PKL Season 7 ad rates up nearly 20% from last year
Industry experts say the increasing popularity of kabaddi and viewership of the league have made Vivo Pro Kabaddi League lucrative for brands

As Telugu Titans, U Mumba, Bengaluru Bulls and Gujarat Fortune Giants get ready to lock horns in the opening matches of the seventh edition of Vivo Pro Kabaddi League (PKL), media buyers have got busy closing with last-minute inventory buying for the second most popular sporting league in the country.
Experts say the seventh season of PKL has seen incremental pricing when it comes to ad rates. The ad rates, it is said, range anywhere between Rs 1.5 lakh/10 seconds and Rs 2 lakh/10 seconds and may go up further closer to the finals.
What does PKL offer advertisers?
According to industry experts, the huge viewership of the league is an incentive for the brands. “Tournaments such as the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) and Indian Premier League (IPL) are quite popular amongst brands for increasing visibility. The demands and the space for ad along with the prices are often high due to a franchise-based business model. These sports leagues are a robust platform for brands to reach out to their potential customers and create instant recall due to high viewership,” said Sameer Makani, Co-founder and Managing Director, Makani Creatives.
According to media expert Anita Nayyar, low-entry barriers make advertising lucrative in PKL. “The ad rates have seen a hike anywhere between 10 per cent and 20 per cent this season. Thanks to the increasing popularity of the sport and the huge viewership that the league has enjoyed in the past seasons, the ad rates have seen regular hikes,” she said.
“PKL has emerged as a strong contender to cricket in terms of ratings and viewership. Last year, it enjoyed a viewership of 872 million in rural markets and 316 million in urban areas. More than a billion people in the country watch Kabaddi and that's a huge number. So the value of this property is only increasing and we do feel that the viewership will witness an appreciable surge in the upcoming season,” said Sumeet Yadav, CEO, DO IT (owners of Dabang Delhi Kabaddi Club).
The overall sentiment around the sport is also at an all-time high and that has in turn pushed advertising revenues, the experts said. Most industry heads we spoke to agreed that the ad rates for the season have gone up close to 20 per cent from last year.
“Kabaddi has cemented its position as India’s No. 2 league. PKL has played a pivotal role in building Kabaddi as a sport and hence consumers’ relationship and affinity has been growing with PKL over the last 6 seasons and fans are eagerly looking forward to Season 7. Advertisers have been riding this wave and are strategically aligning their campaigns around PKL. The franchisees are also doing their bit by localising the sport and building communities around it. Broadcast strategy by Star Sports has been world class and with regional feeds and local language commentary we are pretty much assured of an exciting Season 7,” said Vinit Karnik, Business Head, ESP Properties, GroupM.
Experts also credit Star’s marketing initiative for popularising the league among prospective advertisers. “The fact that the league is in its seventh season shows that it is a profitable property. Also, anything that Star picks up they market it very well. While cricket is the hot cake, Star has also created a second line of sports which is also very popular and Kabbadi is one of them. Advertisers have also seen the opportunity in the league and invested in all the other seasons, and this season is no different. Alongside the regular advertisers and regular sponsors we have new names like Dream11 on board,” said Sudhir Kumar, Director Offline Media, DCMN India.
Like the ICC World Cup, Star is again gearing up for multi-channel coverage. While the national campaign for PKL was launched during the India vs England match in the World Cup, their Telugu promo starring NTR Jr is all over the internet. “Engaging audiences even further are numerous ongoing campaigns by PKL, including 4 advertisements during the cricket World Cup. One of these advertisements also featured M S Dhoni, which garnered higher attention from fans across regions. PKL was earlier broadcasted over 9 channels and this increased to 16 channels last year,” added Yadav.
Talking of the kind of brands that have shown interest in the league, Nayyar said, “The league has a huge male audience and hence brands catering to men’s products have shown interest in the league. Brands selling deodorants, men’s clothing, cement and TMT bars, and two-wheelers are some who count on the popularity of the sport. A huge chunk of viewership for PKL also comes from Tier II and Tier III cities, so brands with an interest in those markets also consider PKL as a profitable option.”
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E4M Our strategy is to target younger audiences through Sports: Rajiv Dubey, Dabur
The Head of Media at Dabur India spoke exclusively to exchange4media on the World Cup, associating with Indian Idol, the company’s digital spending and much more
With quirky campaigns, memes and moment marketing, timed with the ongoing World Cup and particularly the India-Pakistan matches, Dabur India has got considerable consumer attention for its popular brands – Red Paste, Cool King Hair Oil, Chyawanprash, Dabur Vita and the recently launched Bae Fresh Gel toothpaste.
The 140-year-old company is going big on key sporting events, World Television Premiere (WTP) movies and reality shows. It is now gearing up to become the title sponsor of popular talent show ‘Indian Idol’ on Sony TV for the first time, shared Rajiv Dubey, who leads the media strategy at Dabur.
