PMAR 2018: BCCI vs GEC? I don’t think there is any match: Rahul Johri, BCCI
Rahul Johri, CEO, BCCI, ignited a thought-provoking conversation at the unveiling of the 16th Pitch Madison Advertising Report 2018 on whether BCCI is likely to kill GECs
Rahul Johri, CEO, BCCI who was present at the unveiling of the 16th Pitch Madison Advertising Report 2018 held on February 15 at ITC Maratha, spoke on cricket being one of the strongest entertainment factors in India, how it is the passport to the future and keeping up with changing consumer patterns.
Commenting on whether BCCI is likely to kill GEC, the CEO confessed that he is not one with extreme opinions. “If you think it will die then it will. It’s about how you think of it,” he said. He highlighted BCCI’s role in managing stadiums, logistics and ensuring that they embrace cutting-edge innovation and technology. “It is all a humongous operation and what you see is just the culmination of it,” he explained.
He also opened up on the advantage of having their production done in-house. “It is not dependent on a fixed budget but is all about being first in every sphere,” said Johri. He opined that a good product marketed well will deliver value to consumers. Speaking about the potentiality of cricket to garner eyeballs, he said, “Today, we are at a cusp of change. Consumption patterns are changing and it is all about content that is future ready and delivers value. That is the power of cricket."
While on the topic of Johri, the recent IPL auction can't be far behind. “Even the winner (Star) was stumped by numbers. We were estimating the digital numbers for the bid and to our surprise, it was thousand crores more than what we had estimated,” he revealed stating that the huge numbers signify the importance of cricket and points towards the fact that the game will only continue to grow.
Reminiscing how during his stint with Discovery, he had observed that every time during a cricket match, the ratings would shoot up, he shared, “Talking advertising-specific, an integral facet is distribution. It is sports that helps you break clutter and get distribution. Cricket content is like the passport to the future.”
Johri also made a strong case for how the game revolutionised with digital coming into play. “A 100 million people watched the Indian Premier League (IPL) this year,” he pointed out and spoke about how it’s not just about TRP now. “We’re looking at half a country to watch it now. That’s the kind of ambition we have,” he said.
He added, "If you look at Twitter followers of cricket stars, you will get a sense of what people follow. It is expanding and driving valuations of the market.” Johri also revealed BCCI’s plans of simplifying the process of changing language on the channels for consumers.” We will play the role of leaders and expand the market even further,” he asserted. “BCCI vs GEC? I don’t think there is any match,” said Johri with an air of finality.
Commenting on whether BCCI is likely to kill GEC, the CEO confessed that he is not one with extreme opinions. “If you think it will die then it will. It’s about how you think of it,” he said. He highlighted BCCI’s role in managing stadiums, logistics and ensuring that they embrace cutting-edge innovation and technology. “It is all a humongous operation and what you see is just the culmination of it,” he explained.
He also opened up on the advantage of having their production done in-house. “It is not dependent on a fixed budget but is all about being first in every sphere,” said Johri. He opined that a good product marketed well will deliver value to consumers. Speaking about the potentiality of cricket to garner eyeballs, he said, “Today, we are at a cusp of change. Consumption patterns are changing and it is all about content that is future ready and delivers value. That is the power of cricket."
While on the topic of Johri, the recent IPL auction can't be far behind. “Even the winner (Star) was stumped by numbers. We were estimating the digital numbers for the bid and to our surprise, it was thousand crores more than what we had estimated,” he revealed stating that the huge numbers signify the importance of cricket and points towards the fact that the game will only continue to grow.
Reminiscing how during his stint with Discovery, he had observed that every time during a cricket match, the ratings would shoot up, he shared, “Talking advertising-specific, an integral facet is distribution. It is sports that helps you break clutter and get distribution. Cricket content is like the passport to the future.”
Johri also made a strong case for how the game revolutionised with digital coming into play. “A 100 million people watched the Indian Premier League (IPL) this year,” he pointed out and spoke about how it’s not just about TRP now. “We’re looking at half a country to watch it now. That’s the kind of ambition we have,” he said.
He added, "If you look at Twitter followers of cricket stars, you will get a sense of what people follow. It is expanding and driving valuations of the market.” Johri also revealed BCCI’s plans of simplifying the process of changing language on the channels for consumers.” We will play the role of leaders and expand the market even further,” he asserted. “BCCI vs GEC? I don’t think there is any match,” said Johri with an air of finality.
