricket audiences, say industry executives. Cricket Australia and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) have partnered with India's Rise Worldwide to offer virtual inventory to Indian brands, with other boards likely to follow based on their commercial strategies.Introduced in India by Rise in 2021, virtual inventory sits between on-ground advertising and broadcast sponsorship, with brand elements digitally inserted during live broadcasts . The technology is provided by Australia-based Broadcast Virtual.Rise Worldwide has sold virtual inventory to brands such as BKT, Hero MotoCorp , EPCO, and MakeMyTrip for the India vs England Test series scheduled for June and July. Another deal is expected to be finalised ahead of the series with one slot out of the six up for grabs.In the past, Indian brands had limited ways to reach home audiences during India's tours to England—mostly through kit sponsorships or LED boards. These often resulted in wasted visibility, as they were seen by global audiences, said ECB chief commercial officer Tony Singh.'We also have sponsors in the UK looking to enter other markets, and this provides a way to do that. It's incremental and supplementary,' Singh said.Rise Worldwide's head, Nikhil Bardia, said virtual inventory allows brands to engage with viewers in a more focused way. 'It offers a less cluttered space within live content, especially given the interest in the tournament and the participating brands,' he said.This year, the ECB is considering adding promotional content and direct fan messaging to its inventory.'Our goal is to develop a long-term, strategic relationship with Indian fans. We're taking a more sustainable approach, rather than chasing short-term revenue in ways that may not benefit the fan experience,' Singh said.Brands are using several measures to evaluate the impact of virtual inventory, including content association, screen visibility, and marketing outcomes such as awareness and customer conversion.Singh noted that this technology has already reduced the demand for physical sponsorships from Indian brands focused on local Indian viewers. "But there are some Indian brands for whom the local cricket market is a natural ingredient to their core business," he said, citing the example of Dream11.The ECB and Rise plan to expand the use of virtual inventory gradually, with a focus on maintaining a good viewing experience. Currently, the placements are limited to areas like behind the wickets, and potential expansions are reviewed from time to time.The virtual inventory could be extended to women's cricket amid rising interest in the format, and may also be considered for tournaments like The Hundred. The two are working to strengthen relationships with brands in the Indian market by offering both virtual and pure digital inventory, along with player IP and access.
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