MUMBAI: Hotstar is poised to elevate the experience for the upcoming VIVO IPL 2019, India’s largest sporting extravaganza. With the motto of ‘Koi Yaar Nahi Far’, the streaming giant is rolling out a first-ever social cricket-watching experience for the new season which kicks off on 23 March 2019.
This year, with ‘Koi Yaar Nahi Far’, Hotstar will bring people together irrespective of their location. Viewers will get the opportunity to invite their friends and family to Hotstar, enabling them to watch the matches and participate in the Watch N’Play game together. Fans will be able to compete and see where they stand against their friends and family through the new social leader board.
They will also be able to make their voices heard by chatting about the match or their Watch N’Play experience, not only with their friends and family, but also with experts and celebrities. In interesting product integration, winners of the Watch N’Play games will be able to redeem their points, courtesy the exclusive partnership with Amazon Pay. The campaign TVC showcasing these features rolls out on 8 March 2019.
As a global first, Hotstar is offering ad targeting for live sports at a scale like never before, making the 12th edition of VIVO IPL an exciting affair for all involved. Advertisers will be able to target 24 different cohorts during the live streaming. Additionally, through contextual branded cards showcasing offers, mini-games, and polls, brands have been provided with a unique opportunity to engage viewers at scale during a live game and be a part of their moments of joy for the entire tournament.
The streaming platform has also partnered with Swiggy to ensure that users don’t miss a single moment of the cricketing action this season. Favourites from the Swiggy Pop menu can be ordered directly from within the Hotstar app, making it extremely convenient for cricket fans across the country.
“In India, cricket is a very intrinsic part of our fabric and IPL over the years has become one of the largest sporting events globally. Last season alone, an astounding 202 mn viewers watched VIVO IPL on Hotstar, and we expect this number to grow tremendously this year,” said Hotstar chief product officer Varun Narang. “The joy of watching cricket is multiplied manifold in the company of friends and family, something that’s becoming increasingly difficult to do today. We wanted to introduce something special to protect that ethos, and added the interactive, social layer to enhance the cricket watching experience. With a strong technology backbone, and an engaging experience for the viewers coupled with disruptive marketing solutions for brands, we are extremely excited to bring VIVO IPL on Hotstar like never before.”
Furthermore, with the intent to take this experience deeper and wider into India, the matches will be streamed across 8 languages, targeting an unprecedented reach of 300 million viewers.
