With the ongoing 14th season of IPL into its 3rd week and warmed up with close matches and new rivalry, cricket fans are up for a surprise with the new-age video formats, multi-lingual shows on ESPNcricinfo.
ESPNcricinfo T20 Timeout – the pre-, the mid-and, post-match show that provides a holistic analysis of every single match through contemporary conversations with the best experts, has already gained a sizeable appointment viewership through its treatment of “All Cricket, No Noise” format. The show features the best of India’s cricketing experts: Gautam Gambhir, Deep Dasgupta, Sanjay Manjrekar, and Aakash Chopra, Ajit Agarkar along with noted international cricketers – Dale Steyn, Daniel Vettori, and Ian Bishop.
As Gautam Gambhir comments on being part of T20 Timeout on ESPNcricinfo, “Being a part of the Indian Cricket Team brings with a certain eye and aptitude for judging performances of any team on the pitch. Being able to convey this to the viewers makes for an intriguing show of T20 Timeout, ESPNcricinfo’s flagship show during the IPL. It not only keeps me involved with the game I love so much but also gives the enthusiasts a way to understand and pick up the nuances in the game and truly become one with it.”
When the former New Zealand Captain was asked about how he felt to be a part of this, Daniel Vettori said, ”It’s great to be back on working with the ESPNcricinfo team again and I’m looking forward to an exciting IPL season.”
On the back of strong insights, the platform has seen 2x growth in consumption from cricket fans across Tier 2 and 3 cities of India. The cricket fans from the heartland are now enjoying a host of shows in Hindi. These shows don’t just present a strong analysis and live scorecards in Hindi, but shows like Tu Maane Ya Na Maane, Cricket Katha, and Ubharte Sitaare bring forth extraordinary stories and inspiring life sketches from across the country.
Jamie Alter, son of veteran actor Tom Alter and his wife Meha Bharadwaj host a brand-new daily show, Hum Tum Aur IPL. Jamie wears many hats – he is a sports journalist and columnist, actor, and a popular YouTuber. Our fans truly are in love with the relatable banter this show offers.
Commenting on the release, Sambit Bal, Global Editor, ESPN said, “We’re excited to learn that our commitment to new shows catering to cricket and its fans is yielding results. These shows have redefined infotainment, as they are not only about cricket but the lives of the cricketers and the fans. The completely new genre of shows for the people of the Hindi heartland has found its loyal viewers. These shows are a mixture of cricket analysis, predictions, humorous stories, discussions, and much more. Such shows have impacted and changed the landscape of cricket as a sport in India.”
“There has been a terrific response from our existing and new advertising partners, as they continue to associate themselves with the unique cricket coverage that goes beyond the live matches. Top advertisers include Maruti Suzuki, Intel, Upstox, AMFI, CoinDCX, Lloyd AC, Voltas, Longines, AstroPay, Accenture, and HDFC Life to name a few, says Akshaya Kolhe, Head of Sales, ESPN South Asia. “This reinforces our reach and ability to stitch together multiple advertising formats: – from branded content to topline media sponsorships & social-led initiatives”.
“Fans are central to not only our content but also to our advertisers. We are excited & humbled by the trust of our clients and we have created some amazing integrated content partnerships that keep our fans entertained and engaged. You can play a daily AMFI quiz and win prizes, or be a lucky fan to feature on our Intel Fastest Fan First and quiz our cricket experts on the show”, adds Akshaya further.
As Intel India’s Marketing Director, Roshni Das shares, “We are excited to sponsor ESPNcricinfo’s flagship show, T20 Timeout. The PC has never been more pivotal to our lives, and with Intel’s 11th Gen’s Core Processors we bring unprecedented PC experience, CPU performance and feature reach thin & light laptops, packed with features such as Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics with AI-based intelligent performance, lightning-fast Intel® Wi-Fi 6 (Gig+), and beautiful visual experiences. Cricket allows us large-scale reach as a media platform, and ESPNcricinfo’s T20 Timeout segment focused expertise, audience size, and the curated segment on speed, power and precision provide us the perfect blend of impact and relevance.”
Each match in the IPL brings out myriad elements to talk about and analyze. These include interesting content partnerships for brands, like HDFC Life with Sar Utha Ke Jiyo Performances, where we dissect the top-notch contributions by individual players to the winning team, or Sahi Hai Decisions powered by Mutual Funds Sahi Hai, where our experts analyze the correct and match-winning decisions made by the captains. Every show presents a unique perspective that keeps fans engaged and fuels their conversations all through the league.
Vishal Sabharwal, Executive Vice President & Head of E-commerce & Digital Marketing from HDFC Life said, “There are many similarities between cricket and securing one’s financial future. Both are about deciding the right goals and planning to achieve those goals. Just as a run saved is a run scored, so is starting to secure, save & invest early on. As getting the team composition is critical to winning a game on the pitch, so is choosing the right set of financial instruments for protection & investments is important. HDFC Life’s association with ESPNcricinfo seeks to communicate this to the audience.”
Using technology & data insights, the new Videos section on the platform has come alive with featured and trending videos, interviews, branded and collaborative content, and many options for fans to consume daily.
As the IPL progresses, the ESPNcricinfo team is working on new short video formats along with new branded content partnerships that will capture the most exciting second-half of the IPL till the crowning of the champion on 30th May 2021.
