Digital
Interactive Avenues releases IPL 2023 Social Media Listening Report
Mumbai: Interactive Avenues, a leading full-service digital agency and the digital arm of IPG Mediabrands India, has launched “IPL 2023: Unveiling the Roar”, an exhaustive social media listening report with unique insights into the digital conversation landscape surrounding the IPL 2023 season. The report, based on extensive data gathered from online platforms, analyzes the social media buzz generated by IPL 2023.
Interactive Avenues COO Shantanu Sirohi said “We are thrilled to present the findings of our report ‘IPL 2023: Unveiling the Roar.’ The social media buzz surrounding the tournament was truly remarkable, with player controversies and emerging talent capturing the hearts and attention of fans. This report offers valuable insights into the power of social media in shaping the narrative of IPL 2023, highlighting the immense popularity of players like Virat Kohli and the impact of strategic partnerships. It is a testament to the ever-growing influence of digital platforms in the world of sports and entertainment.”
IPL 2023 witnessed a host of unforgettable on-field performances, funny moments, and heated controversies that translated into massive social media buzz.
“The ‘IPL 2023: Unveiling the Roar’ report leveraged powerful social media listening tools to gather and analyze extensive data from platforms like Twitter, Reddit, and popular cricket forums. We used advanced analytics to study the social media landscape surrounding IPL 2023, including player controversies, performances, public sentiments, and the impact of emerging talent. This comprehensive report offers valuable insights into the social media dynamics of IPL 2023, providing a deeper understanding of the trends, player influence, and brand engagement within the tournament,” added Sirohi.
Here are some key findings and highlights from the report:
Player Popularity:
- Virat Kohli emerged as the most popular player, with seven million social media mentions across IPL 2023. Despite Royal Challengers Bangalore’s defeat by Gujarat Titans in the final league game, Kohli outperformed MS Dhoni on social media, who garnered six million mentions.
- Kohli generated more brand-related chatter than the next nine players combined, showcasing his significant influence and engagement on social platforms.
Liked and Disliked Moments:
- Rinku Singh’s historic match-winning knock against Gujarat Titans received the highest number of social media likes.
- Kohli’s controversial argument with Gautam Gambhir and Naveen-ul-Haq generated the most mentions (270K) and engagement (four million).
- Rohit Sharma’s dismissal due to poor performance against Royal Challengers Bangalore drove engagement to the tune of two million, making it another highly talked-about moment.
Emerging Players in the Spotlight:
- Rinku Singh topped the charts among emerging players with 940K mentions, followed by Yashashvi Jaiswal (250K mentions) and Tilak Verma (190K mentions).
Social Media Buzz and Team Mentions:
- The tournament and franchises sparked a whopping 42 million mentions on social media.
- Chennai Super Kings topped the roster with 7.6 million mentions, emerging as the most talked-about team.
Impact of Partnerships and CSR Initiatives:
- IPL-based partnerships played a significant role in driving brand perception on social media.
- Gaming was the leading category with 120K mentions, followed by Media with 70K mentions.
- Puma’s ‘Go Green’ campaign in collaboration with Royal Challengers Bangalore garnered 67.2K mentions and drove engagement of more than 1 million.
Digital
Content India 2026 opens with a copro pitch, a spice evangelist and a £10,000 prize for Indian storytelling
Dish TV and C21Media’s three-day summit puts seven ambitious projects before an international jury, and two walk away with serious development money
MUMBAI: India’s content industry gathered in Mumbai this March for Content India 2026, a three-day summit organised by Dish TV in partnership with C21Media, and it wasted no time making a statement. The event opened with a Copro Pitch that put seven scripted and unscripted television concepts before an international panel of judges, and by the end of it, two projects had walked away with £10,000 each in marketing prize money from C21Media to support development and international promotion.
The jury, comprising Frank Spotnitz, Fiona Campbell, Rashmi Bajpai, Bal Samra and Rachel Glaister, evaluated a shortlist that ranged from a dark Mumbai comedy-drama about mental health (Dirty Minds, created by Sundar Aaron) to a Delhi coming-of-age mystery (Djinn Patrol, by Neha Sharma and Kilian Irwin), a techno-thriller about a teenage gaming prodigy (Kanpur X Satori, by Suchita Bhatia), an investigative crime drama blending mythology and modern thriller (The Age of Kali, by Shivani Bhatija), a documentary on India’s spice heritage (The Masala Quest, hosted by Sarina Kamini), a documentary on competitive gaming (Respawn: India’s Esports Revolution, by George Mangala Thomas and Sangram Mawari), and a reality-horror competition merging gaming and immersive fear (Scary Goose, by Samar Iqbal).
The session was hosted by Mayank Shekhar.
The two winners were Djinn Patrol, backed by Miura Kite, formerly of Participant Media and known for Chinatown and Keep Sweet: Pray & Obey, with Jaya Entertainment, producers of Real Kashmir Football Club, also attached; and The Masala Quest, created and hosted by Sarina Kamini, an Indian-Australian cook, author and self-described “spice evangelist.”
The summit also unveiled the Content India Trends Report, whose findings made for bracing reading. Daoud Jackson, senior analyst at OMDIA, set the tone: “By 2030, online video in India will nearly double the revenue of traditional TV, becoming the main driver of growth.” He noted that in 2025, India produced a quarter of all YouTube videos globally, overtaking the United States, while Indians collectively spend 117 years daily on YouTube and 72 years on Instagram. Traditional subscription TV is declining as free TV and connected TV gain ground, forcing broadcasters to innovate. “AI-generated content is just 2 per cent of engagement,” Jackson added, “highlighting the dominance of high-quality human content. The key for Indian media companies is scaling while monetising effectively from day one.”
Hannah Walsh, principal analyst at Ampere Analysis, added hard numbers to the picture. India produced over 24,000 titles in January 2026 alone, with 19,000 available internationally. The country now accounts for 12 per cent of Asia-Pacific content spend, up from 8 per cent in 2021, outpacing both Japan and China. Key exporters include JioStar, Zee Entertainment, Sony India, Amazon and Netflix, delivering over 7,500 Indian-produced titles abroad each year. The top importing markets are Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, the United States and the Philippines. Scripted content dominates globally at 88 per cent, with crime dramas and children’s and family titles performing particularly strongly.
Manoj Dobhal, chief executive and executive director of Dish TV India, framed the summit’s ambition squarely. “Stories don’t need translation. They need a platform, discovery, and reach, local or global,” he said. “India produces more movies than any country, our streaming platforms compete globally, and our tech and creators win international awards. Yet fragmentation slows growth. Producers, platforms, and tech move in different lanes. We need shared spaces, collaboration, and an ecosystem where ideas, technology, and people meet. That is why we built Content India.”
The data, the pitches and the prize money all pointed to the same conclusion: India is not waiting for the world to discover its stories. It is building the infrastructure to sell them.
