dentsu Announces Dentsu Sports International in MENA
Dentsu, a leading global provider of marketing communications, is pleased to announce the opening of Dentsu Sports International (DSI) in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) area. The launch of DSI in the MENA area represents a critical turning point in the company’s dedication to providing clients with services in this expanding market, with a strategic focus on improving sports marketing and analytics offerings. With additional offices in the United Arab Emirates, DSI MENA will have its headquarters located in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
DSI – Dentsu’s sports arm opens in MENA
DSI MENA will comprise of Dentsu Sports International Commercial, MKTG Sports + Entertainment, and Dentsu Sports Analytics as its core businesses. Dentsu will be able to offer end-to-end solutions for a variety of services, such as data-driven analytics, commercial development, strategic consulting, and rights delivery, thanks to this integrated approach. As part of this expansion, DSI is pleased to announce the appointment of Olaf Borutz as Vice President of Commercial Development, reporting to Echo Li, Global Chief Commercial Officer of Dentsu Sports International.
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Olaf Borutz’s experience in the sports industry
Olaf, who comes to DSI with a wealth of sports industry experience, was the Head of Sports & Events at Al Tamimi & Company, a prestigious MENA commercial law firm. There, he advised clients on a broad range of commercial matters related to sports and events and represented government agencies, rights holders, agencies, and players competing in the Saudi Pro League and Qatar Stars League. Furthermore, during his time at TEAM Marketing in Switzerland, he negotiated significant international sponsorship, licensing, and brand agreements for UEFA club competitions, such as the UEFA Champions League, on behalf of UEFA. Olaf will be essential in accelerating expansion and leading projects to fortify Dentsu’s standing in the Middle East and North Africa.
Densu Sports International has launched a comprehensive study of fandom in the region, titled ‘Speed of Fans: Saudi Arabia Insights Report’. The report sheds light on fan behavior in the Kingdom using their exclusive Decoding 360 Platform, providing insightful information about their inclinations and patterns.
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Here’s what they said
Charlie Wylie, Managing Director, EMEA, dentsu Sports International, said,
“dentsu Sports International will serve as a strategic sports and entertainment arm of dentsu in MENA, offering comprehensive solutions tailored to the needs of brands and rights holders. We look forward to forging lasting relationships and driving success in this dynamic and fast-evolving market. It’s great to have Olaf on board, ensuring we have an experienced and trusted industry specialist in MENA engaging with our current and future partners.”
Tarek Daouk, CEO, dentsu MENA, added,
“The appetite for sports marketing in the Kingdom is at an all-time high, with Saudi’s ambitions and investment in this space only expected to grow. It’s an exciting time for sports in the region and we are thrilled to launch dentsu’s bespoke sports and entertainment offering – combining our global experience and heritage in sports marketing with local market data and expertise – to connect brands to fans like never before.”
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NODWIN Gaming and JSW Sports Partner to Transform Indian Esports Industry
NODWIN Gaming, the world’s leading emerging markets gaming and esports media company, has formed a strategic partnership with JSW Sports. JSW Sports is India’s largest sports promoter and sports management company. The partnership represents a critical turning point in the development of the Indian e-sports industry. It seeks to transform and commercialize the gaming, e-sports, and cultural intellectual property (IP) landscape.
NODWIN Gaming and JSW Sports Collaborate to Revolutionize e-sports
Known for being a sports media company, NODWIN Gaming strategically partners with JSW Sports, taking advantage of their vast knowledge of sports management and promotion. The partnership combines JSW’s robust presence in sports, especially in their commercial vertical, which boasts partnerships with more than 150 clients in sports marketing, with NODWIN Gaming’s unparalleled experience in esports operations and content creation.
Transforming the Esports landscape
This partnership has the potential to completely transform and strengthen the nation’s quickly developing esports scene. This strengthens NODWIN’s strategic emphasis on a sports media business. This partnership combines NODWIN Gaming’s experience in esports operations and esports content creation with JSW’s experience and footprint across sports, particularly their commercial vertical, which has established itself as one of the best in the nation working with more than 150 clients on sports marketing. Sports and esports have very large audiences and media overlaps in India.
