When the Indian Premier League was postponed in March due to the new coronavirus pandemic, fans thought they would miss their favorite cricket stars in action for a long period. They also wondered if the league would happen due to the circumstances created due to the Covid-19 pandemic. But IPL came back and came back with a bang. From September 19 through November, IPL wowed fans with non-stop action that included suspense matches, splendid bowling spells, and spectacular hitting.
In a world dominated by negative news about the deadly virus, the IPL was a relief. And it showed in the ratings too. The recently concluded season 13 of the IPL saw a record 28 percent increase in viewership compared to the last edition.
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The pandemic and the bio-bubbles that players had to endure for weeks made organizing this edition of the tournament a challenge.
IPL President Brijesh Patel said: “IPL has always strived to provide a world-class sporting event for its fans. He thanked title sponsor Dream11, who partnered with the hugely popular league after BCCI parted ways with its previous partner, VIVO.
“With Dream11 joining as the title sponsor of IPL 2020, we are pleased to see a digital sports brand like Dream11 increase fan engagement through fantasy sport.”
“It is equally encouraging to see how Dream11 has integrated its users into all Dream11 IPL match activations. The match countdown, the Dream11 champions fan wall and virtual guest box have been created to bring fans to the forefront, ”he added.
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The four large virtual fan walls featured pre-recorded cheerleading videos on the sponsor walls. IPL teams such as Mumbai Indians and Rajasthan Royals launched digital initiatives to connect with fans. Mumbai Indians launched ‘MI Live’ and ‘Paltan Play’ and Rajasthan Royals ran a community program called “Super Royals”.
Vikrant Mudaliar, Dream11 Marketing Director, said: “IPL is the largest sporting event in India which is witnessing extremely high fervor from the fans, and we are happy to see a similar commitment at Dream11.” Fantasy sports have increasingly become an integral part of fan engagement every IPL. Sports fans are at the center of everything we do, and we have integrated our users into all Dream11 IPL match activations. ”
(with PTI inputs)
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