Driven by CTV, PKL and T20 Women’s WC to offer premium audience at scale: Dhruv Dhawan

New Delhi: Upcoming T20 Women's World Cup and the Pro Kabaddi League cater to distinct audiences, providing advertisers with a wide array of opportunities to target diverse demographics, especially premium audiences, during the festive season, said Dhruv Dhawan, Head of Ads at Disney+ Hotstar, in an interview with BestMediaInfo.com.

"PKL appeals predominantly beyond the metros, although some metro pockets do show strong viewership. On the other hand, the Women's World Cup attracts a growing mix of both male and female audiences," Dhawan explained. 

The T20 Women’s World Cup is kicking off on October 3 while PKL will begin on October 18.

"We see CPG and female-centric brands gravitating towards the Women's World Cup. For instance, a beauty brand partnered with one of the teams during the Asia Cup. Meanwhile, PKL draws brands deeply rooted in India, like cement and tractor companies," Dhawan said.

What’s in store for advertisers during Women’s T20 World Cup

Historically, big sports events have been a cash cow for streaming platforms through subscription-based models. But in 2023, Jio Cinema shook things up by streaming the IPL for free, pushing Hotstar to make T20, ODI World Cups, Asia Cup, and Pro Kabaddi League free to watch for mobile viewers.

However, the T20 Women’s World Cup and Women’s Asia Cup continue to be behind the paywall. 

Commenting on the decision, Dhawan noted that keeping it behind a paywall is a strategic decision that helps advertisers target a premium audience at scale.

Throwing light on the growing popularity of the Women’s World Cup, Dhawan said, "The Women's World Cup in October comes with significant momentum, especially after India's strong performances in recent tournaments, like the Asia Cup and the 2023 World Cup." 

As per the data shared by the Disney Star OTT platform, the 2023 Women’s World Cup attracted 3x higher viewership than previous editions on the platform. Its data also shows that the female viewership for women’s cricket stands at about 20%, higher than the average for men’s cricket.

He emphasised the growing fan base for top Indian female cricketers such as Smriti Mandhana, Harmanpreet Kaur, and Richa Ghosh. 

"While their social media followings don't yet match the likes of Rohit Sharma’s 40 million followers, Smriti’s 12 million is growing rapidly," he added.

Dhawan also listed some of Hotstar’s advertising solutions curated for the World Cup:

3D breakout ads on mobile: A format where creative elements "break out" from the standard billboard space, creating a 3D effect for heightened visual impact, perfect for capturing attention on mobile devices.

Takeover ads for mobile: Video ads featuring a call-to-action (CTA) and clickable cards in a catalogue format, making interactions more engaging and immersive.

Billboards on CTV: Exclusive billboards that cover the entire screen on connected TV (CTV), maximising visibility. 

Lead-gen ads: Recently introduced, these ads allow brands to gather first-party data for lead generation via midrolls, prerolls, branded cards, and billboards.

Click to WhatsApp: This video ad format includes a CTA button, enabling direct interaction between the advertiser and the user through WhatsApp, with user consent.

Along with the above, advertisers can continue to leverage Disney+ Hotstar’s self-serve platform. Hotstar has created special packages for SME advertisers via its self-serve platform for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 for India Play-Off matches.

India + Knockout games, along with a few select non-India matches, will be available for viewing in multiple languages, including Hindi, English, Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada. However, the rest of the matches will only be streamed in English.

What’s there for advertisers during Pro Kabaddi League

Streamed in Hindi, English, Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada, Dhawan emphasised that PKL offers a much larger scale. 

“Kabaddi continues to capture the nation’s imagination with a 3x increase in viewership over the last two seasons, setting the stage for an even larger audience this year,” he added.

Dhawan listed some of Hotstar’s advertising solutions curated for the PKL:

3D breakout ads on mobile: Attention-grabbing ads that elevate mobile engagement

Takeover ads: Dominant ad placements that ensure maximum visibility during key moments

Action replay bug: A subtle yet impactful way to keep your brand in the spotlight during replays

Click to engage: Interactive ads that encourage direct engagement with the brand

Billboards on CTV: Large-screen ads on Connected TV, perfect for reaching a premium audience

Additionally, brands can associate with star athletes by sponsoring branded player profiles, aligning their brand with top sports figures. There are also content integration opportunities such as:

Bespoke content: Custom long-form ads played during live games, created specifically based on a brand’s brief.

Co-branded vignettes: 30-second promos that combine brand messaging with tournament footage and TVC visuals, enhanced with a compelling voice-over.

Dhawan told BestMediaInfo.com that Hotstar expects a good four-month festive period in terms of revenue, stating the key findings from the Disney+ Hotstar Festive Sentiment survey 2024.

He said, “The four-month period spanning from September to December sees very high advertiser interest for categories such as FMCG, CG, Auto, Fashion & Apparel, F&B. On an average 40-45% of the annual AdEx is spent during these festive months in India.”

The report reveals that women shoppers plan to boost their spending by 70% compared to last year, expanding their purchases across more than two categories. Millennials, especially those aged 31-40, are expected to lead the charge in festive spending, with an average budget of ₹27,000, outpacing Gen Z shoppers. The report also highlights the growing influence of digital platforms, with 58% of consumers relying on online ads and 37% turning to online videos for product information. 

“The research substantiates that consumer sentiments look positive for the festive season. Therefore, we are ready with our set of ad solutions and content partnerships for the Women's World Cup and PKL,” commented Dhawan. 

Last year, it was the Men's World Cup which cornered in excess of Rs 2,500 crore from the festive adex. 

This year, advertisers are shifting focus to high-impact entertainment properties like reality shows, expanding beyond sports. 

When asked about the potential impact on Hotstar's revenue, Dhawan noted, "In addition to our major sports offerings, we have a strong content lineup that, combined, provides advertisers access to a premium audience at scale."

Dhawan noted that the growth in reach and premium audience will be largely driven by connected TV (CTV). 

While traditional advertisers from sectors like auto, CPG, clothing, and beauty remain aggressive, he observed a slowdown in advertising from alcobev brands due to regulatory constraints. “Even the gaming category is moving a bit slower on the advertising front,” he added.

Dhawan concluded that while interacting with advertisers, the focus isn't primarily on pricing but on delivering value aligned with their brand objectives. 

"It's about how much value we can offer to meet their specific goals," he explained.