Esports-centric IPs in India
This partnership aims to launch new e-sports-centric intellectual properties in India, expanding its scope beyond the current esports audience. In addition, the joint venture seeks to create the best possible platforms for brand and advertiser partnerships. Furthermore, it also seeks to educate stakeholders and the market. Having arranged some of the largest esports competitions in India, NODWIN Gaming has amassed quite a collection over the years. These competitions include the BGMI Masters Series, ESL India Premiership, Dew Arena, DreamHack India, and numerous other events. In addition to creating many thrilling gaming moments for some of the biggest brands, NODWIN hopes to further solidify its strategic focus as a sports media company with this partnership with JSW Sports.
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The press release claims that NODWIN Gaming’s esports IP is praised for its allure and provides a dynamic array of content to meet the community’s entertainment demands. Additionally, this partnership hopes to satisfy the constantly changing tastes of the gaming public. It does so by showcasing a compelling narrative in the e-sports space. To optimize the value of gaming and e-sports content, a comprehensive framework encompassing sponsorship, media rights, activation, and influencers has been developed. With an estimated 150 million viewers, India is home to a sizable e-sports market. The partnership aims to capitalize on this market, with projected revenues of $124.8 million in 2024 and predicted exponential growth in the years to come.
Here’s what they said
Akshat Rathee, co-founder and MD of NODWIN Gaming said,
“We at NODWIN Gaming are thrilled to announce our partnership with JSW Sports, a momentous milestone in the esports ecosystem. NODWIN Gaming’s technical know-how and leadership in the esports and gaming domain, combined with JSW Sports’ commercial expertise, positions us to unlock unprecedented opportunities in the distribution and monetisation of esports content. Our shared goal is not only to empower the esports ecosystem but also to establish new benchmarks for the future. While there’s much work ahead, the excitement and possibilities are boundless!”
Divyanshu Singh, COO of JSW Sports, said,
“India has one of the largest esports viewing audiences in the world, estimated at roughly 150 millions viewers. That number swells up to 290 million when you combine it with both, esports playing titles and fans. Talking more numbers, In 2024, the revenue in the esports market is forecasted to reach$124.8m, and that number will only grow exponentially in the years to come. In JSW Sports and NODWIN, we see two market-leaders with the kind of synergies to capitalise on these trends, and change the game when it comes to distributing and monetizing esports content.”
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Cricket’s Advertising Blitz: Boundaries Beyond the Game!
The holiday season is almost approaching. The ICC World Cup, which is going on at the moment, making this year’s displays exceptionally dazzling. After this, all eyes are on the advertising industry.
Upcoming events in the world of Sports and Cricket
Marketers are eager to leverage the cricket’s immense popularity, leading to increased competition on digital advertising platforms. Recent developments, including free streaming, innovative ad formats, and precise targeting options, have raised the bar for brand advertising during the tournaments, leaving many curious about the creative campaigns to come.
The Indian sports events market and the Cricket World Cup
The Indian Sports Events Market is anticipated to expand quickly. It is anticipated to have nearly doubled from 2021 to US $1 billion in 2023. Additionally, the market saw a 10% increase in sales in 2023, and a 4.04% CAGR is predicted through 2027. Cricket, a game that Indians love, dominates this sector. The Cricket World Cup is slated to present an unmissable opportunity for advertisers, providing front-and-center exposure to a sizable, engaged, and intensely devoted audience that exhibits a willingness to make purchases.
Cricket and Sports Marketing in India
India’s sports marketing has experienced a spectacular metamorphosis as a result of cricket’s enormous popularity. The most popular sport in the country, cricket, has significantly shaped the sports marketing scene.
The Advent of Digital Media in Sports Marketing
Digital media and streaming services have expanded sports marketing’s reach and engagement opportunities, enticing brands to invest in this lucrative field. Businesses are exploring endorsement deals, sponsorships, and innovative marketing tactics to tap into the passionate sports fanbase. Social media, streaming platforms, and fantasy sports apps offer targeted marketing options, enabling brands to reach specific demographics and boost visibility in the sports arena.
