Mumbai: Snapchat has unveiled ‘Cricket in a Snap’, a comprehensive cricket-season advertising solution designed to help brands engage fans during one of India’s biggest cultural moments. With 85% of Gen Z in India following the IPL, the platform is positioning itself as the digital stadium for a generation that already drives $860 billion in collective consumer spending. As this cohort’s economic influence expands, the offering aims to enable brands to move beyond traditional broadcast advertising and connect meaningfully with a high-intent audience.
Snapchat said the cricket season’s raw energy plays out on its platform through unfiltered banter, immersive augmented reality (AR) experiences, and fan-led trends that integrate the sport into everyday conversations. Rather than serving as a curated broadcast layer, Snapchat functions as an always-on community where fandom unfolds in real time. A steady stream of fan-created Lenses is expected to keep engagement high throughout the tournament.
Join the Banter, Not Just the Broadcast
In today’s multi-screen environment, 55% of Snapchatters watch cricket events live on television and 54% via streaming platforms, while more than 90% use a second screen during matches. While live broadcasts deliver the spectacle, Snapchat says the real-time conversations and peer interactions are increasingly shifting to mobile platforms.
Cricket events lead all major sports leagues among Snapchat users, ranking as the number one most-followed sport on the platform. Nearly three in four Snapchatters tune into sports multiple times a week or more, and users are 13% more likely to be frequent sports viewers compared to non-users.
“Cricket in India has reached a tipping point. The ‘lean-back’ TV broadcast is now the backdrop to a far more intense, ‘lean-forward’ experience happening on the phone. While the big screen delivers the spectacle, the small screen is where the heartbeat of the game lives in real-time reactions, peer-to-peer banter, and unfiltered culture. On Snapchat, cricket hits differently because it’s built for this spontaneity. With 90% of our users second-screening to share raw, unscripted moments with their inner circles, the conversation has moved from the sofa to the Chat tab. With ‘Cricket in a Snap,’ we’re enabling brands to move beyond the ad break and become a native, high-impact participant in the fan’s personal highlight reel,” Yagnesh Ravi, Ad Solutions Lead, Snap Inc, India.
Exclusive Advertiser Integrations
To help brands navigate the high-energy cricket environment, Snapchat has rolled out a suite of exclusive integrations:
- Live Sports API: Immersive AR environments powered by live data, delivering instant score updates directly into branded Lenses.
- AR Fan Zones: Curated brand experiences such as Locker Room and Nets Practice activations.
- Surface Tracking: A package that anchors branded Lenses directly to the turf or stadium surface, enhancing the in-arena experience.
- AR Bar Branded Lens: Allows brands to appear when users search for trending cricket Lenses.
- Post Capture Sticker: Enables Snapchatters to overlay branded stickers or frames after capturing images.
- Brands x Snap Stars: Partnerships with Snap Stars to drive hashtag-led content, blending brand messaging with creator authenticity.
A Content Flywheel Built for Gen Z
Snapchat’s cricket programming spans official team content from franchises such as Mumbai Indians, Chennai Super Kings, Gujarat Titans, Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals, alongside player perspectives and expert analysis from sports broadcaster JioStar and publishers such as Sportsyaari and CricTracker. The content mix also includes locker-room moments, memes, fan reactions and behind-the-scenes access tailored to Gen Z audiences.
The platform has also become a space for viral, unfiltered exchanges between players such as Arshdeep Singh, reflecting a new form of participative sports fandom.
Turning Match-Day Moments into Movements
Through Spotlight challenges and AR activations, Snapchat aims to convert passive viewership into active participation. Campaigns such as #Paltan2026 encourage fans to showcase their support for Mumbai Indians, while #Yellove invites supporters of Chennai Super Kings to share rituals and nostalgic highlights.
AR features including face-painted team kits and interactive 3D stadium Lenses allow fans to “wear” their allegiance virtually, extending match-day energy beyond the stadium.
Snap Stars including Neetu & Lakhan Bisht, Aatman Desai, Rahul Sinha (Thethar Puns) and Neel Bhattacharya are driving real-time conversations and creating native Stories and Spotlight content throughout the season.
With ‘Cricket in a Snap’, Snapchat is betting on the power of second-screen behaviour, immersive AR and creator-led storytelling to position itself as a central hub for cricket fandom—and a high-impact advertising platform during India’s marquee sporting season.
