Disney Offers Free Streaming of Cricket World Cup in India to Compete with Mukesh Ambani’s JioCinema
Admin Disney is set to provide free mobile phone streaming for the upcoming Cricket World Cup in India, as it competes with Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s JioCinema for dominance in the streaming industry.
The World Cup is scheduled to begin this year, starting with the England vs. New Zealand match in Ahmedabad on Thursday and running until November 19. This marks the first time in over a decade that India has hosted the competition, and it is anticipated to draw in hundreds of millions of viewers.
Disney holds exclusive rights to both the broadcast and digital coverage of the World Cup. The company hopes that this move will help it gain momentum in India after losing the online rights to stream the popular Indian Premier League cricket tournament to JioCinema for the 2023-2027 period.
Mobile phones play a crucial role in India’s viewing landscape, especially since many people do not own televisions.
JioCinema, a joint venture involving investors like Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries and James Murdoch, previously streamed the IPL for free earlier this year. This move attracted viewers and advertisers away from Disney and sparked a price battle.
While Disney retained the TV rights for the IPL, it has been experiencing a decline in streaming subscribers. Disney’s CEO, Bob Iger, mentioned in July that the company was open to selling TV assets, with reports suggesting that this could include divesting its business in India. Disney declined to provide a comment on this matter.
Disney’s decision to offer free mobile streaming of the World Cup underscores the challenges of attracting a mass audience in a country where purchasing power is significantly lower than in Western markets. In past seasons, the company experimented with offering free online access to the IPL and other cricket tournaments.
This year’s World Cup coincides with India’s festive season, a two-month period filled with consecutive religious festivals, including Diwali. Typically, this period drives a surge in consumer spending.
Disney aims to achieve a viewership figure comparable to the approximately 800 million people who tuned in for the latest Indian Premier League (IPL) through its combined offerings of free mobile streaming and television broadcasts, according to an insider with knowledge of the situation.
India, the winner of the World Cup in 2011, stands out as the leading contender in the tournament. A premature exit from the competition could present a significant setback for Disney and its advertisers, potentially leading to a notable decline in domestic interest.
However, eclipsing the buzz generated by the Indian Premier League (IPL) will be no easy task. Launched in 2008, the IPL has evolved into one of the world’s most financially rewarding sports leagues, primarily owing to its condensed three-hour match format. In contrast, the World Cup features a longer version of the game, with each match extending throughout a day.
Media Partners Asia, a consulting firm, predicts that advertisers are likely to allocate approximately $300 million for the World Cup, a figure that falls short of the approximately $480 million spent during this year’s IPL.
