The Ladies’s Premier League (WPL) and the ICC Champions Trophy will overlap for almost all of their run. Whereas the WPL is scheduled from February 14 to March 15, the worldwide occasion will happen from February 19 to March 9.
The Board of Management for Cricket in India (BCCI) has organized the WPL matches to keep away from overlap with India’s matches within the worldwide match, together with the semi-finals and finals (assuming India makes it). Whereas it will guarantee viewership isn’t divided, the conflict is anticipated to influence promoting and sponsorship prices. Manufacturers with a restricted finances should select between the 2 properties.
The 2-year-old league remains to be positioning itself as a platform for manufacturers. Consultants predicted that WPL 2024 will rake in round Rs 90 crore, a lower of about 15-20% in comparison with 2023’s Rs 110 crore. This version’s conflict with the Mini World Cup will doubtless have an effect on it extra.
JioStar, in its promotional campaigns, has promised a 1.7X development in its digital attain over WPL ’23 and 1.2X development in TV attain over WPL ’23. It additionally affords a 43% development in watch time/ person on digital and 29% for TV with 192% development in consumption (TV+ Digital).
Krishnarao Buddha, a media and advertising and marketing professional, says Champions Trophy might fill its stock because the occasion proceeds, particularly if a number of India-Pakistan matches occur, however WPL will battle because the sequence of occasions additionally impacts budgets.
“The Champions Trophy comes earlier than IPL, and WPL comes earlier than each, making it much more weak.”
Krishnarao Buddha, a media and advertising and marketing professional
WPL affords manufacturers publicity to new audiences despite the fact that it would not have the identical viewership as IPL or Champions Trophy. Advertisers in search of large viewership would possibly take into account IPL and Champions Trophy, notes Rajiv Dubey, head of media at Dabur India.
In accordance with media reviews the second season noticed a considerable rise in viewership, with cumulative TV viewership reaching 103 million inside simply the primary 15 video games. The inaugural season attracted 50 million viewers throughout tv and digital platforms throughout its first 14 video games. In the meantime, the IPL 2024 was watched by 620 million viewers on JioCinema alone.
Dubey says whereas the rankings are decrease than males’s IPL, the rankings for WPL are nonetheless justified, contemplating its smaller format and decrease pricing.
“With IPL and CT, we attain gentle TV viewers who don’t watch sports activities commonly however tune in for these occasions.”
Rajiv Dubey, head of media, Dabur India
Final 12 months, whereas the league drew many sponsors, the broadcasters didn’t garner as a lot curiosity from advertisers. Divya MS, enterprise head of ITW 360, says in its youth, sponsor curiosity in groups and the league is a superb signal as these are often long run offers and present the model’s religion within the development of the league and aligning their messaging with the league.
“However, advertisers comparatively have a extra quick time period outlook and should have a method to attend and look ahead to a season or two to make sure that the viewership aligns with their goal demographic,” she says.
Pleasure Private Care had been sponsoring IPL groups like Gujarat Giants and Delhi Capitals since WPL’s first version. The model focused social viewers who interact with the sport for its cultural buzz, leveraging the bigger cultural narrative moderately than focusing solely on the game. Nevertheless, this 12 months, after its deal ended, it has withdrawn on account of restricted stock and lack of desired publicity with manufacturers or franchises.
Poulomi Roy, CMO, RSH International (mum or dad firm of Pleasure Private Care), says manufacturers investing in WPL want a transparent objective past mere sponsorship.
“Merely associating isn’t sufficient—you should create significant narratives and have the endurance to allow them to develop. Many lack that endurance, however long-term dedication is essential to actual influence.”
Poulomi Roy, CMO, RSH International
With a number of promoting alternatives, manufacturers with a hard and fast cricket finances are having to separate it between the three tournaments. In accordance with White Rivers Media CEO and co-founder Shrenik Gandhi, most individuals want the Champions Trophy over WPL.
“Premier League-style tournaments like WPL will come later, however the Champions Trophy affords a various mixture of groups and gamers, making it extra aggressive and thrilling—particularly if India performs,” he says.
Nevertheless, Srinivas Rao, chief funding head at Wavemaker India, believes that BCCI’s full assist, feminine cricketers’ rising recognition and spectator engagement might preserve WPL gaining first rate traction.
“WPL over time has been capable of create a distinct segment for itself. It has had its personal set of advertisers who’ve been current on the property.”
