With the Indian Premier League (IPL) set to begin on March 22, OTT streaming giant JioHotstar is targeting start-ups and SMEs (small and medium enterprises) for advertising at affordable rates. “Now you can afford to advertise your business on the TATA IPL,” the statement read as quoted by Inc42.
JioHotstar has introduced advertising package plans ranging from Rs 15 lakh to Rs 1.5 crore. In total, there are five packages for advertisement --- Rs 15 lakh, Rs 25 lakh, Rs 50 lakh, Rs 90 lakh, and Rs 1.5 crore. The packages don’t include GST. The company, in its brochure, claims that start-ups and SMEs can attract more customers, and increase their credibility in the local areas.
The company’s advertising strategy is built on three core pillars --- unmatched reach and scale, innovative targeting, and advanced measurement, said Ishan Chatterjee, Chief Business officer of sports revenue, SMB and creators segment of the JioStarIPL as mentioned in the report.
The platform has also launched an SMB outreach program across 10 cities to onboard more start-ups and SMEs for advertisement in this year’s IPL. Currently, it aims to attract around 1,000-2,000 advertisers per session.
In addition, the OTT platform will provide expert guidance to help advertisers choose between display and video ads to maximise their message impact. While display ads are image-based and appear below the livestream, video ads are 10-second clips that run before, during, or after the regular programming.
The report said advertisers can also tailor their campaigns by selecting specific geographic locations and choosing the matches during which they want their ads to appear.
This came after JioStar merged JioCinema and Hisney+ Hotstar platforms. The new platform will not only stream movies and web shows but also premier tournaments like ICC events, IPL and WPL, alongside grassroots cricket with the Indian Street Premier League and events from BCCI, ICC, and state associations, other sporting events including the Premier League and Wimbledon, and domestic leagues such as Pro Kabaddi and ISL.
