Sports
Ormax Media launches Trac20 for IPL 2026 ad effectiveness
New syndicated study tracks sponsorship and ad impact weekly with 16,500 plus sample, real-time diagnostics for brands.
MUMBAI: IPL advertising just got a real-time scoreboard because when brands spend crores on cricket’s biggest stage, waiting for the final whistle to check ROI is no longer in play. Ormax Media has unveiled Ormax Trac20, a comprehensive syndicated research solution built specifically for brands sponsoring or advertising during IPL 2026. Launched on 24 February 2026, it is positioned as India’s largest-ever syndicated study on sponsorship and advertising effectiveness, delivering actionable insights throughout the tournament rather than just a post-season report card.
With a total sample exceeding 16,500 across its modules, Trac20 combines two core frameworks: a weekly ad-tracking module that monitors key metrics brand noticeability, creative cut-through, sponsorship recall, and consideration shifts and Ormax Mpact, a proprietary three-stage brand lift model covering pre-season baselines, mid-season diagnostics, and post-season evaluation.
The tool addresses a pressing marketer pain point: IPL remains India’s most powerful and competitive media platform, but high spends, clutter, and fragmented viewing (linear TV plus digital) make it hard to know what’s working while the tournament is live. Trac20 provides weekly reporting and mid-season checkpoints so brands can optimise media weights, creative rotations, sponsorship activations, and overall strategy in real time.
Ormax Media founder & CEO Shailesh Kapoor said, “IPL is the biggest advertising stage in India, but it is also expensive and highly cluttered. Ormax Trac20 is going to be India’s largest research on ad and sponsorship effectiveness of all time. It will help IPL sponsors and advertisers measure better, benchmark smarter, and optimise faster.”
Designed for franchise sponsors, thematic partners, large FCT buys, and digital spends alike, the study aims to help both established sponsors and new category entrants gain sharper ROI accountability in a high-stakes environment.
In a season where every six can shift brand fortunes, Trac20 gives marketers a live tracker turning guesswork into game plan and helping every rupee hit the boundary instead of vanishing into the stands.
Sports
Sun TV sues Chennai Super Kings over use of Jailer, Coolie music in IPL promo
Network seeks Rs 1 crore in damages as Madras High Court directs CSK to confirm songs removed from jersey launch video
CHENNAI: A legal battle has erupted even before the first ball of IPL 2026 is bowled. Sun TV Network has moved the Madras High Court accusing Chennai Super Kings of copyright infringement over the alleged use of music, background scores and dialogues from the Rajinikanth films Jailer, Jailer-2 and Coolie in a promotional video for the franchise’s new jersey.
The commercial suit, filed by Sun TV Network Limited against Chennai Super Kings Cricket Limited and three of its officials, claims the IPL franchise used copyrighted audio content without obtaining a licence from the rights holder.
Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy heard preliminary submissions in the matter before adjourning the case to March 16. The court also directed CSK to file an affidavit confirming its statement that the songs in question are no longer being used in the team’s promotional material.
The suit names CSK chief executive and managing director Kasi Viswanathan, head of finance Avinash Sridharan and head of content Radhakrishnan Sreenivasan as defendants alongside the franchise company.
According to Sun TV, CSK released a promotional video on March 1 to unveil its IPL 2026 jersey across social media platforms including Instagram, X, YouTube and Facebook. The video allegedly incorporated audio tracks, background scores and dialogues from Jailer, its upcoming sequel Jailer-2 and Coolie — all Rajinikanth projects produced by Sun Pictures, the film production arm of Sun TV Network.
Jailer, released in 2023, emerged as one of the biggest Tamil box-office hits of the year. Its soundtrack by Anirudh Ravichander, particularly the viral track Hukum, became a staple across social media and stadium events. Sun TV told the court that Anirudh Ravichander had been engaged under agreements that vest all rights in the films’ music with the producer, making Sun TV the exclusive copyright holder authorised to license the music.
The network alleged that the content was used at several points in the video, including scenes depicting the arrival of CSK captain MS Dhoni at the team camp, to amplify the promotional appeal of the campaign. It argued that the video was designed to promote the team’s merchandise, including its IPL 2026 jersey sold online at around Rs 2,399, thereby generating commercial gain from copyrighted material.
Sun TV has sought a permanent injunction restraining CSK from using any songs, dialogues or background scores from its films across platforms including social media, stadium broadcasts and promotional campaigns. It has also demanded Rs 1 crore in damages and asked the court to direct the franchise to disclose revenues generated from the promotional campaign that allegedly used the copyrighted music.
Senior counsel J Ravindran, appearing for Sun TV, told the court that CSK had stopped using the songs after receiving an e-mail objecting to their use. Ravindran nevertheless urged the court to ensure that the franchise does not repeat the alleged infringement.
Senior counsel PS Raman, representing CSK, informed the court that the tracks from Jailer, Jailer-2 and Coolie had already been removed from the promotional video. Raman also assured the court that the franchise would obtain proper licences if it uses such material in the future.
With the IPL season approaching and the dispute now in court, the clash has added an unexpected off-field contest to cricket’s biggest league — one that will be fought not with bats and balls, but with copyrights and court orders.
