Can star power turn IPL into India’s Super Bowl moment?

In early 2024, when Taylor Swift appeared at Super Bowl LVIII to support her boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs' tight end Travis Kelce, she wasn't just another celebrity in attendance. She set off a series of events that turned America's biggest sporting event into a successful marketing event. As Numerator research revealed, 20% of Super Bowl viewers were rooting for the Chiefs specifically because of Swift's relationship with Kelce. The NFL broadcast, which attracted an average of 123.4 million viewers, making it the most-watched program since the 1969 Moon landing, had evolved into a sport that brought together diverse audiences.

A year later, at Super Bowl LIX, Kendrick Lamar delivered what became the most-watched halftime show in history with 133.5 million viewers, according to the NFL and Apple Music. His performance, which famously included his Drake diss track "Not Like Us", reshaped music charts, fashion trends, and marketing strategies. Within a week, Lamar dominated the Billboard Hot 100 with four songs in the top five, while the $1,200 Celine jeans he wore sold out almost immediately, and the Nike Air DT Max '96 sneakers he sported saw a 413% spike in trades on StockX.

Meanwhile, in India, the Indian Premier League (IPL) has become the cricket world's most valuable sporting property, valued at approximately $10 billion. Despite its massive viewership of half a billion, has the IPL truly transcended cricket to become a broader cultural phenomenon like its American counterpart?

When Swift first appeared at a Chiefs game in September 2023, it immediately became the most-watched NFL telecast from any network, drawing 24.32 million viewers as her fans, known as "Swifties", with little previous interest in football, tuned in to catch glimpses of the star.

"Swift's presence at the big game hit all the right notes, creating success for brands, retailers, and the NFL alike," industry analysts noted back then. The economic impact was substantial, according to Market Watch, since her first appearance at a Chiefs game, Swift generated more than $300 million for the team and the NFL as a whole.

The NFL recognised this opportunity and strategically adapted its coverage, frequently showing Swift's reactions during games and providing behind-the-scenes glimpses of the Swift-Kelce relationship, effectively encouraging the new demographic to continue watching.

Beyond Swift and Lamar, the Super Bowl has historically leveraged entertainment star power through its iconic halftime show. Performances by Beyoncé, Rihanna, and other entertainers have drawn viewers who might otherwise skip the sporting event entirely. The halftime show has become a cultural moment, often generating more social media conversation than the game.

IPL: Cricket first, entertainment second

The IPL, despite its massive success, operates as a cricket tournament with entertainment elements rather than an entertainment spectacle featuring cricket.

"The IPL also began relatively tentatively 18 years ago. While with the wisdom of hindsight it seems to have been destined for success from the very beginning, I'm sure not everyone expected it to be worth the 10 billion US$ that it became or to generate a viewership of half a billion," says Samit Sinha, Founder & Managing Partner of Alchemist Brand Consulting.

Sinha believes the IPL has already expanded cricket's audience considerably. He notes that the tournament has managed to bring in entirely new audiences to television and digital screens, much beyond what decades of test cricket and one-day internationals had managed, which largely catered to cricket followers.

N. Chandramouli, CEO of TRA Research, shares that the IPL, while a colossal phenomenon in cricket, is yet to fully transcend the sport as an entertainment-first spectacle in the same way that the Super Bowl has. 

“The IPL is deeply rooted in cricket, and although it incorporates elements of pop culture, music, and celebrity engagement, it still largely appeals to a cricket-centric audience," he continues.

Dr. Sandeep Goyal, Chairman of Rediffusion, counters that the IPL is "more entertainment than cricket anyway” and notes that the big hits - 1200 sixes in the tournament keep spectators happy.

He mentions, "Most matches have star presence. The cameras keep focusing on them all the time. The cheerleaders add to the gaiety and charm. The waves of the spectators give the match an element of fun and participation.” 

Goyal warns against too much emulation of the Super Bowl model and believes that if it tries to emulate the Super Bowl, its core cricket will get diluted. The sanctity of the game needs to be maintained, according to him.

Star power in IPL advertising

According to a TAM report, there was a 2% increase in the volume of ad share endorsed by celebrities compared to the previous season, spanning 37 matches. During IPL 18, Film Actors claimed the larger portion of brand endorsements, representing 41% of ad volumes, while Sports Personalities added a 35% share of ad volumes. In the analysis of the initial 37 Matches, Ananya Panday ascended to the top in IPL 18 Top Celebrity.

