India’s women cricket team knock ad rates out of the park

Spot rates for Sunday's final match zoom 40% as win against Australia catches nation's imagination

- CHRISTINA MONIZ Mumbai, October 31

WHEN AMANJOT KAUR struck the winning boundary off Australia’s Sophie Molineux in the semifinal on Thursday, it not only led to the biggest win for India’s women cricket team, it also ensured the television spot rates for the Sunday decider surge by around 40%. TV ad spots for India games, which were at ₹3 lakh per 10 seconds at the start of the tournament, have climbed up to ₹5 lakh for the final. On digital, the ad rates are now between ₹650-700 per CPM (cost per mille/thousand), up from ₹400-500.

“Advertisers are likely to scramble for ad spots at the last moment,” says a market observer.

"While several advertisers have locked their ad spending for the final much earlier, those coming at the last moment will have to pay a premium for inventory.We’re seeing brands across categories, not just women-specific advertisers, coming on board,” he added.

He expects this to also have a positive impact on the next season of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) with advertisers willing to invest more in women’s cricket.