IPLCinema : Epic Sledging in IPL Rivalries

IPL Cinema: The 2023 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) has broken viewing records across platforms. JioCinema, Mukesh Ambani’s online streaming service owned by him and Mukesh Ambani himself, has drawn in 25 sponsors for this tournament including gaming unicorn Dream11; JioMart; PhonePe; Tiago EV as well as Castrol, Louis Philippe Jeans and RuPay as sponsors.

This represents an unprecedented shift in viewership patterns and speaks to the increasing popularity of digital streaming over traditional television.

1. MS Dhoni

As IPL action heats up, players are doing everything possible to give audiences an unforgettable experience. One such measure is sledging each other; an act which has become synonymous with T20 league and is often hilarious to watch. But some players have taken it one step further by turning sledging into an art form, intensifying rivalries.

With over one million views on social media, a video featuring Chennai Super Kings captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni dubbing Mumbai Indians batsman Suryakumar Yadav as Dhoni’s slave went viral online and left fans and sports analysts alike in shock. Dhoni delivered this powerful jab with great humor as Dhoni broke down into tears by the end of it all while Yadav looked on smiling as usual.

IPL continues to grow bigger and better each year. As more fans flock to watch, so does competition among brands vying to showcase themselves to stand out in an increasingly crowded field. Therefore, brands must come up with creative strategies to ensure they stand out.

Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd of Mukesh Ambani made waves when it announced it would stream all Indian Premier League (IPL) matches live and for free via its OTT platform JioCinema, setting global records and ushering in an exciting era of sports viewing for viewers.

JioCinema’s live stream of the IPL final saw an unprecedented peak concurrency of over 32 million viewers – surpassing Star Sports’ previous high set during a cricket World Cup match last year and setting another new record with regard to unique viewers watching live-streamed events.

This OTT platform offers viewers a host of features, such as multilingual commentary and multiple camera angles including the “bird’s eye view.” These make accessing matches simpler despite India’s limited internet reach and costly data costs.

2. Suryakumar Yadav

Cricket is a highly-competitive sport and tensions often flare during matches between Mumbai Indians (MI) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), the two defending Champions in IPL history. One bizarre incident from this match saw Virat Kohli staring down Suryakumar Yadav in an epic faceoff – something not often seen at these matches!

Suryakumar has been one of the standout performers for MI this season, scoring crucial runs and contributing significantly. His big hitting abilities have made him an integral member of their side since making his India debut two years ago; but that wasn’t always the case; Suryakumar was even subjected to some heavy sledging from Kohli during an earlier match between MI and India.

Yadav has made up for his poor start by unleashing big hitting against RCB earlier this week – his knocks being the highlight of MI’s IPL campaign so far and hoping to ensure they qualify for playoffs. MI is currently sitting third on the table.

Suryakumar has been the go-to batting maestro for MI this season, earning himself an automatic inclusion into India’s squad for their tour of Australia. Not only has he impressed with his bat; Suryakumar has also proven his worth on the field – as evidenced in their most recent match against RCB.

JioCinema, owned by billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries and run by an OTT platform owned by Mukesh Ambani himself called Reliance Entertainment Limited (REIL), provided free streaming of this year’s IPL for its subscribers without incurring a cost – but experts suspect this was done more for marketing reasons than charity; Ambani wants to establish himself as the consumer superapp leader, drawing customers away from Sunil Mittal’s Bharti Airtel and financially troubled Vodafone Idea. Jio offers multilingual commentary as well as several camera angles (including Bird’s Eye camera view).

3. Hardik Pandya

Hardik Pandya has made India proud with his all-round play as an all-rounder, evident through his batting, bowling and fielding. Making his international debut aged 22 for T20 Internationals against Australia at Baroda cricket club in T20Is at age 22, Hardik quickly developed an affinity for big stage performances while performing under pressure. Hardik is an indelible part of Mumbai Indians history having contributed immensely in winning titles from 2015-2021 as an opening bowler who batted late into matches while opening bowling opening bowlers he formed long-on fortresses at long-on and match winners; making Hardik an indelible icon who truly made Mumbai Indians great.

Hardik returned from making controversial remarks on a reality show more determined and determined to prove himself. He played an essential part in Mumbai winning their fourth title and solidified his place in the national side with consistent all-round performances. Hardik even led Gujarat Titans all the way to their inaugural IPL final where they fell short against MS Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings by just one ball!

Hardik Pandya remains popular with the public and will look to build on his recent misbehaviour by returning as a match winner for Mumbai Indians. With speculation mounting around whether or not he leaves Gujarat Titans and rejoins MI, it will be fascinating to watch how their respective trade windows develop over time.

as per Pioneer Epaper : JioCinema, in order to increase viewership and OTT engagement, has live-streamed IPL games this year for free in HD quality on JioCinema app in order to enhance viewership and engagement with them. Furthermore, multi-cam mode was added along with commentary in multiple languages for an engaging experience ensuring every viewer can watch in a way that best meets their preferences. According to data from Samsung Smart TV, JioCinema app experienced a marked surge in popularity – ranking amongst top five apps this April May and June this year.

The campaign seeks to highlight the digital transformation occurring across platforms and how the IPL has become more accessible than ever before. A television commercial features a group of friends urging each other to watch this season’s tournament on JioCinema for a “digital first” experience.

4. Virat Kohli

IPL is known for producing some of the greatest cricketing action around. From fiery innings by Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni to massive sixes hit by MS Dhoni, its cash-rich tournament continues to draw audiences and make headlines around the globe. Now more than ever before, its broadcasting rights battle is also making news.

JioCinema, Mukesh Ambani’s online streaming platform, successfully secured digital rights for IPL digital streaming for an eight-year deal worth Rs 23,758 crore. They launched an ad campaign called Digital India Ka Digital TATA IPL to highlight their features such as free streaming, the first ever 4K stream, commentary in 12 different languages, multiple feeds and free playback of IPL matches.

Ogilvy and Chrome Pictures collaborated to craft this new campaign with an aim of bringing IPL closer to Indian consumers than television can. Running across digital and OOH channels, this campaign promises to take IPL fans’ experience to new heights.

As the season has progressed, many fans have shifted away from traditional television viewing habits in favor of online platforms like JioCinema. In 2023 alone, there was the highest-ever live viewership for IPL on digital streaming platforms with peak viewership reaching 32 million for CSK versus DC final match-up!

India is not surprising given its limited broadband access and high data costs; yet OTT viewership numbers still lag behind that of television due to limited smartphone penetration compared to TV sets.

However, IPL matches on digital streaming platform JioCinema have attracted enormous audiences for both teams and star players alike. For instance, the final between RCB and MI saw over 32 million views at peak. If not for technical issues which prevented a large portion of viewers from tuning in; considering the match was played in Abu Dhabi where internet connectivity and mobile data networks were down.