Vivo IPL 2019: In A First, Hotstar Unleashes Social Cricket-Watching Experience In India!

Winners can even redeem their points via Amazon Pay

Hotstar's new initiative for IPL 2019
Hotstar’s new initiative for IPL 2019

IPL 2019, the 12th season of IPL will begin from March 23rd, and fans are already excited about India’s biggest sporting event.

To add more engagement and to drive more fun, Hotstar has introduced India’s first Social Cricket-Watching Experience. Hotstar is the official digtial streaming partner for Vivo IPL 2019.

What exactly is this, and how will viewers benefit?

And more importantly, how will advertisers benefit?

Social Cricket-Watching Experience: How It Will Work?

Named as ‘Koi Yaar Nahi Far’, Hotstar has conceptualized and designed this social watching experience for the first time ever.

With this feature, Hotstar users can invite their friends and families on the app, and then watch the live streaming together on the app – It doesn’t matter where they are located, everyone can watch the match at the same time, hence social-watching experience.

They can chat, interact as well.

Now, the fun starts.

As your family and friends are watching the live streaming together, they all can participate in the Watch N’Play game, and predict the scores, match outcome and more. Based on that, a social leader board will be created, which will have the ranking of all participants.

The winners can actually redeem their points via Amazon Pay, thereby gamifying the process of watching IPL matches.

Varun Narang, Chief Product Officer, Hotstar said, “The joy of watching cricket is multiplied manifold in the company of friends and family, something that’s becoming increasingly difficult to do today. We wanted to introduce something special to protect that ethos, and added the interactive, social layer to enhance the cricket watching experience.”

Social Cricket-Watching Experience: What’s In It For Advertisers?

Hotstar has induced several new features for the advertisers, this IPL 2019, and the live streaming has been converted into a giant canvas for them.

24 different cohorts have been invented, wherein advertisers can place their ads, and increase visibility, during live streaming of the matches. Brands can place contextual branded cards showcasing offers, mini-games, and polls to the audience, thereby increasing awareness and branding.

Since these unique advertisement options are available during live streaming, visibility is almost guaranteed for them.

Last year during the IPL, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) vs Chennai Super Kings (CSK) match created a new record of online viewership: 55 lakh viewers watched this match on Hotstar, via live streaming.

However, this record was broken during the recently held India-New Zealand cricket series, when whooping 11 crore people watched the match at the same time, via live streaming on Hotstar.

And this year, the viewership is expected to rise again.

Do you think Hotstar’s  ‘Koi Yaar Nahi Far’ will work with cricket fans? Do let us know by commenting right here!

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