Jigar Rambhia, the top of Fuse India, says that scheduling overlaps are inherent in sports activities broadcasting. “The 2 tournaments present complementary alternatives for manufacturers to have interaction with numerous audiences, maximising their attain and influence.”
Divya factors out that there may very well be a slight impact on the variety of informal cricket viewers who may need tuned in to the WPL if there had been no scheduling battle.
WPL’s development and challenges
The Champions Trophy attracts a wider viewers on account of its high-stakes format, which incorporates the highest eight groups. This ensures intense, high-quality contests that inherently draw substantial viewership. The Champions Trophy options better depth, greater stakes, and a extra aggressive edge, making it the extra compelling occasion. Gandhi says persons are looking forward to high-quality cricket content material, and “followers are wanting ahead to celebrating their heroes”. On the identical time, WPL demonstrates a notable benefit in consistency. He predicts that for the subsequent 5 years, WPL can be pushed by storytelling.
The BCCI has expanded the WPL to Lucknow, Vadodara, Mumbai, and Bengaluru this 12 months, mimicking the IPL’s multi-city mannequin. This could strengthen the franchise. As groups journey, Buddha believes pleasure creates native buzz and social media engagement. The multi-location method boosts fan engagement, stadium attendance, and anticipation, making it a high-impact property for promoting.
Rao of Wavemaker India says it will guarantee extra curiosity because it ensures wider attain and enhanced visibility.
“The important thing to maximising this potential can be efficient advertising and marketing, guaranteeing video games are held in cricket-loving areas, and creating a fascinating match-day expertise. With these elements in play, the growth may very well be a big step in rising each the league and the recognition of girls’s cricket,” he says.
He additionally feels that it ought to aspire to grow to be one other IPL.
“WPL ought to assist manufacturers construct their total marketing campaign to be designed round it. By creating alternatives to do a whole encompass, it’ll guarantee higher traction.”
Srinivas Rao, chief funding head, Wavemaker India
Roy says the league itself isn’t missing something—the true subject lies in deep-rooted trade pressures.
“Entrepreneurs immediately are pressured to indicate speedy ROI, which is killing the science of understanding client habits. As a substitute of decoding why an motion occurs, we focus solely on measurable actions. This shift pushes manufacturers towards media properties that ship immediate outcomes moderately than investing in long-term narratives,” she says.
Roy insists that WPL wants time to develop. Anticipating speedy returns from one thing unprecedented is unrealistic. “The rise will come—it simply requires endurance,” she says.
Whereas Pleasure is but to resolve if it’ll promote throughout the match, Roy says the advert charges are a serious concern. She feels there must be some regulatory oversight to make sure manufacturers can justify their spending.
“With out it, planning loses benefit, and it merely turns into a matter of who can afford to pay. Advertising exists to assist enterprise development, and if we won’t calculate ROI—short-term or long-term—it turns into unsustainable. Whereas that is considered one of India’s best properties and must be monetized, there have to be a stability. Advertisers want readability on returns, guaranteeing the ecosystem isn’t one-sided. If managed nicely, it’ll profit everybody,” she says.
Want for star performances
Buddha believes the league requires spectacular performances from its stars to achieve recognition. With out a star participant’s swashbuckling efficiency, WPL pleasure is restricted. A hat-trick or distinctive feat attracts viewers. “A viral second can entice viewers and enhance rankings,” he explains.
Advertising methods for fulfillment
A media professional on the situation of anonymity notes that WPL’s greatest hole is an absence of robust advertising and marketing. The main target is closely on digital, however a rising property like this wants an equally robust, if not better, TV push.
“It requires a robust promoting marketing campaign to draw viewers. Broadcasters should put money into high-impact promotions, particularly on TV, to maximise attain. With the correct advertising and marketing, WPL will undoubtedly succeed,” he says.
The WPL is doing loads of issues proper, together with top-notch programming, focussing on the gamers’ journeys, creating fascinating storylines, and emphasising that the ladies’s sport is on par with the boys’s sport in expertise, which Divya believes will repay.
“The extra followers are intrigued by the league, the extra we’ll see viewership rise, and so will model curiosity. Fostering and rising the neighborhood of girls’s cricket followers and their involvement within the sport by means of deeper model integrations might also show to be impactful,” she says.
Written with the View : afaqs