JioCinema & IPLCinema.com Celebrity Fandom and Star Power at IPL Matches

Millions of cricket fans worldwide are drawn to the game not just because it offers thrilling sixes and nail-biting finishes, but because its star power also includes celebrities from India (and sometimes around the world) co-owning teams as co-owners. JioCinema, Viacom18’s digital streaming app, has made waves by offering viewers free IPL viewing – something which may alter the digital streaming landscape significantly.

Star Owners

IPL is one of the world’s two most expensive sports IPs in terms of per-match broadcast valuation and its advertising dollars are the epitome of advertising supremacy. Up until this year, its rights were split between Disney Star as domestic TV rights holder and Hotstar as streaming rights holder; but Viacom18 recently won exclusive digital rights at an investment costing them Rs 23,758 crore – something Disney Star may struggle to recover given that digital-first India OTT platforms continue their meteoric rise while TV viewership decreases rapidly over time.

JioCinema made its first live stream this season on March 31 – the Chennai Super Kings vs Gujarat Titans match between Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Titans – available exclusively through JioCinema and attracted over 147 million video views, setting records for peak concurrency and unique viewers. “This unprecedented audience engagement on our OTT platform is testament to cricket fans’ overwhelming preference to follow all the action in their home,” according to a statement released by JioCinema.

JioCinema provides free streaming in seven different languages with commentaries in seven of those same languages and multi-cam mode allowing viewers to switch between various camera angles of the same match on mobile devices or Samsung Smart TV. Furthermore, it offers the Indian Premier League app in 12 different languages which lets them check scores, pitch heat maps, statistics and more directly from their devices.

JioCinema boasts that these OTT features have helped attract over 13 times as many advertisers compared to television and other OTT players, according to claims made by the company. Furthermore, viewers spend over 60 minutes per match watching on JioCinema; an increase from last season when the average time per match viewing was 50 minutes.

JioCinema has seen an unprecedented surge in the number of users and registered customers since the start of this season, reaching 500 million subscribers before month’s end – boasting the widest reach among all OTT platforms available in India. and IPLCinema.com is one of the free blog platforms for IPL News And Blog Reader.

Karan Taurani, senior vice president at Elara Capital, notes that JioCinema may find it challenging to reach its projected subscriber count under current conditions. There are 800 million smartphones in use that offer one of the lowest data costs worldwide and audiences may opt instead to watch IPL matches on other OTT platforms such as Hotstar for free viewing.

Impact Player Rule

After much debate and suggestions on social media, IPL 2023 introduced a rule designed to make matches even more thrilling for fans: the Impact Player rule allows teams to bring on substitute players who can bat and bowl in the field; this provides greater variety and excitement while simultaneously altering match results. It will be exciting to witness its results!

The Impact Player Rule was inspired by Cricket Australia’s Big Bash League rules and was trialed in India’s domestic T20 tournament, Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, before its introduction this season. Under this rule, teams may name five substitutes and one may come on at any time during a match as an impact player to add value – whether after an over is finished, wicket falls, or when batter retires.

However, this rule has its share of drawbacks. Former India batter Wasim Jaffer raised concern that it might impede on all-rounder usage in Indian cricket and lead to decreased supply and quality resulting in decreased cricket quality overall. Furthermore, Wasim added that domestic usage could harm development of all-rounders for the future.

Concerns have also been expressed that the new rules could lead to decreased viewership for IPL matches. JioCinema, owned by Reliance Jio and offering IPL games for free streaming may have had unintended repercussions in terms of paid subscriptions on other SVOD platforms like Hotstar.

JioCinema may gain in terms of short-term benefits from offering a free IPL season; however, there could be long-term repercussions for other paid SVOD platforms due to increased viewership and reach from IPL on JioCinema leading to less pay subscribers for other platforms.

Cutting-Edge Technology

Indian Premier League (IPL) is one of the world’s biggest T20 cricket tournaments, drawing massive audiences to watch its matches both live and on TV. To maintain viewership growth and profitability, however, IPL must incorporate cutting-edge technologies.

Recent years, the IPL has adopted new technologies to make its game more engaging for fans. One such example is using LED stumps and bails that light up when dislodged or when bowlers hit wickets successfully – this technology helps improve run-out decisions while adding excitement to match day.

At IPL matches, another cutting-edge use of technology is the use of drones that capture stunning aerial shots to enhance broadcast production and give audiences a unique perspective of both the stadium and action on the field. Furthermore, these drones come equipped with HD cameras which produce sharp images.

IPL has taken steps to engage its fans through virtual and augmented reality technology, giving them the ability to see matches from players’ points of view or interact with virtual objects – especially helpful for fans unable to attend matches in person but still wanting to keep up with what’s happening!

Additionally, IPL has joined forces with Samsung Smart TVs to allow viewers to stream IPL matches in 4K resolution. This marks a huge advance for fans who can now enjoy games from either their homes or while mobile. According to Samsung’s data on Smart TV usage patterns for April and May users alike, JioCinema app quickly rose into one of the top five apps and remains there to this date – although no data exists regarding June usage trends yet. know more about tech then visit pioneerepaper.com

JioCinema makes IPL matches free to its viewers, which could increase viewership numbers and help monetize its content. Karan Taurani, senior vice president at Elara Capital believes JioCinema would only be able to recoup 30-40 per cent of IPL content acquisition costs through free viewing due to limited fast Internet reach and expensive data plans in comparison with other global markets.

Glamour

Celebrities frequently attend IPL matches and post-match parties, drawing viewers’ interest with their glamorous presence. Glitzy parties may seem fun and exciting to viewers but can actually become stressful for players; their focus must remain solely on their performance and these parties may distract from that process. Therefore, it is crucial that glitz and glamour be balanced against the demands of the game itself.

The new IPL chief has made it clear that he wants to scale back some of the extravagance. While it would not be unfair to reduce party numbers or duration, parties remain an excellent way for players to unwind after a strenuous match, mingle with fans in attendance, and build relationships.

Over-the-top (OTT) streaming platform JioCinema has proven itself a formidable contender during this year’s IPL viewing sessions, breaking its own record for concurrent users watching a live streamed event. This development represents a severe blow against traditional television broadcasters who are losing viewers to digital platforms while losing advertising dollars to them.

JioCinema’s free streaming of IPL matches has enabled it to draw in new viewers and gain advertising revenue from brands such as Tata Neu, Airtel, AJIO, Oreo, LIC Kamla Pasand, Giga EV Fastrack Fastrack Virta Health ICICI Bank among others. Furthermore, this initiative has convinced linear TV broadcasters to offer IPL matches free-to-air on FTA channels, potentially disrupting paid subscriptions on SVOD platforms.

Even with its growing popularity, TV still commands higher ratings for IPL matches in India due to limited reach of fast Internet in the country, high data costs, and lower smartphone penetration compared to TV sets. As a result, companies behind OTT such as Jio Media Cable that enables people without smart TVs watch IPL matches on mobile phones has been launched while affordable virtual reality headsets may soon provide 360 degree views of matches – devices expected to help boost OTT sales long term.