As everyone knows, the biggest televised sporting events in the world almost always draw millions of dollars in advertising money from the biggest brands, and in that regard, the Cricket World Cup that is going in England right now is no exception. However, England or any other participating nation in the tournament is not the biggest draw for television executives. Instead, it is India and its hundreds of millions of cricket crazy populace. Hence, the biggest brands that operate in India are using this opportunity to grab as many eyeballs as they can and spending copious amounts of cash in order to do so.
According to a new report, the viewing figures for the World Cup have surpassed all previous records and brands are cashing in big time. It is believed that advertising spending could cross $400 million by the time the tournament comes to an end in the second week of July. India remains the biggest market for cricket and has been so for a long time, which is why brands like Uber and Samsung, among many others, are burning through their advertising dollars during this tournament. In addition to that, companies from a wide variety of industries starting from banking and financial services to e-commerce and radio companies have decided to cash in big time. Moreover, highly innovative online campaigns have also been created around the tournament. According to a leading media agency, this is a huge opportunity for most brands, and none of them are willing to let go of this excitement that has engulfed the country.
It needs to be mentioned that the Cricket World Cup is not televised in many countries and the tournament is restricted to only ten teams. However, the number of eyeballs that a game catches in India, one of the fastest growing economies in the world, is tremendous and hence the spending is not surprising. It has been estimated that as many as 800 million viewers will watch the tournament by the time it comes to an end, and during that period, the leading brands are going to make merry.
