The 2007 World Cup was a fiasco not just for team India, but for the sponsors as well. But this time, the ICC seems to be batting for the sponsors. The schedule drawn up seems to be designed to ensure team India stays in the tournament longer, giving sponsors more value for money. After all, interest in the tournament in India lasts only as long as the men in blue take the field. As per the match schedule, India will play its first match on February 19 and its sixth group-match on March 20. This means that the team will be seen for at least 30 of the tournament's 43 days.
Manu Sawhney, MD, ESPN Star Sports, said, “This time around, the structuring is basically two groups, which play around themselves before they get into quarters, where the game reaches the knockout stage.”
India's debacle in 2007 forced official sponsor Visa to withdraw its high decibel ad campaign with Shankar Ehsaan Loy since the theme song was based on India lifting the cup. Pepsi was also forced to replace its "ladega toh jeetega" campaign with 7-up ads, after India crashed out. But despite the troubles of 2007, broadcast sponsors don't have a back up strategy this time.
Masaru Tamagawa, MD, Sony India, said, “Even though India has lost in the first or second stage, people still watch cricket. And that time though TV demand did not increase as much as it was expected, but did rise at least 1.5 to 1.6 times than the normal period. And this year, I believe the Indian team is much stronger than what it was four years ago. So we bet on this.”
In 2007, television rating points for the tournament dropped to less than 1, after India lost. Since then, advertisers and media buyers have been keen that negotiations for cricket tournaments be based on ratings. However, ESPN says this has not happened this year, since the structure of the tournament—and team India's form—point to minimum risks for sponsors.
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