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Swapan Seth's new book 'COOL' is out
The book is a reflection of the author's 'eclectic taste across categories'
Advertising professional and art collector Swapan Seth has announced the launch of his new book COOL. The book is described as "a ready reckoner to the hip and the happening, of the known and the very unknown."
The book is a reflection of the author's "eclectic taste across categories: from boltholes to exotic hideaways."
COOL has been published by Simon & Schuster India and is available on Amazon.
Seth is an ad veteran with a long and illustrious career in the industry. He became the youngest-ever Creative Director at Clarion at age 24. He was VP at 26 at Trikaya Grey. Two years later, he started his agency Equus.
He writes for publications such as The Economic Times, Hindustan Times and India Today. This is his second book and he has previously published THIS IS ALL I HAVE TO SAY.
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Disney Star signs 9 sponsors for Asia Cup PAK
Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up come on board
e4m Staff Disney Star has signed nine broadcast and digital streaming sponsors for the upcoming Asia Cup.
Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up have come on board for the upcoming tournament.
As reported earlier by exchange4media, Disney Star has sought Rs 26 crore for the co-presenting sponsorship on TV and Rs 30 crore for Disney+ Hotstar.
According to industry sources, the associate sponsorship on Star Sports has been priced at Rs 19.66 crore, whereas for the ‘powered by’ sponsorship on Disney+ Hotstar, the broadcaster is seeking Rs 18 crore.
As per the information available with exchange4media, Disney+ Hotstar has three sponsorship tiers-- co-presenting (Rs 30 crore), powered by (Rs 18 crore) and associate sponsorship (Rs 12 crore). The broadcaster is offering an estimated reach of 120-140 million for co-presenting sponsors, 90-100 million for powered by and 60-70 million for associate sponsorship.
A spot buy for 10 seconds has been priced at Rs 25 lakh for the India vs Pakistan matches, while for the non-India matches, the ad rate for 10 second is Rs 2.3 lakh. The India matches plus the final for ODIs has been priced at Rs 17 lakh per 10 seconds.
Asia Cup is scheduled to be held from 30 August, 2023, to September 17, 2023.
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Sorted 360 wins creative & social media mandate of Reliance Mall
The agency will manage offline and online campaigns for Reliance Mall
Sorted 360, an integrated creative and social media agency, has won the mandate to providing brand solutions for Reliance Malls across India.
“Sorted 360 is set to enhance Reliance Malls' market presence with their unparalleled creative prowess and strategic thinking,” read a press release.
“Sorted 360's commitment to pushing the boundaries of creative communication aligns perfectly with Reliance Malls' ethos. With a pan-India presence spanning across 19 cities and growing, Reliance Malls has consistently captivated customers by offering an array of Reliance brands and third-party fashion & lifestyle brands. The mall has established an unparalleled connection with its patrons through superior quality, a remarkable value proposition, and an unmatched shopping experience,” it read further.
"We are thrilled to welcome Sorted 360 as our trusted partner in advancing our brand presence across the nation," said the Head of Marketing at Relaice Malls. "Their proven expertise in retail, shopping center management, and innovative creative strategies make them the perfect fit for our vision."
"Partnering with Reliance Malls is a testament to our commitment to shaping extraordinary brand experiences," remarked Prerana Anatharam, Co-founder of Sorted 360. "We are excited to leverage our strategic and creative acumen to further elevate Reliance Malls as the epitome of convenience, choice, and excellence."
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KlugKlug onboards Hemang Mehta as Country Manager for Indias
Mehta was most recently Head of Agency Relationships at Network 18 Media & Investments
KlugKlug has appointed Hemang Mehta as its Country Manager for India.
Mehta will play a pivotal role in driving KlugKlug's growth and expansion within the Indian market and be responsible for Sales & GTM Strategy
Prior to that, he has also represented organisations like Exponential (now VDX.tv), India Today Digital and Rediff.com. His expertise spans various domains including digital media sales, mobile marketing, media planning, and buying, social media marketing, and more.
Hemang Mehta expressed his enthusiasm about joining KlugKlug, saying, "I am thrilled to be a part of KlugKlug, a forward-thinking platform that is reshaping the influencer marketing landscape. As much as I look forward to collaborating with the exuberant team at KlugKlug, I am super excited to interact with the brands to deliver powerful data-backed Influencer solutions that will guarantee business outcomes."
Commenting on the appointment, Kalyan Kumar, Co-Founder and CEO of KlugKlug, stated, "We are excited to welcome Hemang Mehta to our team as the Country Manager for India. His extensive experience in digital media sales and marketing will be instrumental in driving our efforts to provide influencer marketing solutions to our clients. We believe Hemang's leadership will be key in scaling our operations and expanding our reach within the Indian market."
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