Cricketing Economy: The Changing Times
For some people, Cricket is just a game, for some, it is a game of passion, and for others, it is a way of earning money. No matter how you see this game, every cricket fan enjoys every moment of this game whether its Sachin Tendulkar’s first ODI double hundred or the first Day-Night test match played between Australia and New Zealand in 2015 or the 2018 sandpaper incident by Australian team (the greatest controversy of the decade) or 2019 world cup final intense moments when England finally won the world cup and New Zealand won the hearts of every cricket fan.
This game not only entertains you but also connects with you. And every single match whether it’s a domestic or international it engages you. Today’s world cricket has become the epicenter of both technologies as well as marketing. If you are good at one of these things then surely you not only can contribute to cricket but also can earn a lot of money.
To understand fully how technology and marketing go hand in hand with each other and how they are changing the game, we will use the divide and conquer policy (pun intended).
Marketing:
For over a decade the Technology has been drastically evolved. This has set up a perfect platform for companies to do marketing. With the average viewership of 21.8 million people per match and a massive total of 446 million views across the planet, the Indian Premier League can be regarded as the best marketing platform for any firm looking to expand their markets.
Not only the company but also the players are making huge money out of advertisements. For example Virat Kohli, the MPL has made him the brand ambassador and signed a deal of Rs.12 crore with him. Not only this Virat Kohli took the 17th spot on the Forbes list with a hefty tag of 120,000 US dollars (approx. 82,45,000 rupees) per post. Similarly, Mumbai Indians captain Rohit Sharma is marketing the CEAT brand and you can see the logo on his bat, due to which the company makes a huge profit indirectly.
Due to the proliferation of mobile phones and affordable data plans, the Indian market is getting huge momentum and according to a Forbes report, the Indian mobile gaming industry is estimated to grow over $1.1 billion and 600 million users by 2020. Hence the bigger the brand is more the users and more the profit.
Around a decade ago a study was done and it was found that nearly 77% of entire revenue generation from sports is generated from cricket. And now, even with the emergence of new leagues like football, badminton, and kabaddi, it has found out that 90% is now going to the cricket. That shows how important the game of cricket is for us.
If we talk about campaign ads like the Vodafone’s ZooZoo campaign that stands out in most minds as one of the most unique & engaging campaigns around IPL. Also, Kingfisher’s IPL campaign was very well crafted and tends to stick with the consumer to date. It was a very relatable audio mnemonic and such examples like these, with good creativity done for the specific environment, always make the ads stand out.
Also, since the teams are owned by big players, to create more buzz about it, big brands like Nokia, HP, Asian Paints, Berger Paints, Blue Star, Ceat Tyres, Crompton, Dollar, DHFL, Aaj Tak, Wrong, Domino’s, Ford, Haier, Luminous, Samsung, etc. are associated with teams. Due to this now People are more excited as they are happy to see the players getting associated with the brands that they are using.
Technology:
Cricket is turning smart, Like all other industries, sport is being transformed by technology. Every aspect of the sport from player training and coaching to post-match analytics to live broadcast and viewer engagement stands to be disrupted by technology.
The bat which we have used for generations underwent little innovation except in thickness and now is smart equipment. A sensor, exactly the size of a coin is being fitted at the top of the bat handle and it is allowing data to be getting recorded in real-time for the batsman taking strike. It has been manufactured by Intel and it is allowing for the measurement of bat angle, if it is coming from the right direction for a particular shot, bat speed, velocity, and the speed at which the bat is hitting the ball, etc. It was first used in 2017 champion’s trophy and is being used since then.
Now with the help of technology, it helps in a better quality of the broadcast, as now commentators have the data to comment on how a batsman is dealing with a fast bowler and a spinner, what is his bat speed to a particular delivery and how his bat angles change for different bowlers adding to the viewing experience of the game.
Soon the companies are also planning to launch the technology with balls, helmet, and shoes adding to the repertoire and making cricket a complete smart sport.
Similar to Intel, the Freebowler designed a lightweight mechanical bowling machine for everyday cricket practice which aims to create a mimic of a realistic bowling action with speeds up to 135 km/hr. It was particularly designed in such a way that it helps batsman to train anywhere, and build concentration and power-hitting abilities. It is priced at 35000 rupees so that every Indian can afford it and it aims to be a part of every youngster’s cricket training kit.
Different apps like Playo seeks to connect amateur cricketers with match venues, sports vendors, and associations. By using this app you can locate nearby venues, reserve spots, discover other players with equal skill-levels, and gain access to coaches and sports training, making life easy. Till now it has roped thousands of users, which created hundreds of sports teams.
In today’s time, India is the world’s biggest cricket market in terms of viewership, sponsorships, and revenues. Due to which now startups are out to leverage this. The sports tech is estimated to be a $10.3 billion market globally by 2024, also over 63 percent of currently operational sports tech companies in India have been founded since 2015 which shows an intense movement in the market. With technology-driven sports, the future of the sport is promising for sure.
