TV spots for cricket go abegging

NEW DELHI, OCT 15: It is perhaps for the first time in recent memory that advertisement spots on television for a cricket tournament - the...

NEW DELHI, OCT 15: It is perhaps for the first time in recent memory that advertisement spots on television for a cricket tournament 8211; the ICC knockout matches 8211; have taken such a knock. In contrast with a commanding figure of Rs 1 lakh for a 10-second commercial last year for one-day matches, this time the figure is hovering between Rs 20,000 and Rs 25,000.

With television channels, Star/ESPN and Doordarshan showing the ICC knockout championship being played out in Kenya live, it is becoming evident with each passing day that advertisements, let alone quot;pedigreed commercialsquot; are hard to come by. While advertising agencies are hoping that Sunday would spell out the final verdict on the much-maligned and battered Indian cricket team, for the time being it is a sad story.

quot;With only Asian Paints and Pepsi the only big-time sponsors, most of the advertisers have pledged their money elsewhere, thinking that India would be knocked out of competition,quot; a media planner said. With India doing well only now, the story could end on a different note.

While the public broadcaster has secured its bank guarantee amount of Rs 4 crore from Buena Vista the agency that is selling the game for DD, officials are not willing to spell out the money that will come by way of advertisment revenues. quot;Our rate cards are low because the matches are being aired at non-prime time hours,quot; a senior official said. The matches are being aired between 12 pm and 8.15 pm, way before KBC begins captivating the viewers.

Having lost nearly a million dollars on the ICC matches last year, DD officials prefer to wait and watch for the outcome. While media-watchers attribute the low rate card to low saleability of the game following match-fixing scandals, the viewership figures of DD and private channels make for an interesting comparison.

DD8217;s viewers displayed a touching loyalty to the sport and stuck to it even after the big scandal involving big leaguers broke out. For instance, at the Coca Cola Cup played out at Sharjah, DD-1 had an impressive TRP figure of 5.4 while ESPN/Star Sports managed only .1 per cent TRP for the Pepsi Asia Cup. Again, while the Pepsi Asia Cup on Star Sports managed a 1.4 TRP figure, Pepsi Cup India and South Africa matches earned a good 6.4 TRP rating for Doordarshan.

So, while Zaheer and Yuvraj might just help in erasing the bitter memories of Indian cricket, whether their spirited knocks will help sell the game once again on television will probably take a while to answer. When marketers and advertisers compare the TRP ratings some time later next week, their charts will spell give the verdict. More viewers means more money and more money means victory for the much-maligned sport. Over to Sharjah next week.