In an era defined by rapid technological advancements, the world of entertainment and media consumption is undergoing a profound transformation. The rise of digital platforms has raised the question: Is digital becoming bigger than TV? To explore this shift, we'll delve into the realm of sports, using figures from the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup matches as a case study. Additionally, we'll compare the viewership numbers on two prominent digital platforms: Jio and Disney+ Hotstar.
The Changing Landscape of Media Consumption
Traditional television has long been the go-to medium for watching sporting events, including cricket. However, the advent of digital platforms and the accessibility of the internet have disrupted this traditional model. The ICC Men's Cricket World Cup provides a unique opportunity to analyze the evolving trends in media consumption.
ICC Men's Cricket World Cup: A Global Phenomenon
The ICC Men's Cricket World Cup is one of the most-watched and celebrated sporting events across the globe. With millions of cricket enthusiasts tuning in, it serves as an ideal case study for understanding the dynamics between TV and digital viewership.
TV vs. Digital: The Clash of Titans
Television Viewership:
Traditionally, television networks have been the primary broadcasters for cricket events. They offer a seamless experience, with live matches, expert commentary, and in-depth analysis. TV viewership of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup remains substantial, particularly among older demographics who have been loyal to this medium for decades.
Digital Platforms:
In recent years, digital platforms like Jio and Disney+ Hotstar have entered the sports streaming arena. These platforms provide viewers with the flexibility to watch matches on their smartphones, tablets, and computers. Additionally, they often offer supplementary content such as statistics, highlights, and interactive features.
The Digital Surge: Jio
Jio, a telecommunications giant in India, has made significant strides in the digital streaming market. With its widespread network, Jio has been successful in drawing cricket fans to its digital platform. The figures from the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup suggest a substantial increase in viewership through Jio's streaming services. This can be attributed to Jio's attractive data plans and bundled offers, which make it affordable for a broader audience to access cricket matches on their smartphones.
IPL 2023 emerges as a game changer for Jio Cinema. The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 has brought OTT platform JIO Cinema into the big league during which the application’s penetration has grown by almost 4X from 10.73% to 40.26% which was only 3% last year during IPL, claimed a data report.
Indian Premier League, since its inception, has been the most-watched sporting event in India. Jio Cinema bagged the streaming rights for IPL for the period between 2023 to 2027, so this year IPL was streaming on Jio Cinema, before which Hotstar had the legacy of streaming it since its inception. Jio Cinema is offering a free subscription for its feed, whereas, Disney+Hotstar followed a paid subscription model.
Disney+ Hotstar: A Global Player
Disney+ Hotstar, a streaming platform owned by Disney, has gained international prominence. It offers a range of content, including live sports events. The ICC Men's Cricket World Cup has seen a surge in viewership on Disney+ Hotstar, with a global audience turning to the platform to catch the live action. This demonstrates the global reach of digital platforms, transcending geographical boundaries.
Disney+Hotstar has lost the lucrative IPL deal. Is it now a fight for survival?
In early June, as anticipation grew over the digital and television rights of the lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL), Disney Star knew that it was on a rather sticky wicket. The Mumbai-headquartered broadcaster—it has been telecasting the IPL on television for five years and on its digital platform Disney+ Hotstar for a little longer than that—knew the competition, especially for television rights, would be intense. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) was holding the e-auction for the media rights for the next five years on June 12 and divided the process into four packages.
However, on June 14, after three days of intense bidding, while Disney Star won the television rights, it lost the digital rights to Viacom 18, which offered Rs 23,758 crore for 2023-2027. Despite the base price of TV rights being much higher than digital—Rs49 crore compared to Rs33 crore per match—Viacom 18 will pay around 50 crore per match for the digital rights. Viacom18 also won the non-exclusive digital rights, for which it will pay Rs 33.24 crore per match, for 98 matches between 2023 and 2027.
Now that the OTT platform has lost its digital media rights, Disney+ Hotstar is likely to lose around 15 million subscribers.
The Future of Cricket Viewing
While traditional television remains a strong contender for cricket viewership, digital platforms are undoubtedly on the rise. Factors such as affordability, accessibility, and additional features are propelling the digital revolution. The ICC Men's Cricket World Cup serves as a microcosm of this larger shift, highlighting the evolving preferences of viewers.