Streaming Sports on OTTs? How About Advertising in Sports on OTTs?

Imagine yourself sitting on your comfy couch as you watch your favorite sport on a large screen, keeping other things constant. It is exhilarating and exciting just to imagine the situation. Exactly this type of sports content contributes to the entertainment and media industry. The ability of it to provide audiences with an enjoyable feeling of excitement, such as cheering during game-changing plays and celebrating a win, can arouse them. The Indian nation has a strong affinity for the Indian cricket team, so when the team wins, celebrations can be heard from all corners of the country. There are many other aspects of consuming sports that result in a "feel-good effect". It is fun for everybody because media gives you more enjoyment and pleasure by taking beautiful shots and creating energetic music and beats.

Sports classified viewership in India:

In India, cricket is the most popular sport and also takes part in the culture of the country. Media rights were discovered to be a major source of funding for sports events, including TV, Internet, and radio broadcasting rights. Rather than watching sports on TV, today's viewers prefer to watch them online. The younger population is building an increasingly large audience. T20 cricket matches can be considered as an audience mainly composed of people aged 15-35 years old. Even though people still watch sports content on TVs, mobile content (powered by mobile devices) is accelerating faster. As more people access the Internet via accessible electronic devices such as smartphones and tablets, online viewing increases. Regional games packaged in interesting league formats have also been successful in attracting rural viewers. Several Broadcasters have evolved to cater to this growing trend with the necessary capabilities. Star India launched Hotstar, a content platform for online content. Through streaming IPL seasons, Hotstar's viewership base has grown year after year. The topmost streamed sports in India are Cricket, Football, Kabbadi, Badminton, Wrestling, and followed by a few others.

How Critical it is to Advertise in Sports on OTTs?

Content consumption in India is among the highest in the world. The main reason for the expansion of OTT platforms is the convenience of the platforms. Through OTT platforms, premium sports are becoming more accessible, serving specific categories of sports fans based on their likability, and targeting digital-first audiences to maximize visibility. Advertising is
showing interest to reach viewers with campaigns involving live streaming of sports content, one of the factors contributing to the growth of Indian OTT. Cricket impressions recorded in 2018 were 12.3 million. In spite of the absence of an international tournament in the year. Hotstar holds the exclusive streaming rights to many sporting tournaments, including Pro Kabbadi League and India Super League, while Sony LIV concentrates on non-cricket sports including UEFA Champions League, WWE, UFC, and Pro Volleyball League. Most brands that advertise on OTT platforms during live events use these occasions to create awareness and execute high-impact campaigns. OTT platforms also apply different ways to increase reach on such premium content. Sony Pictures Sports Network, for example, used a clever #tag campaign called #SonaManaHai to overcome its low viewership with an awareness contest based on FOMO for the UEFA Champions League because its streaming time in India was late at night. Many Indian brands sponsored the events, including Dream11, Byuj's, PhonePe, Coca-Cola, Amazon, Asian Paints, Cred, Jio, and Ajio, among others.

As sports are watched on OTT platforms, not only are groups and loved ones able to connect, but also create an opportunity for brands to reach their target audience and establish connections.