Brands can reach the appropriate audiences, at the right time, and in the right environment using programmatic advertising. Brand recall and brand visibility are two advertising KPIs that marketers can more easily attain than through more conventional media like TV and radio
Rise of Digital Advertising in Sports
As India’s digitization progresses, Indians are increasingly turning to digital channels for watching the game, such as connected TV, cricket portals, and streaming platforms. As a result, marketers have been able to connect with millions of cricket fans online via various channels, giving them access to new digital advertising opportunities. It is fantastic for advertising, but there is a problem. These digital platforms attract a variety of demographics. They may not be relevant to the target market.
The Power of Cricket
For Indian TV viewers, cricket is no less than a daily soap opera. It is complete with drama, predictable results, humorous anecdotes, and even some heartbreaking scenes. How can the advertising industry avoid becoming involved when one sports genre has more viewers than the majority of other sports combined? The ad firms see more and more opportunities to be linked with the game as it develops, whether it is putting the brand’s logo on a player’s bat or creating a full-fledged commercial centered on cricket.
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Why Scoring Big on Your Branding During Cricket Matches is a Game Changer
Let’s take a brief look at how advertisers profit from running ads during the busiest time of the cricket season and in between games.
- Brand Awareness: Live streaming contributes to the expansion of the audience and the brand’s personality. Streaming sporting events aids in attracting a sizable audience.
- Interact with the brand: By using live streaming, brands may create a lasting connection with their audience. It encourages an authentic relationship that viewers can reach from their homes or anyplace else.
- Emotional connection: During any cricket match, people’s passion and emotions are at their peak. It has a significant and enduring psychological effect on the audience.
- Massive Viewership: Advertising during a cricket match provides a huge viewership pool, providing firms unrestricted ad mileage.
- ROI without interruptions: Cricket commercials give advertisers a way to support their companies’ ongoing ROI.
- Engagement: Advertising during live cricket matches provides outstanding engagement with related material, including highlights from pre- and post-live shows.
The Money Game
Making campaigns, especially for a competition, and focusing more of their promotion on the game while putting their products on hold is truly a major risk that firms take. Do they succeed, though? Brands truly began investing in cricket during the 1996 World Cup. The International Cricket Council (ICC) received 900 crores (9 billion) in advertising revenue. Additionally, during the 2011 World Cup, it grew to nearly 15 billion. The BCCI started charging 2 crores every match for title sponsorship, which has since increased to 3.8 crores per match due to the massive amount of money coming in from ads. Imagine that the BCCI will charge INR 11.4 Cr for a tri-series (3 matches), only from title sponsors, plus other sponsorships for television, goods, drinks, and more.
IPL- The advertising haven
With millions of supporters, cricket occupies a special place in Indian sports culture. The Indian Premier League (IPL) has transformed cricket and sports marketing in India. The fast-paced and exciting format enthralled the Indian audience. Since then, it has developed into a marketing phenomenon that has drawn significant investment from powerful corporations and advertisers.
According to statistics, the IPL 2022 produced over
- USD 520 million in advertising revenue.
- Over 300 million people watched the games.
In contrast, IPL 2023 received
- 1.47 billion video views on its first weekend.
- 32 million people watched the last match live on Jio Cinema.
- More than 550 million spectators.
- 61% of IPL watchers used smartphones.
Making advertising more effective with hand-selected audiences and measurable results
There are two different types of brands when it comes to cricket advertising-
- Includes people who think that brands are based on cricket.
- Those who believe the price is too high.
Cricket advertising provides a chance for brand recall as well as a way to assess the immediate effects on enterprises. Technology and cricket have been combined to provide data-driven insights that enable marketers to assess the immediate effects of their advertising initiatives. Advertisers can determine whether cricket has a real impact on a brand’s financial line by examining website traffic, concurrency, and conversions during certain cricket tournaments. Cricket serves as a catalyst for company success as well as a platform for brand building.
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