Every IPL season throws up the same debate. Brands complain about escalating costs, CFOs question returns, and marketing teams are asked the inevitable question: What exactly are we getting for this money?
Let’s break this down and simplify the understanding. Brands are not advertising on the IPL because it is cheap or efficient; they are doing it because opting out has become riskier than opting in. That framing is uncomfortable, but accurate. To understand why, let’s take a practical example: a brand spending ₹10 crore on advertising. What does the IPL uniquely deliver, and how does that compare to spending the same amount on a top entertainment property?
At a basic level, ₹10 crore on the IPL buys scale. But scale alone is not the real story.
The IPL is one of the very few moments left in Indian media where attention is not fragmented. Families watch together. Viewers return night after night. Ads are not background noise; they are consumed in an emotionally heightened state. This matters because advertising works best not when people are merely watching, but when they are emotionally engaged.
A ₹10 crore IPL spend typically delivers:
- 150–200 million unique viewers across TV and digital
- High-frequency exposure over 8–10 weeks
- Strong brand linkage due to repeat creatives
- Association with national moments rather than episodic content
- But the most important output is not reach – it is mental availability. By the end of the season, the brand is no longer asking for attention. It is recognised, remembered, and accepted.
IPL advertising functions like category insurance:
- It reassures consumers that the brand is serious
- It signals scale and stability
- It keeps the brand “in the conversation” by default
This is why brands return year after year, even when short-term ROI models struggle to justify the spend.
Now, contrast this with an entertainment property.
Let us spend the same ₹10 crore on a marquee entertainment show – a reality series or a premium fiction property. What does that buy?
Entertainment programming typically offers:
- A narrower, more defined audience
- Lower frequency (weekly or episodic)
- Less emotional intensity tied to advertising
- Higher chances of ad-skipping or second-screen distraction
Entertainment content is consumed for the show, not for the surrounding ecosystem. The advertising is tolerated, not absorbed. While entertainment properties can be excellent for targeted storytelling or niche positioning, they rarely create national moments. Viewership peaks around finales, not daily. Emotional engagement is narrative-driven, not visceral.
Most importantly, entertainment shows do not generate cultural simultaneity. People watch at different times, on different devices, with varying levels of attention.
The result?
- Good recall among fans of the show
- Limited spillover beyond that audience
- Minimal long-term impact on brand salience
In simple terms: entertainment advertising communicates. IPL advertising imprints.
The true return of IPL advertising shows up later:
- Lower cost per conversion in post-IPL digital campaigns
- Higher response to influencer and retail activations
- Faster acceptance of new product launches
- Improved distributor and trade confidence
- IPL advertising doesn’t replace other marketing – it makes all other marketing work better.
That is its compounding effect.
A ₹10 crore IPL investment does not buy guaranteed sales. It buys permission, presence, and permanence in the consumer’s mind. Compared to entertainment properties, the IPL is not just a media platform—it is a cultural infrastructure.
To end, however, do brands spend on the WPL, and if they do, why? Yes, brands do spend, but cautiously and selectively, because advertising capital follows proven scale and certainty, not intent or ideology. The IPL has become a defensive, must-presence platform where absence is visible and risky, while the WPL is still seen as an optional, high-potential property rather than a core buy.
The WPL delivers sharper meaning, younger and more progressive audiences, and higher attention per impression – but without the compulsion effect that forces brands in. As a result, the WPL attracts challenger, future-facing, and women-focused brands willing to invest early for long-term equity, while most large advertisers wait for habitual viewership and scale to lock in before committing serious budgets.
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