IPL's big bet on creators to pull youth is working

The ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) extravaganza has garnered record viewership in the first weekend, propelled by the reach of social media influencers promoting brands and teams to India's upcoming cricket stars.

- Pratishtha Bagai

Creators are driving engagement not just about matches but life off the field, too. Comic Viraj Ghelani adds humour and relatability to Mumbai Indians' social media outreach. Punjab Kings hosted a Creator Day to bring more than 30 influencers together. Travel vlogger Taran Singh calls himself a water boy of Rajasthan Royals, nudging his Instagram followers towards the team's content. And there's much more.

"There's been a significant increase in influencer marketing across the board. The creator economy is booming, and teams are adapting fast," said Saurabh Arora, chief commercial officer at Punjab Kings, adding the team has increased its spending on influencers this year after remarkable return on investments in the previous seasons.

"Approximately 15% of our IPL marketing budget is dedicated to influencer and creator-led campaigns," Arora said. "It's a strategic allocation that allows us to scale reach, build relevance, and connect directly with fans, especially digitally native audiences."

The eighteenth edition of the IPL, which kicked off on 22 March, has already raked in 49.56 billion minutes of digital viewership, a 40% jump over the previous season, JioHotstar reported. This was driven by a 54% surge in connected television consumption. Traditional TV viewership also rose 39% to 253 million viewers in the first three matches-the biggest opening in the league's history.