MAM
WC win could boost India ODI rates by 20 per cent
MUMBAI: With Dhoni‘s men being crowned World Champions, the cricket economy is set for an upward swing as India has a heavy calendar this year.
ODIs stand to benefit the most, with some experts forecasting ad rates on live telecast to be 20 per cent more than normal times for the succeeding two series.
“Advertisers will want to ride the current wave. This will be the reverse of what happened in 2007 when the cricket economy collapsed for a bit after India suffered an early exit. Advertisers now might devote more of their budget towards cricket,” says a sports marketing expert who did not want his name to be revealed.
In a cricket heavy year, India plays around 20 ODIs till January 2012.
The India tour of England on ESPN Star Sports is expected to get a lift due to the good timing. “The West Indies series (on Ten cricket) might not see that much of a gain as the timing is an issue. Once these get over, the monies spent thereafter will depend on India‘s performance. But for the next two to three series, advertisers will approach sports channels wanting to be a part of the momentum,” says a media buyer.
Interestingly, India will play both home and away series against West Indies and England.
While there is a series every month, there will be clients who advertise due to competitive pressure. “The good news is that so far we have not seen any signs of viewer fatigue. I don‘t see this being an issue unless India‘s performance dips sharply,” the media buyer adds.
Another media buyer notes that more advertisers might come into the sport over the next few months. “There will be a premium paid here and there. At the same time, it is not that clients will stop spending on other genres,” she says.
She notes that for brands involved with the World Cup, there has been a big rub off in terms of brand loyalty and perception.
“The performance has been spectacular. Companies in categories like telecom already do a lot around cricket. This will continue. In some cases, this could intensify,” she says.
One company that should benefit in a big way is Sony. It used Dhoni in its ads and also was a top advertiser on ESPN Star Sports.
Will Multi Screen Media (MSM), the IPL‘s official broadcaster, gain from the World Cup victory?
“There will be no impact as MSM has pre-sold the IPL. We expect the Champions Twenty20 League later this year not to benefit much from the World Cup as ratings have been low,” says a media buyer.
MAM
Microdrama Specialist COL Group International Builds Out With Narativ, Rock Networks & BlingWood Deals
MUMBAI: Microdrama powerhouse COL Group International is building out its distribution network, with its CEO saying vertical video is about to enter its “next competitive chapter.”
The microdrama arm of publicly-listed Chinese company COL Group appointed Narativ Media as its official distributor in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and CIS regions and Africa, and a struck new content deal with a new Dubai-based microdrama platform.
The deals were unveiled this morning at MIP London, and also included Rock Networks as its exclusive Southeast Asia telco distribution partner for its app, FlareFlow. MIP London is now into its second day at the Savoy Hotel and adjoining IET London complex.
The deals come soon after COL appointed Harbour Rights to represent its titles in Europe and Latin America, as we reported yesterday in our extended feature on microdrama distribution.
COL’s Singapore-based microdrama unit says its “coordinated global distribution architecture and significantly expanded international content slate” would help to scale its catalogue to more than 1,700 microdrama titles worldwide. These hail from South Korea, Japan, Africa, the Middle East, Southeast Asia and the UK and roll out across Sereal+, FlareFlow and 17K.
A deal with Dubai-based BlingWood, which recently launched as an OTT platform, will expand COL’s access to Middle Eastern and Indian microdramas, and includes a broader pipeline of Indian series from storytelling platform Pratilipi, Korean titles from BeLive Studios and British reality-led formats from Tattle TV — the UK’s first dedicated microdrama app, including titles such as Dog Dates.
“Microdrama is entering its next competitive chapter, where quality, retention and monetization standards are increasingly shaped by data and operational discipline,” said Timothy Oh, General Manager of COL Group International.
“As pioneers in both China and the U.S., scaling some of the world’s leading platforms in this space, we understand what it truly takes to win sustainably. Our role is not simply to offer catalogue volume, but to help partners select, position and scale the right content for their platform and audience. By bringing together a broad, constantly refreshed slate from across regions, we enable smarter curation, clearer differentiation and long-term growth for serious industry players.”
Narativ deal
COL and UAE-based Narativ described their deal as a “strategic expansion of premium vertical content distribution across high-growth emerging markets,” and comes as the microdrama continues to boom financially. The growth of the medium will be among the key topics of conversation today at MIP London, where COL chief Oh will be speaking.
The pact extends beyond content representation and is being billed as part of a more “structured micro-drama distribution infrastructure.”
Narativ will spearhead market development, platform alliances, broadcaster relationships and digital monetization frameworks across the MENA and CIS regions and Africa, where they have identified “rapid mobile-first consumption growth and strong demand for short-form, high-engagement storytelling formats.”
“Micro-dramas are reshaping global viewing habits, particularly across mobile-first markets like MENA, Africa and CIS,” said Manjyot Sandhu, CEO and co-founder of Narativ. “Our appointment as official distributor for COL Group in these territories reflects Narativ’s strategy to build sustainable distribution architecture.
“A key pillar of the collaboration includes integration with FlareFlow, enabling strategic telco partnerships, bundled carrier offerings, and alternative monetization pathways designed to accelerate scale across mobile ecosystems and OTT platforms.”
Oh added: “We are building more than a content slate – we are building the global infrastructure for microdrama. With hundreds of new titles launching every quarter, scale and regional strength are critical. Narativ with its deep foothold in MENA, Africa CIS and other key markets makes them a natural strategic partner as we expand FlareFlow and bring microdrama to new platforms, telcos and audiences.
Narativ, which is joint venture Sandhu operates with Copyright Capital, manages around 7,000 hours of content and has a digital network spanning 150 million subscribers across 21 language.
COL Group has emerged as one of the biggest microdrama platforms, running platforms such as FlareFow. It is also a part-owner of ReelShort.
