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Mint
11 hours ago
- Business
- Mint
More Noise, Less Nudge: IPL ads fail to stand out
Mumbai: Despite record-breaking viewership and soaring ad spends, most ads aired during IPL 2025 may have already faded from public memory. While the on-field cricket remains fiercely competitive, advertising creativity appears to be on autopilot, raising serious questions about return on investment and long-term brand impact. This year, the IPL began with what many consider one of the best—and probably the costliest—ads of the season. Dream11's campaign featured Aamir Khan, Ranbir Kapoor and a galaxy of celebrities and cricket stars, setting the tone for the tournament and its rivalries. It was witty, memorable and widely shared. But after that strong start, most ads barely made a mark. Take the much-discussed spot featuring Rohit Sharma talking about financial planning, or MS Dhoni promoting a tile adhesive. Both had star power and brand fit, yet the creative left viewers more puzzled than persuaded. Data from TAM Media Research reveals that more than 105 advertisers and 190 brands participated across the first 70 matches of IPL 2025, with a 27% jump in advertiser count and a 28% rise in brand count over last year. The overall ad volume on TV grew marginally, just 0.45% higher than IPL 2024. But the creative bar hasn't risen alongside. Also read: IPL giant GMR tackles rugby with India League, aims to build Olympic-aligned IP 'While a few brave brands are pushing creative boundaries, most of the advertising seems to be working in a safe, high-frequency mode," said Anshu Yardi, vice-president–business partnerships & communication at TAM Media Research. 'The opportunity is still massive, but innovation requires risk, and during IPL many brands may want to play safe." Ad fatigue at a time of infinite content The issue might extend beyond just ineffective ads; it could reflect a deeper cultural shift in how we define 'good" advertising itself. Abhishek Jain, business director at creative agency Virtue India, believes the competition for consumer attention has moved far beyond traditional formats. 'Ads 'seem' boring now compared to the content—quick, snackable pieces of sponsored entertainment —they are competing with," he said. 'We are now finding relatability in culture and culture in content. Traditional ads just don't have that same shareability or zing." The IPL skew: Not made for storytelling Sandeep Goyal, media veteran and chairman of Rediffusion, is blunt in his assessment. 'The mediocrity of IPL actually reflects the slipping standards of creativity overall. But specific to the IPL, for years now, the secondages have been dominated by the money power of VC-funded brands. Regular brands in FMCG just can't afford the IPL rates. So that skew is the starting point," he said. In the context of advertising, 'secondages" refers to the total number of seconds of advertising airtime. Also read: Will CCI's crackdown reshape the ad industry? Media veteran Raj Nayak explains 'The brands that spend—like a lot in BFSI—are really not seasoned campaigners. They are out to buy noticeability and brand recall, not build emotive narratives that endear them to consumers. Most ads are focused on product superiority, much like 'explainer' videos." He also takes aim at the overuse of celebrities. 'The less said about celebrities, the better. It is now a formula. Nothing more. No attempt to differentiate. No attempt to craft a story that engages. Most celebrities are high on recognition but low on emulatability. A Rohit Sharma dispensing advice on investing! MSD (Dhoni) talking of paints. Consumers just shrug off most such ads. They may remember the brand and even the celebrity, but do not necessarily buy as per the celebrity's endorsement because the pitch carries no real conviction." Creativity costs, and time is a luxury A chief marketing officer (CMO) of a major consumer brand, speaking on condition of anonymity, admitted that IPL advertising may never become a true creative showcase like the Super Bowl. 'You don't get everything—budgets are tight, and IPL runs every day for nearly two months. Dream11, Swiggy, ZooZoos from Vodafone—they've created brilliant ads in the past. But those are rare exceptions," the executive said. 'Most CMOs simply don't get the time or investment needed to make IPL campaigns creatively rich. The result is rinse-repeat formats, celebrity plug-ins, and safe messaging." Marquee moment or media burst? Another senior executive from a brand that advertised during IPL 2025 wondered whether advertisers truly understand what a marquee property should be. 'If you're treating IPL as a launch pad, that's fine. But how much can you really build when you're racing against time and media costs just to deliver a message?" According to them, IPL's biggest strength—aggregation of eyeballs—is also its biggest creative limitation. 'If 60-65 crore people are watching, that's huge. But then you're up against frequency fatigue, creative limits and the ticking clock. It's hard to craft something with depth when you're just trying to be everywhere, fast." Also read: Rooter picks up exclusive digital rights for esports tournament BGMI Masters Series The executive added, 'Are people even anticipating IPL ads the way they used to? Are we just spending for attention, or are we creating anything truly memorable? The search for the elusive advertising season continues… is IPL the Nirvana?" So, can the IPL ever be India's Super Bowl? Everyone wants to recreate the cultural buzz and longevity that Super Bowl ads in the US command. But experts agree that for IPL to reach that level, Indian advertisers need to move beyond formula, spend more time on narrative and treat the IPL window not just as a media buy, but as a storytelling opportunity. 'Campaigns are not being created for the long run," Goyal added. 'They are usually for one season, and then everybody feels the need for a refresh because digital has created attention-deficiency syndrome." Until that mindset changes, IPL may remain a grand stage—but one where few ads deserve an encore.
