CHENNAI: The upcoming five-match away Test series against England offers Sony Sports, the Indian broadcaster, the rare opportunity of showcasing live Indian cricket on its channels. However, unlike previous times, it comes with a significant challenge because the squad will be devoid of both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, generational names whose mere presence meant advertisers were more than happy to vie for inventory before and during live broadcasts.
As it is, after a long Indian Premier League (IPL) season, advertisers shut down for a period of time as they are conscious of 'ad fatigue' among viewers. So, even if Sony has, in theory, a marquee five-match series against two of the Big Three, the advertising budget for your typical products will not be as much (this problem wasn't there in 2021 as the IPL was cut short because of the pandemic).
When you couple that with the absence of Sharma and Kohli, there's a genuine worry that advertisers may not be forming an orderly queue to fill the space between overs. It's understood that there could be a dent this time and Sony, who retained TV rights for India in all bilateral cricket in England till 2028, may have a hard time in convincing advertisers to part with their money.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) themselves have had to some forward planning to ensure fans have that connect with the team. Over recent months, Shubman Gill — a captain-elect apart from Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul — has featured prominently in videos put out by the board. One wonders if the board will make at least one of them available for an in-depth interview with Sony to get advertisers on side (at this point, there are no such plans).
In 2021, a depleted Indian side, sans Kohli and Sharma in various stages, did the unthinkable in Australia. What they did enabled Sony to come out with widespread highlights packages, talk shows as well as a documentary.
If India can do something similar in England, where they have won one series over four decades, Sony will hit the jackpot. For the time being, the story they will sell their viewers and advertisers will be simple. Come and watch a new as well as young team try to master Bazball in England.
The results of the first couple of Tests will inform the rest of their story-telling.
