One of the most well-known cricket leagues in the world is the Indian Premier League (IPL). Millions of people in India and around the world are fans of it. In the past, a paid subscription was required to watch IPL games live on streaming services like Disney+, Hotstar, Airtel, Vodafone, and Jio. The IPL 2023 will, however, be streamed live for free on the JioCinema app, according to a recent announcement from Viacom 18, which has shocked and disrupted the industry. According to industry experts, a 3-hour match would require at least 2 GB of data, which could cost around Rs 28. Viewers who want to watch all 74 matches on mobile or connected TV may need to spend around Rs 2,072 on data, which could be a significant expense for many Indian users. Over the course of 52 days there will be 70 league matches and four playoff.
A Jio representative clarified that not all users are likely to watch complete IPL matches on their smartphones, though. Most viewers tend to watch for less than an hour, which would consume approximately 0.5 GB of data. All operators include this kind of data in their plans. Viacom18 anticipates that telecom companies will run special promotions during the IPL that include cheaper data plans. JioCinema wants to compete in the digital video advertising market with YouTube India and social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram. While Viacom18 wants to reach 500 million people with its free IPL services. JioCinema’s subscriber base could see a significant increase. As a result of the decision to stream IPL games for free, helping it to compete with other platforms.
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Viacom18’s decision to stream IPL games for free could harm the Indian OTT market. It can cause APRU to decline, according to a report from the brokerage firm Elara Capital. We have yet to see how the upcoming months will unfold regarding this decision. But it’s clear that Viacom18’s decision to provide free IPL streaming has disrupted the market. It will significantly impact the broadcast of sports in India in the future. A report from the brokerage firm Elara Capital says that Mukesh Ambani’s Viacom18’s decision to stream the Indian Premier League (IPL) for free on JioCinema will greatly increase the platform’s number of subscribers and may help it compete with YouTube India and Facebook in the market for digital video ads. Viacom 18 is reportedly preparing to stream IPL matches. After paying a staggering INR 23,758 crore for the digital streaming rights to the premier cricket tournament.