Mint
01-06-2025
- Business
- Mint
IPL giant GMR tackles rugby with India League, aims to build Olympic-aligned IP
MUMBAI: GMR Sports, best known for its Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise cricket team Delhi Capitals, is making an ambitious foray into rugby with the launch of the Rugby Premier League (RPL). First announced in December 2024, the league's inaugural season kicks off later this month, with six teams and backing from some of India's prominent corporate houses. The league will run from 15 June to 29 June, with two matches scheduled on weekdays and three on weekends. RPL is being launched in partnership with Rugby India, with GMR serving as the commercial and operational partner for the league. The company currently owns cricket franchises across the IPL (50% in Delhi Capitals), the International League T20 (Dubai Capitals), Major League Cricket (Seattle Orcas with a clutch of investors, including Satya Nadella, Soma Somasegar and others), and in the Legends League Cricket (India Capitals). It also owns franchises across the Pro Kabaddi League (UP Yoddhas) and the Ultimate Kho Kho (Telugu Yoddhas). But now, GMR Sports is looking to also own and operate sports intellectual properties (IPs). 'We've built strong internal capabilities managing teams, but the real value lies in creating leagues and IPs. Rugby ticked all the boxes—it's an Olympic sport, it has global corporate interest, and World Rugby has committed a dedicated window so the best players will be available,' Satyam Trivedi, CEO, GMR Sports, told Mint in an exclusive interaction. Rugby may barely register in mainstream Indian consciousness, but the federation claims the sport is played across more than 250 districts. 'It's still under the radar, but there's a strong grassroots base and a very structured federation. We've had a great experience working with Rugby India and its president, Rahul Bose,' Trivedi added. Rugby, originated in England in the 19th century, is a high-intensity, full-contact sport where two teams compete to carry, pass, and ground an oval ball in the opponent's territory to score points. RPL brings this sport to a broader Indian audience through a fast-paced, Olympic-aligned format. The league will follow the Rugby Sevens format, but with a tweak: four quarters of four minutes each, designed to make the matches faster and more TV-friendly. This mirrors the shift in sports consumption, where younger audiences increasingly prefer highlights, reels, and short-form formats over full-length broadcasts. GMR sees it as a short-format product tailor-made for younger audiences used to consuming sports in bite-sized bursts. Each match will last 22 minutes. The six franchise teams and their respective owners are: Mumbai Dreamers (Dream Sports); Hyderabad Heroes (KLO Sports); Kalinga Black Tigers (Hunch Ventures); Chennai Bulls (AvidSys); Delhi Redz (RMZ); and Bengaluru Bravehearts (a consortium of Manipal Group's Ranjan Pai, Soham Energy's Sanjith Sethi, and InCred's Bhupinder Singh). Player selection has been conducted via a central draft, and each squad consists of 13 players—five marquee internationals, three 'bridge' players from mid-tier rugby nations, and five Indians. A unique playing format ensures two marquee, two bridge, and two Indian players take the field at all times, with the seventh player decided by the coach. The league will be broadcast on Star Sports and streamed on JioHotstar, with Dream11 roped in as fantasy partner from the first season itself. 'Youth today want to engage across multiple touchpoints—fantasy, merchandise, stats, social media. So we've designed this to be a full-stack, digital-first sports product,' said Trivedi. Despite the optimism, rugby's lack of visibility in India presents a steep challenge. GMR acknowledges that and plans to run simple, explanatory marketing to introduce the game to new audiences. 'We don't expect everyone to understand the rules right away. The goal is to simplify and attract viewers—then build from there,' he said. Financials remain undisclosed due to the non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) with team owners, but the business model mirrors other Indian leagues: central revenues, franchise-level sponsorships, and broadcast tie-ups. GMR doesn't expect a quick break-even. 'It's at least a three to four-year journey, not just for revenue but for awareness and fandom to build,' Trivedi said. To avoid the '15-day season' pitfall of many Indian leagues, GMR plans to keep engagement alive year-round via college, school and franchise-led activations. 'We're not treating this as a seasonal event—it's a full-year commitment, including grassroots development,' he added. Beyond commercial returns, GMR is also positioning RPL as a contribution to India's Olympic ambitions. 'If we can help Indian rugby players reach international clubs or the Olympics, that's a win too. This isn't just a business—we see it as part of nation-building in sport,' said Trivedi. The league enters a crowded market already grappling with audience fatigue and underperforming properties, but GMR believes RPL's international character, short format and year-round engagement give it a fighting chance. If successful, the Rugby Premier League could set a new precedent for how niche sports are built in India. If not, it will be another reminder of how hard it is to crack the post-cricket code.