One of the most talked-about campaigns during the IPL season was Dream11's star-studded advertisement featuring Aamir Khan, Ranbir Kapoor, and other celebrities in a humorous narrative about fantasy cricket. The commercial leveraged multiple stars to create memorability in the cluttered IPL advertising space.

However, Chandramouli believes there's more to celebrity involvement than just creating buzz: "While it's a significant reach play, celebrity-led campaigns do improve ad effectiveness metrics like recall, engagement, and brand lift. Their involvement offers credibility and appeal, which can also influence purchasing decisions."

Sinha agrees that celebrity power does help brands, adding that they bring glamour and status to an event as much as they do to brands and also augment noticeability to a large extent. However, he cautions that for long-term impact, "brands need to think of using celebrities strategically to amplify the intrinsic brand story and not just use them simply for the sake of an association."

Missed opportunities in celebrity integration

Leaders identify several missed opportunities in how the IPL integrates celebrity culture beyond mere appearances and advertisements.

N. Chandramouli points out that a missed opportunity lies in integrating celebrities within the IPL broadcast itself, not just in the form of ads. 

“Why not have them as commentators, hosts, or digital storytellers? This could further blur the lines between cricket and entertainment, making the event feel like a cultural celebration rather than just a sport-centric broadcast."

Ritesh Ghoshal, Partner at Crisp Insights, reminds that the IPL's entertainment aspirations were stronger in its early years. 

"In the early years of the IPL, there used to be after-parties where the fans could interact with their stars. For instance, Bollywood stars were far more active than now, and each of the teams was actively involved in trying to create a persona and a brand for the team."

He notes that scandals and regulatory changes have reduced these efforts.

"It's in recent years with match-fixing, suspension of teams, introduction of temporary teams, restrictions of various kinds on fan-player interactions that efforts in this area have slacked off."

Who could bridge the gap?

In considering who could play the role of a cultural bridge similar to Taylor Swift in the Indian context, Sinha believes that the only two fields that have pan-Indian mass appeal are Indian cinema and cricket. 

“But some Indian superstar in the world of music could well emerge. At the moment, someone like Dijlit Dosanjh could fit the bill."

Chandramouli comments that someone like Virat Kohli could play the role, who, beyond his cricketing prowess, has an immense fan base in music and fashion. 

“If celebrities like Ranveer Singh or Deepika Padukone took centre stage in non-sporting contexts at the IPL, they could bring with them an entirely new demographic."

Could the IPL benefit from consciously designing cultural moments like the Super Bowl halftime show? Sinha believes this is already on the horizon. He suggests that the organisers might be hesitant to alter an established format, since doing so would require incorporating a major entertainment segment lasting at least half an hour between innings. However, he believes the organisers were likely already considering something similar to the Super Bowl half-time show for the future.

Chandramouli suggests, “Drawing in non-cricket audiences would require a recalibration of the IPL's format to consistently present itself as a larger-than-life entertainment event rather than just a sports tournament.” 

According to him, integrating Bollywood stars in a way that transcends the usual performances could mirror the global appeal of a Super Bowl halftime show.

Ghoshal notes that some teams are already pushing beyond cricket. "Teams like RCB and CSK have built a huge following beyond the borders of their 'catchment' – based on the appeal of the brand, the stars, etc and have built various avenues to bring the fans closer to the teams. With consistent brand-building efforts, the other teams, too, can get to this level."

As the IPL continues to grow, the challenge lies in building on its cricketing foundation, which means creating meaningful cultural moments that can attract audiences beyond traditional cricket fans.

The model provided by the Super Bowl, which took decades to evolve into its current event, suggests that the IPL may still be in its developmental phase as an entertainment property. As Sinha notes, the Super Bowl did not begin as the major spectacle that it later became, and it was only during the early part of the 1990s that the half-time show became the prime-time extravaganza that we have come to expect over the last couple of decades.

Finding India's equivalent to Taylor Swift or Kendrick Lamar might be just what the IPL needs to transform from a cricket tournament with entertainment elements.

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