IT’s TRUE that IPL 4 commenced a little bit too soon after the CWC 2011 concluded, but over the entire season, it’s likely to not only maintain its brand value, but in fact build on the numerous verticals that it creates and generates.
In the normal sequence of events, if one were to typically track and compare prior seasons of the IPL to IPL 4, there would be initial interest in the matches, and then during the so-called consolidation phase, as the points table sorted itself out, interest would somewhat wane. The final onslaught would re-commence closer to the final group matches where the elite teams would rise, and the rest would hope to re-structure and re-strengthen their line-ups for the next season.
This season, either due to accident or design, and the fact remains that there are certain on-field and off-field dynamics that the IPL is witnessing, that make this league imbibe attributes of professional sports leagues worldwide.
Crucial for any league’s success is the evolution of city and team loyalty, as opposed to a national fan-base. It is unrealistic to expect a national audience for each match/game, given the quantum of matches/games that a professional sports league organizes each season. There will be approximately 74 matches in IPL 4, and it’s unfair to expect each match to have the same viewership as would a match in the CWC 2011 featuring India- a grand total of 9 matches over 45 odd days.
Therefore, with few exceptions, most professional sports leagues witness intense fan-bases that are based on city and team loyalty, and those are the bread and butter for most teams. All associated collaterals and verticals stem from city and team loyalty. Merchandise, gate-revenue, events, sponsorships, and viewership, to name a few, are mostly dependant on the particular city. However, what does end up happening is that in every league there are a few transcendent teams that have global appeal, global revenue-bases, and above all, draw attention to the league and its other teams. Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal in the EPL; Barcelona and Real Madrid in the Primera Liga; Inter-Milan and AC Milan in Serie A; the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox in Major League Baseball; the Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, and the New England Patriots in the National Football League; and, the Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics, and the Chicago Bulls in the National Basketball Association. These are the teams that stir passion, ire, love, hate, and above all, carry the obligations of their respective leagues on their sizeable shoulders.
The IPL is a much younger league, of much shorter duration. However, one can already envision the evolution of the league, as merchandising and seat sales start mirroring team loyalty. The transcendent teams in the IPL are already far more visible via local revenue pools and associated activations, and these are the teams that either bank on superstars, performance, or on mass appeal. The Mumbai Indians, unsurprisingly, boast the most visibility and exposure, due in no small part to the Great one (SRT), the slingshot superstar-Malinga, and Mount Kieron. The Chennai Superkings are the defending champions, but more importantly have the biggest Kahuna of all – MSD. Unsurprisingly, they are also the most cohesive unit as a team, and the best-captained. The Royal Challengers Bangalore has massive superstars in Hurricane Chris, Air AB, and the future of Indian cricket – Virat Kohli. Other contenders include the KKR and if they click, the Pune Warriors have potential to cross over as well, but bear in mind that a league’s success is in parity, longevity, and balanced revenue & team-specific verticals.
Gate revenues are always the mainstay of any home team’s revenue base. And, from that perspective, the mindset where one goes to watch a home game featuring the world’s best cricketers is evolving rapidly. Given that merchandising and branded apparel has made the foray from the Indian fans’ outward looking psyche (read: EPL and NBA-branded merchandise), and into the indigenous sports ‘brands’, so to speak (the Indian team and IPL franchises associated merchandise), and things may not be looking so glum for brand IPL.
